The final volume of a comprehensive encyclopedia on Taiwanese butterflies has been published, setting a milestone in Asian lepidopterology.
In five volumes with six books, Butterfly Fauna of Taiwan (臺灣蝶類誌) contains introductions and color photographs of the great variety of butterfly species found in Taiwan, along with detailed descriptions in Chinese and English.
This year saw the publication of the fifth and final volume of the project that began in 2018, the Forestry Bureau said on Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of the Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture and Executive Yuan
It was compiled by the bureau along with Hsu Yu-feng (徐堉峰), a renowned butterfly and moth expert at National Taiwan Normal University.
Dubbed the “kingdom of butterflies,” Taiwan is home to one of the world’s highest concentrations of butterfly species thanks to its position between the Palearctic and Indomalayan biogeographic realms.
Each volume in the series focuses on a different family of butterflies, starting with swallowtails (Papilionidae).
The next three respectively cover pierid butterflies (Pieridae), skippers (Hesperiidae) and gossamer-winged butterflies (Lycaenidae).
This year’s final volume introduces the largest family of brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae) in two books, one for descriptions and the other for images.
A total of 429 species are introduced in the series.
Most biological monographs exclude introduced or disputed species, but Butterfly Fauna of Taiwan discusses 42 of them, breaking from formatting and classification tradition, the bureau said.
Many international researchers have taken interest in the series for its detailed depictions of the insects’ anatomical and reproductive systems, the bureau said, adding that Japanese lepidopterists have adopted its classification system.
In addition to the five years he has been working on the series, Hsu has 15 years of experience working in the field.
Most Taiwanese butterfly specimens are kept in the UK, Germany, Japan and other countries, but with support from the bureau, Hsu was able to travel to analyze them and even bring some back, he said.
Throughout the lengthy process, Hsu said he observed a change in attitude toward conservation among Taiwanese.
However, climate change has affected certain species, he added.
Additionally, Hsu said there is one mystery yet to be resolved.
Taiwan was once the southernmost distribution zone for the Old World yellow swallowtail (Papilio machaon), which was common in mid and high-altitude regions of southern Taiwan.
However, after the 921 Earthquake in 1999, they virtually disappeared, leaving the enduring question of how a butterfly could be connected to an earthquake.
The publication of the encyclopedia is a “milestone in Taiwanese lepidopterology,” which has inspired Japan to create its own upcoming national butterfly monograph, the bureau said.
Butterfly Fauna of Taiwan is to be released as a free e-book after updating some of its information, it added.
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