Macrolepidoptera of Hungary

The "Macrolepidoptera of Hungary" is the revised and illustrated, bilingual checklist of the Hungarian Macrolepidoptera fauna (including the butterflies which now appear to represent one of the rather primitive ditrysian clades, belonging into the traditional sense "Microlepidoptera").
The fact that this is the second checklist published on native Hungarian Macrolepidoptera within a short time might be curious for the reader, even though many similar registers have also been published quite frequently in the past few years in other European countries. However, just from a brief look it becomes evident that the aim, content and layout of this current catalogue is completely different from that of the previous one or any similar works recently published in Europe.
The previous edition was focusing less on taxonomic data, and did not include the complete phylogenetic systematics of the given groups. This situation has now changed. Published critical revisions of a large number of groups and the results of comprehensive molecular taxonomic analysis forced us to complete an annotated list which would settle most of the disputes on the taxonomy of native Macrolepidoptera but would not omit the questions still waiting to be answered. The numbered annotations along with the list of references are at the end of the text. They are indicative of the vast number of changes that appeared in the recent years in the taxonomy and phylogeny of the allegedly „well-known" Macrolepidoptera and day fliers. In many cases where valid arguments both for and against a particular way of classification (e.g. whether to classify some groups as a genus or subgenus) existed we made decisions on our own.  Some of these decisions may surprise the reader, like the inclusion of satyrs and wood nymphs (Satyrinae) as a subfamily of Nymphalidae or the tussock moths (Lymantriinae) and tiger and lichen moths (Arctiinae) as a subfamily of the Noctuidae (s.l.).
We also had to take it into consideration that the audience has long been waiting for an illustrated, up-to-date handbook which shows the species correctly designated on high resolution photos, thus making it easier to identify the native butterflies. Needless to say, it was difficult to attain to all these goals. Think, for example, of the almost one hundred native Fletcher's Pug (Eupithecia) species of which no colour images appeared in any Hungarian books dealing with native wildlife since the "Abafi", that is, the famous book of Lajos Abafi-Aigner, dated early last century. But we could go on and continue the list with the species-rich owlet moth genera (Caradrina, Hadena, Euxoa, Cucullia etc.), and the number of examples would amount to hundreds. Hungary is the part of the diverse Pannon Biogeographic Region, as it is reflected well in the high number of the Hungarian Macrolepidoptera species, which recently counts 1274.

The second, revised version was published in November 2012.

Price/book: 60 Euro inc. VAT (+postal and packaging cost)