amzamz's Journal

have started to add geographical distribution info from literature into checklists and species atlases. The sources for that are a bit hidden, that's why I repeat it all here (as of January 14, 2022)

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work in progress: I am trying to cover palaearctic Noctuidae (Noctuoidea). Sources will be listed here, but they are the same for all Noctuidae:
(1) for Russian Federation and Crimea: Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Russia 2019 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338865579_Catalogue_of_the_Lepidoptera_of_Russia
Remarks: (a) Krasnoyarsk krai, most observations are from far South, (b) Sakha-Yakutia, most observations are from South
Posted by you 8 months ago

(2) for Ukraine: The Noctuids of Ukraine 2006, Zoya Klutchko http://ashipunov.info/shipunov/school/books/kljuchko2006_sovki_ukrainy.djvu
Remarks: (a) Crimaea is mostly taken from ref (1)
Posted by you 7 months ago

(3) for Europe (and some Near East, North Africa and Central Asia) www.lepiforum.de . As the website was in June 2021. Combining this with information from The Lepidoptera of Europe 1996 by Karsholt & Razowski. Remarks: (a) "Yugoslavia"; if the rest of the distribution is in W, N or Central Europe, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia is taken. If it's E or SE Europe, nothing is selected unless there is specific evidence of location.
Posted by you 7 months ago

(4) for Belarus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lepidoptera_of_Belarus#Noctuidae
Posted by you 7 months ago

(5) for Korea: Revised List of the Korean Noctuoidea Based on Latest Classification 2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350451576_Kim_et_al_Revised_List_Korea_2016-17
Remarks: (a) always South and North Korea selected. (b) cannot find the annotations which are sometimes placed in front of a name
Posted by you 7 months ago

(6) for Japan: internet checklist (as of June 2021) http://listmj.mothprog.com/
distribution information from http://www.jpmoth.org/~dmoth/80_Noctuidae/framepage_noctuidae.html
this sometimes includes SE Asia (India - Papua)
Posted by you 7 months ago

(7) for Greenland, Iceland and Faroe islands: wikipedia (as of June 2021)
Posted by you 7 months ago

(8) for Israel, North Africa: The Noctuinae of Israel 2006
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Noctuinae-of-Israel(Lepidoptera%3A-Noctuidae)-Kravchenko-Fibiger/360d49c72fd4a60c84f76312e75288b43bdcc9e2

and The Lepidoptera of Israel, Vol. 2 Noctuidae, 2007, Vasiliy D. Kravchenko, Michael Fibiger, Axel Hausmann, Günter C. Müller
sometimes includes Near East and Central Asia
Posted by you 7 months ago

(9) for Caucasus, Central Asia: Noctuidae Fauna of the Caucasus Region 2008
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269990747_Noctuidae_Fauna_of_the_Caucasus_Region_Lepidoptera
includes information on North Africa, Near East, Middle East
info on Macedonia, Moldova and Belarus
Posted by you 7 months ago

added all remaining Noctuoidea from ref (1)
Posted by you 6 months ago

added what was previously part of Noctuidae and has now moved to Erebidae from ref (2)
Posted by you 6 months ago

added all remaining Noctuoidea from ref (5)
Posted by you 6 months ago

(10) for Mongolia: several publications, including Check-list of Macroheterocera (Insecta, Lepidoptera) collected in 2019 in Mongolia by Russian entomological expeditions 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347766969_Check-list_of_Macroheterocera_Insecta_Lepidoptera_collected_in_2019_in_Mongolia_by_Russian_entomological_expeditions
and New contribution to the knowledge of the Macrolepidoptera fauna of Mongolia (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Noctuidae, Nymphalidae, Pieridae) 2009
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281441931_New_contribution_to_the_knowledge_of_the_Macrolepidoptera_fauna_of_Mongolia_Lepidoptera_Hesperiidae_Lycaenidae_Noctuidae_Nymphalidae_Pieridae
and Contributions to the knowledge of the Macrolepidoptera fauna of Mongolia 2006
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281442020_Contributions_to_the_knowledge_of_the_Macrolepidoptera_fauna_of_Mongolia
Posted by you 6 months ago

(11) for Kazakhstan: several publications, including Noctuoid moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Nolidae, Noctuidae) of North-East
Kazakhstan (Pavlodar Region) 2017
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317332878_Noctuoid_moths_Lepidoptera_Erebidae_Nolidae_Noctuidae_of_North-East_Kazakhstan_Pavlodar_Region
Checklist of Noctuid Moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae and Erebidae Excluding Lymantriinae and Arctiinae) from the Saur Mountains (East Kazakhstan and North-East China) 2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305867820_CHECK_LIST_OF_NOCTUID_MOTHS_LEPIDOPTERA_NOCTUIDAE_AND_EREBIDAE_EXCLUDING_LYMANTRIINAE_AND_ARCTIINAE_FROM_THE_SAUR_MOUNTAINS_EAST_KAZAKHSTAN_AND_NORTH-EAST_CHINA
To Research of Noctuoidea Fauna (Lepidoptera)
of the Western Kazakhstan 2016
https://www.zobodat.at/publikation_articles.php?id=269230
Posted by you 6 months ago

added all remaining Noctuoidea from ref (3)
Posted by you 6 months ago

added all remaining Noctuoidea from ref (4)
Posted by you 6 months ago

picture source for missing Noctuidae pictures: copyright-free scans of Seitz, The Macrolepidoptera of the world, 1912 ff, Vol.3 (modified from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/61923)
Posted by you 4 months ago

picture sources for missing Noctuidae pictures: copyright-free scans of
Butler, Lepidoptera Heterocera Brit. Museum vols.I-VII, 1877-1889,
Hampson, Lepidoptera Heterocera Brit. Museum vols.VIII-IX 1891-1893 and
Hampson, Lepidoptera Phalaenae Brit. Museum vols IV-XI 1903-1912
(modified from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org)
Posted by you 3 months ago

(12) for India: A checklist of Noctuidae (Insect: Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) of India 2012
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257923069_A_checklist_of_Noctuidae_Insect_Lepidoptera_Noctuoidea_of_India
[critical remark: be aware that these scientific names are the ones from the Hampson era, taxonomy probably 100 years old, I am searching and replacing nearly 90% of the names. Contains species described up to Hampson only, ca 1912; there is no regional distribution information and very few references]
Posted by you 2 months ago

(13) for India: A checklist of subfamily Arctiinae (Erebidae : Noctuoidea : Lepidoptera) from India, J.Singh, N. Singh, R. Joshi, 2014
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339125264_A_checklist_of_subfamily_Arctiinae_Erebidae_Noctuoidea_Lepidoptera_from_India
Posted by you about 2 months ago

picture sources for missing Arctiinae (Noctuoidea) pictures: copyright-free scans of
Hampson Lepidoptera Phalaenae Brit. Museum Arctiidae I-III 1898-1901
Hampson Lepidoptera Phalaenae Brit. Museum Arctiidae suppl I-II 1915 & 1920
Posted by you about 2 months ago

(14) geographical distribution info for Central Asia, China, Himalayas mostly from https://ftp.funet.fi/index/Tree_of_life/insecta/lepidoptera/ (Markku Savela) and for North Africa / Sahara mostly from www.afromoths.net (Willy De Prins)
as of September to December 2021
Posted by you about 2 months ago

(15) geographical distribution of African Lepidoptera (only moths) from
http://www.afromoths.net/
(as of December 2021)
Posted by you about 1 month ago

(16) geographical distribution of European Lepidoptera (except UK, Ireland and Russia) from
https://lepiforum.org/
(as of December 2021)
Posted by you about 1 month ago

(17) checklist of the UK for all Lepidoptera from https://ukmoths.org.uk/systematic-list/
as of December 2021
Posted by you about 1 month ago

added all remaining Lepidoptera from (1), but only to Russia checklist. Not yet by region....
Posted by you 26 days ago

(18) added all Geometridae species of the former Soviet Union from
Viidalepp J., 1996. Checklist of the Geometridae (Lepidoptera) of the former U.S.S.R.
(I am afraid there may now be some duplicate names for the same species, because I didn't have time to search for each one in the literature)
Posted by you 26 days ago

(19) added Saarland, Germany checklist from https://www.delattinia.de/Verbreitungskarten/Schmetterlinge
compiled by Andreas Werno (as of December 2021, updated till 2020)
Posted by you 26 days ago

(20) added Tajikistan checklist from "Annotated catalog of Noctuoidea of ​​Tajikistan" (Radjabova, Matov, 2020, in Russian) and Faunistical records and annotations for a better knowledge of the Tajikistani moth and butterfly fauna (Babics, Balint, Benedek, 2021)
Posted by you 25 days ago

(21) just names from "A global checklist of the Bombycoidea (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323127567_A_global_checklist_of_the_Bombycoidea_Insecta_Lepidoptera/link/5a8295f9a6fdcc6f3ead8c44/download
Posted by you 12 days ago

(22) added Thailand checklist from "Moth of Thailand Vol. 3, Part 2. Noctuoidea. An illustrated Catalogue of Erebidae, Nolidae, Euteliidae and Noctuidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera) in Thailand" (Kononenko, Pinratana 2013). Lymantriinae from "Checklist of insects of Thailand" Vol.22 (Chaweewan Hutacharern et al. 2011)
Posted by you 22 days ago

(23) added Borneo checklist (Malaysia+Indonesia) from "The moths of Borneo" (18 volumes, Holloway 1983 ff) website as of December 2021
https://www.mothsofborneo.com/part-2/checklist-part2.php
Posted by you 16 days ago

(24) added Taiwan checklist from "Catalog of Life in Taiwan" as of January 2022
https://taibnet.sinica.edu.tw/home_eng.php
Posted by you 12 days ago

(25) added Arctiini of the Amazon area from "Arctiini Leach, 1815 of the
Brazilian Amazon." parts I, II, III, IV, V by Teston and Ferro, 2016-2020
https://www.researchgate.net/search.Search.html?type=publication&query=Arctiini%20Leach,%20[1815]%20(Lepidoptera,%20Erebidae,%20Arctiinae)%20of%20the%20%20Brazilian%20Amazon
pictures from Hampson, Rothschild or Seitz mostly (some from Cramer, Felder, Möschler, Oberthür, Schaus, Herrich-Schäffer and Hübner)
Posted by you about 1 hour ago
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sometimes, the light trap is placed in dramatic landscape

The light trap can be seen on the last picture, lower right, protected by a pile of stones
Steingletscher, Sustenpass, Switzerland
October 3, 2021

(this is not actually meant to be for the public, but I cannot find another space here to place it privately)

Geometridae Sammlung P.Staub
(Museum Luzern, Sammlung M.Zurmühle, Zygaenidae, Psychidae, ev Papilionoidea)

funet.fi (second time go through all Noctuoidea)

lit suchen für Faunistik
Indien., Iran, South America
(focus on biodiversity hotspots: Amazon, Indonesia, Congo)

alte Abbildungen (copyright-free)
Seitz
Hampson, Butler, Walker etc (NHM)
Hübner, Cramer, Felder, Möschler, Schaus, Guenee, Herrich-Schäffer, Oberthür

Uploaded observations 1970-1995 may be without photos, or with photos of collection specimens. But they are all my own, and referring to the observation of a live animal. Whenever possible, I used labels for light sources and high altitudes.

elevation 2800-3000m
elevation 2600-2800m
elevation 2400-2600m
elevation 2200-2400m
elevation 2000-2200m

label (in German).............. = (in English)

superaktinische Röhre.......superactinic tube
Mischlicht.............................self ballasted Mercury lamp
Hg-Lampe.............................Mercury lamp
Petromax...............................pressurized kerosene lamp
Heath trap
UV-LEDs
UV-Energiesparlampe........UV energy saving bulb
ETH Lichtfalle (Hg).............light trap, operated by Entomology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
Pheromonfalle......................phereomone trap
Strassenbeleuchtung..........street lights
Beob 23 24 01......................Observation time 23 to 01 o'clock
Beob ( 20 21 ) 22 23...........Light on from 20 to 23 o'clock, personal attendance only 22-23 o'clock

If you see the label "date shift -1day" that means that the date is correct, but this part of the night traditionally is counted to the previous date. This is important for time series and night-to-night comparisons. A moth seen 5 minutes before midnight and the same moth seen 5 minutes after midnight should be only one observation! Not sure how to solve this in iNat...

this is the set currently in use. Located under a balcony, in a corner such that neighbors cannot directly see the bulb. The light is on the sheet, but also in a 60 degree angle towards a South facing slope with dry grassland which I established in my back yard. In about 30m distance the forest starts. The stand was home made from water piping, cable and lamp holder. The side arm was used to hold an umbrella to protect the lamp from rain. WARNING: I am wearing glasses! Protect your eyes and don't look into the light!

sometimes, I use UV LEDs in addition, to attract micro lepidoptera to a specific location near the bottom of the sheet. here shown with the Mercury lamp off

this is my first logbook from 1970. Just a few pages shown. I used logbooks mainly 1970-95. Most of the information is now in iNat, with the exception of dubious identifications without a corresponding specimen in the collection.

in later years, the logbook became more organised and later it was based on single sheets

in 1978/79 I was programming at ETH Zurich and had access to its mainframe computer. I entered all observations on punch cards (IBM) and had the sorted output printed on a chain printer. It's a massive pile, I still have a copy of the 256 pages output. Lost the 12,800 punchcards (7 boxes).

I was jobbing in Zuoz, maintaining pheromone and light traps for the "Lärchenwickler" Zeiraphera project, under guidance of Dr. W.Baltensweiler. Instead of a salary I got free access to a VW minivan and Mercury lights. I also evaluated light traps in high mountain locations for Noctuidae moths

typical set of Mercury lights, bedsheet and generator used in the Engadin, Vintschgau, Val Müstair, Poschiavo and Bregaglia

an example of an ETH light trap, this one was used on Julier pass during Summers 1975/76

... after 2-3 years of night walking along street lights, I decided to go for superactinic tubes. Often, I combined them with a self ballasted Mercury lamp, because it was easier to see the moths arriving

at Eslex, Lavey (Vaud, Switzerland)

at Campascio, Poschiavo (Graubünden, Switzerland)

at Egerkingen (Solothurn, Switzerland)

as a boy I started with summer camps, observing birds, plants and insects. Started to use holidays with my parents for collecting insects.

first collection items were skulls, stones, spiders and insects. My mum was horrified, so I had to leave it all outside my room

I learned how to pin insects and label them correctly with date and location

an old butterfly collector in Luzern, Mr. R.Buholzer, gave me a few tropical butterflies

in the Nendaz area (Valais, Switzerland)

in the Airolo-Biasca area (Ticino, Switzerland)