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By IGARASHI Suguru and FUKUDA Haruo B4, 572pp (230pp. in full color), Text in both Japanese and English. Price 43,260 JPYen ISBN 4-486-01325-5 Published in January 1997 by TOKAI UNIVERSITY PRESS 2-28-4 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 151 Japan Phone:+81-3-5478-0891 Fax:+81-3-5478-0870 URLFhttp://www.press.tokai.ac.jp/ |
THE LIFE HISTORIES OF ASIAN BUTTERFLIES Vol. II
* The life stages of 302
species are figured and illustrated.
* Many hostplants are illustrated.
* Abundant new discoveries.
Preface (part)
About 20,000 species of butterflies are estimated to live on the earth.
However, the early stages are probably known only for about 1,000 species
or 5% of all. Although this figure is very small, it is understandable
if we realize that their ova, larvae, and pupae are not only small but
are well-formed or adapted to hide themselves in nature. They are usually
difficult to find, and even if found, it takes time and requires much care
to bread them successfully. This painstaking task is often left untouched
until the adults are studied and named, and only comparatively few people
do really undertake this task.
Needless to say, a tremendous amount of knowledge of ecology, philogeny,
ontogeny, taxonomy, etc. is obtained by studying the early stages of butterflies.
By elucidating the ecology of a butterfly species, not only studies of
its fluctuation in numbers, changes in distribution, etc., but also the
need for nature conservation including its habitat may be developed. There
have been many examples of the elucidation of the taxonomic positions of
butterfly species by the study of their larval stages. In some cases, even
the errors in the classification based only on the adult forms have been
corrected. Taxonomy in future must incorporate not only the traditional
studies of adult wing coloration patterns, wing venations, morphology of
genitalia, etc., but also the morphology of the early stages. The late
Mr.Iwase, late Mr.K.Hayashi, and Dr.T.Shirozu noted the above point, and
guided many butterfly lovers in Japan in the desired direction. As a result,
the life histories of almost all Japanese butterflies except for only a
few species had been clarified by 1960.
The authors have paid special attention to the life histories of butterflies
living in other regions as well. In the past 30 years, they have accumulated
date on some 600 species in Asia to produce this volume based on one half
of themDOwing to the limitations set on the period of time for preparation
and the number of pages, this is unfortunately still in being a complete
book. However, numerous photographs and concise descriptions of the morphology
from the ovum to the adult, ecology, and foodplants have made it into a
source of information unrivaled with any other concerning the life histories
of Asian butterflies.
1996 December
IGARASHI Suguru and FUKUDA Haruo
Recommendation
Southern Asia, including the Southeast Asia, is one of the regions on earth
blessed with richest butterfly fauna, along with the Neotropical (Central
and South Americas) and the Afrotropical (Africa) regions. Not to mention
their abundance, the number of species and the diversity in from and colour
are overwhelming. Also many species found in this region are very important
for the study of butterfly phylogeny and systematics. Life history studies
of butterflies have been conducted extensively in the cool and warm temperate
zones in the northern hemisphere, especially in Europe, North America,
and Japan. In southern Asia as will as in other butterfly- rich regions,
however, only a limited number of species, accounting for 5% of all at
the most, have been studied for their life histories. Thus numerous species
are yet to be investigated. In other words, southern Asia still remains
the nearest "treasure islandh for Japanese lepidopterologists and
butterfly enthusiasts.
The authors, Suguru Igarashi and Haruo Fukuda, collaborated to put in this
book the fruit of their 30-year research. Igarashi, one of the top researchers
in the field of the early stages of butterflies, is known worldwide for
his pioneering study of swallowtail butterflies. He, revealing the life
histories of such key species as the Kaiser Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis,
the Bhutan Glory (Bhutanitis lidderdalii), and Meandrusa payeni,
has made an uncomparable contribution to the understanding of the complex
phylogeny of the Papilionidae. Fukuda is one of the top researchers on
the life histories of Japanese butterflies, and is also known for initiating
the life history studies of butterflies in the Philippines.
For most part of the early stages comprising ova, larval, and pupal periods,
colour photographs are provided, and some hand-painted illustrations are
also included. The elaborateness and precision of the illustrations are
marvelous, meeting the standards of true works of art.
The life cycles of the species enlisted in this volume are mostly new discoveries.
One of the extraordinary findings resulted in the correction of the classification
of the male and female of the Orange Palmer (Unkana mytheca, Hespreiidae).
The female had been named as Erionota harmachis because of its distinctly
different appearance; the breeding of the larvae proved that they are of
the same, one species, Other findings include the revelation that the larva
of Lotongus calathus has a symbiotic relationship with an ant species,
the discovery that the larva of the Common Lascar (Pantoporia hordonia,
Nymphalidae) feeds on bamboos, and the records that the larval foodplant
of Acrophtalima artemis and Ragadia luzonia (Satyridae) is
a fern species (Selaginella tamariscina). Also, by studying satyrid
larval forms, Zethera pimplea of the Philippines and the Malayan
Owl (Neorina lowii) of the Continent were identified to be very
closely related to the Formosan Kaiser (Penthema formosanum) of
Taiwan and China in spite of their distinctive differences in adult appearance.
This series of volumes will certainly make an epochmaking contribution
to the progress of research on the life histories of butterflies in southern
Asia as well as in the whole Asian region.
Dr. Takashi Shirozu
Professor Emeritus, Kyushu University