Overview

Hawkmoths are truly spectacular to observe. They are among some of the largest members of the order Lepidoptera. As caterpillars, they have sleek muscular bodies with sidestripes and a tail ""horn""; some evoke alarm for their resemblance to poisonous snakes. As adult moths, they use their long tongues to drink nectar from flowers while hovering. Found worldwide, many travel prodigious distances: hummingbird hawkmoths regularly fly to Britain from the Mediterranean.For this volume, two international authorities on hawkmoths have prepared a comprehensive checklist with species descriptions. Covering more than 3800 family-, genus-, and species-group taxa, it provides a much-needed foundation for research into these insects' systematics and biology.Hawkmoths of the World opens with an overview of hawkmoth morphology and biology, including discussion of the moths' immature stages, their roles as pollinators and as pests, and their importance in conservation issues. The authors then propose a new system for higher classifications of hawkmoths, one based on the results of the most recent phylogenetic research.The checklist contains all the nominal taxa of the Sphingidae, as well as the names of aberrations and individual forms. The author of each taxon description is given along with its original date of publication. Two species and two subspecies are described as new. A series of notes clearly explains these and other taxonomic changes, lectotype designations, and related matters. Color plates with 64 photographs further enhance the book.All those concerned with the conservation of Lepidoptera will welcome the addition of this landmark reference work to their libraries.

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9780801437342

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Reviews

Together Kitching and Cadiou have produced a book that represents the absolute state-of-the-art knowledge of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the family. . . It is chock-full of interesting facts (even if you'r not a sphingid enthusist) and references to additional resources. It is one of the most thorough and eclectic reviews of any family of Lepidoptera I have ever read. . . For those interested in collecting and studying Sphingidae, this volume will be a must-have. For curators responsible for organizing Lepidoptera collections, this book will be an invaluable source of current nomenclature on the family. For those who are collectors of quality books on Lepidoptera, I highly recommend this checklist, which is so much more than a checklist. -John W. Brown, National Museaum of Natural History. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 103(1), 2001

"""Kitching and Cadiou propose a new system for higher classification. based on the results of recent phylogenetic research.""-Reference and Research Book News, July 2000 ""Together Kitching and Cadiou have produced a book that represents the absolute state-of-the-art knowledge of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the family... It is chock-full of interesting facts (even if you'r not a sphingid enthusist) and references to additional resources. It is one of the most thorough and eclectic reviews of any family of Lepidoptera I have ever read... For those interested in collecting and studying Sphingidae, this volume will be a must-have. For curators responsible for organizing Lepidoptera collections, this book will be an invaluable source of current nomenclature on the family. For those who are collectors of quality books on Lepidoptera, I highly recommend this checklist, which is so much more than a checklist.""-John W. Brown, National Museaum of Natural History. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 103(1), 2001 ""This is an in-depth and scholarly volume and a specialist one at that... It is a scientific classic and a worthy investment in years to come. I'm sure diehard 'Hawkies' would like this volume in their book collection, as will all those concerned with the conservation of Lepidoptera.""-Michael Edwards, The Entolomogical Livestock Group, No. 523, February 2002 ""This is not a big book in terms of length, but its scope, style and treatment are magisterial... First, the work is comprehensive, dealing, as it does, with all species of hawkmoths (the best known of moth families); second, because it is soundly constructed and produced; and third, because taxonomic decisions are explained succinctly and with elegance and thoughtfulness. The work is truly comparative, dealig with the family on a world basis. Such breadth, together with the authors' evident depth of knowledge of their group, are features that make this volume so authoritative.""-Malcolm J. Scoble, Systematic Entomology, Vol. 26, 2001 ""Ian Kitching and Jean-Marie Cadiou are intimately familiar with the organisms and highly knowledgeable about the literature-they are the best qualified individuals in the world to produce a checklist.""-Ronald W. Hodges, Research Entomologist, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA ""Hawkmoths of the World contributes markedly to our systematic knowledge of the Sphingidae. This book is an exceptional scholarly work of the highest quality.""-Jacqueline Y. Miller, Associate Curator, Allyn Museum of Entomology/Florida Museum of Natural History"

Author Information

Ian James Kitching is Research Entomologist at The Natural History Museum, London. He is co-author of several books, most recently Cladistics: The Theory and Practice of Parsimony Analysis (Second Edition). Jean-Marie Cadiou has spent thirty years acquiring examples of Sphingidae and now has the world's largest collection. He lives in France.

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