The website The World of Jewel Beetles (link) has been undergoing a facelift which is now nearly complete. It is now easier to navigate and hopefully has more information for interested users and colleagues.
There is a new list of available duplicate reprints (link) including at least single copies of more than 75 papers. These are available to any interested colleague trying to build a research library.
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As reported earlier, I have begun to post links between certain taxa and images (link) of types or other authoritatively determined vouchers. Some of the links are with institutions that have begun the process of imaging their type collections. Other images are from my slides taken over the years in various natural history museums. Earlier I had posted these in groups by the collection where they reside, but now I am also providing links within the World Checklist. Many genera are without any images, but a surprising number, which I had forgotten, actually have at least one image. Since I continue to make progress along with Amanda Evans on a project to create a Lucid key to all buprestid genera, we will certainly hope to have images for all, or nearly all, genera that can also be viewed from the World Checklist site.
If you have images of any buprestid types that you may be willing to share with our friends and colleagues, I am happy to optimize those for the web and serve them via the World Checklist.
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Over the last few weeks, and continuing now, I’ve been modifying both the slowly developing electronic version of the World Catalogue and the on-line World Checklist to continually reflect changes to the structure and classification as new works are published and received for inclusion. The large volume on Chrysochroina by Roman Hołyński (2009) (link to source) is proving to be a very interesting read. While there are many proposed changes to the structure of the genus-groups within that tribe that can, and probably should be debated, I also find that the proposals about super-species (Roman’s ‘circles’), species, and subspecies present a more traditional geographically-based platform. I encourage interested students of Buprestidae to add a copy of Roman’s volume to either their libraries or their wish-lists.
While Roman proposes the collapse of a number of genus-group names, which are and have been held at the genus-rank, to subgenera of Chrysochroa, Metataenia, Philocteanus, Steraspis, etc., I have not made these changes yet. Such a radical clearing of the ‘current’ classification, I think, could destabilize the more general consensus that has evolved into the current scheme. If we are to shift in the philosophy of what defines a buprestid genus, then we should move there en masse and not leave other genus-rich groups (e.g. Buprestini, Agrilini, Coraebini) as widely split as they may appear, and more so, now.
Take a look at Agelia, Asamia, Asemochrysis (= Mrazia syn. nov.), Catoxantha, Chrysaspis, Chrysochroa, Demochroa, Epidelus (= Epidelomorphus syn. nov.), Evides, Megaloxantha, Pygichaeta, Scaptelytra and Steraspis (we await G. Curletti’s revision of Steraspis).
Significant changes in the species/subspecies structure of the following genera are noted: Chrysochroa, Demochroa, Megaloxantha and Metataenia.
New genus-group taxa: Agelia (Afrelia), Asamia (Marysienka), Bojasinskia, Evides (Eviditaenia), Metatenia (Caledoenia), M. (Enigma), M. (Marginicupta) and Paracupta (Gibbicupta).
The subgenera Leptomroczkowskia and Platymroczkowskia are moved from Iridotaenia to Scaptelytra… and it continues as I turn the pages… and then I reach Metataenia next… with 11 subgenera including the reductions to subgenus rank of Cyphogastrella, Parachrysodema and Papuodema!
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To help keep the buprestid community informed, I have added a new page (link) with a list of Cases and Opinions from the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature involving Buprestidae. I have provided links to PDFs of some of these Cases and Opinions and I will try to add more as I acquire the PDF copy.
Unfortunately the recent cases have mostly been decided against our petitions.
Opinion 2214 did not conserve the names Curis and Cisseis, which means that those genera will be known as Selagis and Diphucrania, respectively.
Opinion 2228 did not conserve the name Dactylozodes, so that genus name must revert to Lasionota.
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Over the last few weeks, I have been adding links to available type images from the databases of Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (link) (database) and the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Havard University, Cambridge, MA, USA (link) (type database).
These images are available via the World Checklist pages (link).
Imagine some day in the future when all type images are captured and available. If you know of any institution(s) that may have such a database developing, please send me the URL and I will connect the names in the checklist to the images.
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As I continue to build both the electronic world catalogue and keep up-to-date with the world checklist (link), I will list changes to the generic classification as they appear.
1) In Roman Hołyński’s recent volume on the Chrysochroina (notice, pdf), two new genus-group name synonymies have been proposed:
Asemochrysus Deyrolle, 1864
(= Mrazia Obenberger, 1928), syn. nov.
Epidelus Deyrolle, 1864
(= Epidelomorphus Théry, 1925), syn. nov.
2) One new genus of Trigonogeniini from Belize has recently been described:
Cimrmanium Bílý, 2009
Type species: Cimrmanium angulinotum Bílý 2009
Bílý, S. 2009a. A new genus and species of the tribe Trigonogeniini Cobos, 1956, from Belize (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Zootaxa 2108:65-68. (pdf of this paper available from the author)
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With the now complete publication of the World Catalogue and Bibliography of Jewel Beetles (link), I have started to update the catalogue to create the planned electronic version. The first steps are to correct the errors I, and others, have found (Errata) and incorporate all taxonomic acts subsequent to the publication of Volume 1. Some of these new taxa, etc. can be found under Addenda in Volume 5 (pg. 3259).
To keep track of the new taxa and synonyms, I am trying to keep the Checklist of World Buprestidae (link) and Bibliography of Jewel Beetles (link) as current as possible.
I also plan to incorporate published Host Plant data into the electronic version, so I would be interested in any references, recommendations, etc. and/or host data that you might be willing to send for me to incorporate.
Please help!
I will continue to need reprints or copies of all new publications so that I can add or change as necessary as the classification continues to evolve. If I have to rely mostly on the annual issue of the Zoological Record, I will have less confidence that I can capture all of the data I need.
Thank you!
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Today marks the re-start date of Jewel Beetle News, an upgrade from the Electronic Newsletter (link) that has run since late 2003.
The blog site that originally hosted JBN was not very friendly to those who wish to join and post their own news and comments, so I moved here.
This is not about me, but this is a place where I hope all interested in Buprestidae can provide information on their respective research, publications, search for specimens, fieldtrips, etc.
I will post the information you send to me and I will circulate the detail on this forum to as many as I have contact information for.
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