A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India

[wollastoni]

Our friend Peter Smetacek, member of the ICF, is publishing an interesting and useful book about Indian butterflies "A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India ". Due to recent anti-science laws in India, few modern research has been made on the fantastic fauna of this country.

He wrote this book with the help of many contributors including some ICF members (Adam Cotton, Z.F. Fric and myself) and other entomologists as the great Torben Larsen.



Please find below his explanations on how to order this book :
Dear friends, we are pleased to announce the forthcoming launch of A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India in the last week of October, 2015. For those who would like a hard copy/copies of the book, kindly remit the necessary funds before SEPTEMBER 30, 2015. Please NOTE that we will only get the ordered copies printed and subsequently, COPIES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE. The book is priced at Rs.400/- plus Rs.100/- handling and postage by Registered Post within India; international price is USD 10/- per copy; please ask for postal rates, since these vary from country to country. Kindly remit the amount to BUTTERFLY RESEARCH TRUST, IDBI Bhimtal, Account number 0404104000034663, IFSC code: IBKL0000404 and inform us of the transfer at [e-mail]

For paypal payment, send him an email to the above address.

[deliasfanatic]

Is it exclusively a list of Indian taxa (perhaps including synonyms), or does it also include range information?

[wollastoni]

Updated list of sp and ssp with their repartition in India.

Example for Euploea core :
E. core (Cr.)
i. E. c. andamanensis Atkinson - S. Andaman Is.
ii. E. c. bumila Evans - Little Andaman Is.
iii. E. c. camorta M. - Central Nicobar Is.
iv. E. c. core (Cr.) - Entire India, except some northern areas below Himalaya.
v. E. c. ferrari Tyt. - N. Sentinal Is. (Andamans).
vi. E. c. godartii Lucas - Manipur.
vii. E. c. scherzeri Fd. - Car Nicobar Is.
viii. E. c. vermiculata But. - Himalaya, N. India, Sikkim, Assam.

[deliasfanatic]

Sounds useful - thanks.

[wollastoni]

And you will find some useful clarification in the Delias genus.

[peter]

Dear all, I am happy to announce that the text is complete and the printing will take a week or two longer. We now know that India has 1318 species of butterflies (this story was picked up by BBC Newshour! )
An example of the format is below:
(2). Genus Dodona Hewitson, 1861
2. D. adonira Hewitson, 1866 Striped Punch
i. D. a. adonira Hewitson, 1866
Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.
ii. D. a. naga Tytler, 1940
Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland.
3. D. dipoea Hewitson, 1866 Lesser Punch
i. D. d. nostia Fruhstorfer, 1912
Jammu & Kashmir to Uttarakhand.
ii. D. d. dipoea Hewitson, 1865
Sikkim to N.E. India.
Only a few hard copies will be printed (on order), the book will be a free PDF download from researchgate.

[Adam Cotton]

Presumably there are no new names or nomenclatorial acts in the book (there aren't in Papilionidae, but I don't know about the other sections) as "print to order" is excluded by the ICZN Code from valid publication of new names and other nomenclatorial acts.

Note that the Code regulations do not include purely taxonomic acts (eg. new synonymy), and those would be considered scientifically published from the downloadable pdf version, although again I am not sure if there are any of those in the book.

Adam.