Happy New Year moth enthusiasts! In my last post I mentioned the soon to be published "Annotated Taxonomic Checklist Of The Lepidoptera Of North America, North Of Mexico" edited by Gregory R. Pohl and Stephen R. Nanz. This new checklist, the culmination of over a decade's work by Greg Pohl, Bob Patterson, Jonathan Pelham, and host of authors and contributors including myself, has now been published! The new checklist has been released in book form by the Wedge Entomological Research Foundation. Please visit the order page for a detailed description and ordering information.

Also, the much anticipated MONA Fascicle covering Epiblema, Sonia, Suleima, and Notocelia by Donald J. Wright and Todd M. Gilligan has likewise been published. Please visit the order page for a detailed description and ordering information.

In the interest of advancing the study of Lepidoptera among the broader community and by extension promote citizen science and conservation, the editors have made the checklist available in spreadsheet (Excel) format (see Downloads below). The list does omit all notes, but they will likewise be made available in electronic format in about two years.

Many groups have been renumbered in the Phylogenetic Sequence numbering system implemented by Pohl et al. (2016) and at MPG. I am working on updating taxonomy at MPG and hope to revise the "P numbers" in the coming weeks. (Note: much of the higher taxonomy, i.e. family names, has not been updated in years.) Once those provisional P numbers have been updated, it is my intention to switch the default listing from the MONA (Hodges) numbering system to the new Phylogenetic Sequence numbering system. The MONA numbering system will continue be available, and those numbers will not change.

Long time friend of MPG, Eric Metzler, passed away on December 3, 2023. A prolific author of many books and papers, his accolades include Co-founder and past President of the Ohio Lepidopterists, President of the Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, and President of the Lepidopterist Society. His contributions cannot be overstated. You can visit his obituary page to learn more.

Please take note that National Moth Week 2024 will be held on July 20-28. Click here to register online.

Steve Nanz

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Download Pohl & Nanz (eds.) (2023), Annotated Taxonomic Checklist of the Lepidoptera of North America, North of Mexico - Excel format

Download current MPG checklist file - Excel format, 11-Mar-2024.