This pair of Web sites (located at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/mothsusa.htm and http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/bflyusa.htm) provides distribution data, county checklists, descriptions, and photographs of hundreds of North American moths and butterflies. The sites are easy to navigate, and they maintain the high quality characteristic of USGS Internet resources.
One of the strengths of these sites is that the information is browsable either by geography or taxonomy. From the main page, viewers can go to the moth or butterfly fauna of a particular state or to a composite list of families for all of North America. County‐level checklists are also available. “County records, unless for an immediately recognizable species, are based on museum specimens, authoritative monographs or other publications, or records from recognized experts” (from the Moths of North America introduction), although occasionally unconfirmed records are noted on the distribution maps in a lighter color than the confirmed records.
Individual species are listed in a taxonomic sequence, with icons indicating the presence of a picture or a textual species description. In the minimum cases, only a distribution map is present, but many species pages include information on food, life history, wingspan, diagnostic characters, and conservation status. A bibliography is given for most species, listing both taxonomic treatments and more general reference works.
The majority of insect descriptions include photographs, many of them by Dr Opler. These pictures are generally of museum specimens, so the wings are properly spread to allow maximum viewing of the upper wing surfaces. Unfortunately, under‐wing views are rarely available. Photographs of larvae are included on rare occasions, most often when the caterpillar is an agricultural pest.
Pages of thumbnail images are available for quick identification of specimens. There are also FAQ documents listing additional resources for specimen identification and advising collectors how to proceed if they suspect that they have a county record for a species. This information provides an interesting look into the scientific documentation process and encourages amateurs to participate in this process.
Only records which have been confirmed by an expert are added to the distribution maps.
It is stated in the introductory matter that both of these pages are works in progress, which is also apparent from the uneven quantity of information provided for the different lepidopterous groups.
It would be interesting to know the plans for what groups are likely to be completed soon. Currently, the larger moths dominate the moth site, with the Sphingidae, Saturnia, and Noctuidae being best represented.
The pages on this site often load slowly, possibly indicating an over‐taxed server, but the quantity and depth of information make it worth the occasional waits. These sites make an excellent addition to a library’s “biology Internet resources” page and is by no means a bad place to start if a patron shows up with a specimen to identify, especially if your library is not blessed with a huge entomological collection. Recommended for both scientific and general libraries.
