Notes on some Canary Islands butterfly specimens illustrated in 'A Field Guide to the Butterflies and Burnets of Spain' by W. B. L. Manley & H. G. Allcard

摘要

Before the middle of the 20th century, accurate identification of continental butterfly species could be problematic for non-specialist collectors in Britain. Key references were generally out of print, or out of date, and no modern English language checklist of European butterflies was available. This deficit was addressed by Russell Bretherton, who prepared an annotated butterfly species list for the whole of Europe (Bretherton, 1966), renewing interest in the subject and heralding a new era in thestudy and appreciation of European butterflies. In 1970, Lionel Higgins and Norman Riley published the first edition of their pocket field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Europe (Higgins & Riley, 1970). Liberally illustrated in colour, the bookwas translated into several European languages and became a bible for butterfly enthusiasts throughout Europe, reappearing in a number of new editions and reprints over the following quarter of a century.