ATLAS OF
NORTH AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA

The approximately 72 families of moths and butterflies in North America north of Mexico encompass nearly 12,000 known species. Many of these species have never been illustrated and groups of certain species are similar in appearance, often making identification difficult.
The ATLAS OF NORTH AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA seeks to provide a more rapid availability of illustrated synopses to all described species in North America than currently available. Each species account will include a concise summary covering all significant information on the species, involving nomenclature and subspecies, range and habits, biology and host plants, and illustrations of adults, larvae and genitalia. The figures of adults and larvae will mostly be in color and of large size, usually also showing dorsal and ventral surfaces of the wings, as in the brochure example.
The species pages of the ATLAS will comprise a subscription series, with sets of issues published periodically as convenient groupings, either families or larger genera. The first set, for example, will cover all the Papilionidae. Each species page will be prepared for loose-leaf housing but with pages bonded as a booklet, thus allowing subscribers to use either binders, for possible future revisions to be added, or to use each set as a booklet.
The species pages will be part of a new world Lepidoptera Species Data Sheet series, eventually comprising all Lepidoptera of the world. Thus, species will be numbered within families by faunal region as part of the world listing. This also integrates all species within the new Lepidopterorum Catalogus (new series), jointly published by Scientific Publishers and the Association for Tropical Lepidoptera.
Publication plans call for the Papilionidae pages to be issued first, along with a new checklist to species of this family. Further sets will cover the remainder of the butterflies and skippers. The moths will be treated as whole families or as larger groups are completed, thus being issued in mixed order as parts become ready. Each completed family will include a new checklist to species.
The ATLAS will complement but not replace ongoing research projects which are providing detailed descriptions of new species and revised comprehensive classifications of existing taxa, but which have a slow rate of publication due to the few specialists available.
This exciting new ATLAS series will for the first time offer concise information and illustrations for all North American Lepidoptera in a readily available format. It is hoped that the series will be well received, with sufficient subscribers to complete the project.

FEATURES
-- nearly 12,000 species figured in color, with concise summaries of taxonomic and biological information on each species and subspecies (figures show range of variation)
-- data sheet for each species: synonymy, diagnosis, range of subspecies (including map), genitalia, flight period, habitat, hosts, immature stages, biology
-- figures of male and female genitalia
-- figures of immature stages (color and/or line drawings)
-- booklet publication (8 1/2 x 11 inch format) with setup for ring binders, allowing replacement by future page revisions
-- comprehensive revised checklists for each family to species and subspecies (current to date of publication), with future revisions
-- first issues on butterflies, starting with the Papilionidae
-- low cost per set of issues for pre-publication subscribers
-- bibliography to the key literature on each species
-- index to larval host plants for each family
-- species integrated into world Lepidoptera Species Data Sheet system

PUBLICATION PLAN
Introduction and Faunal Synopsis
Checklist (3 parts)
Fasc. 1-124: Micropterigidae to Noctuidae (species pages by family)
General Index

CHECKLIST OF NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLIES
A new checklist and catalog to the skippers and butterflies of North America (north of Mexico) will be issued as part of the series. It will incorporate numerous changes that have occurred since 1983. The catalog will include notes on the known ranges of all included species and subspecies. Other checklists will be issued as moth families are completed for the series.
Pending.

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