A Survey of the Lepidoptera, Biogeograhy and Ecology of New Caledonia

I spent four months in New Caledonia in 1971 with the object of making a quantitative survey of the night-flying macrolepidoptera with light-traps and an assessment of the Rhopalocera and microlepidoptera. This fieldwork was financed by a Government Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Investigations adminis tered by the Royal Society, and by a grant from the Godman Fund. I devoted a further three weeks to sampling on Norfolk I. , and, with the help of local naturalists, Mr. and Mrs. F. JOWETT, was able to produce a detailed account of the biogeography and ecology of the moth fauna (HOLLOWAY, 1977). This book is an account of the results of the New Caledonian work, together with reviews of the geology, phytogeography and general zoogeography pre sented as background for the Lepidoptera fauna and its geography. Previous work on the macroheterocera, primarily papers by VIETTE (1948- 1971), had recorded not many more than a hundred species, a very low total considering the area of the island relative to that of the Fiji group where the moths were being studied by Dr. G. S. ROBINSON when the New Caledonian expedition was at the planning stage. The Fijian fauna then promised consider ably to exceed three hundred species. Evidently many more species awaited discovery in New Caledonia.

Inhalt
I. The geological history of New Caledonia in its Australasian context.- Plate tectonics and island arcs in Australasia.- The geological structure of New Caledonia.- Tertiary climates and sea-level changes.- II. The phytogeography of New Caledonia.- Past southern hemisphere floras: the fossil record.- Distribution patterns in the present day Pacific flora.- Ancient austral families in the New Caledonian flora.- The 'new' adaptive radiation in New Caledonia.- The Melanesian Arcs.- Comparison with New Guinea.- Conclusions.- III. The vegetation of New Caledonia.- IV. The sampling programme.- List of localities.- V. The ecology of the New Caledonian macroheterocera.- The numerical methods.- The data.- The classification of samples.- The classification of species.- The composition and diversity of the species associations.- Seasonal trends.- VI. The geography of the New Caledonian Lepidoptera.- VII. The zoogeography of other groups.- Oligochaeta.- Mollusca.- Arachnida.- Insecta.- Dermaptera.- Ephemeroptera.- Odonata.- Phasmatodea.- Psocoptera.- Hemiptera.- Thysanoptera.- Coleoptera.- Diptera.- Plecoptera, Megaloptera and Mecoptera.- Trichoptera.- Hymenoptera.- Vertebrates.- Fish.- Amphibia.- Reptiles.- Birds.- Mammals.- VIII. Discussion.- IX. A systematic account of the New Caledonian macroheterocera.- Limacodidae.- Geometridae: Oenochrominae.- Geometridae: Geometrinae.- Geometridae: Sterrhinae.- Geometridae: Larentiinae.- Geometridae: Ennominae.- Uraniidae: Microniinae.- Uraniidae: Epipleminae.- Sphingidae: Sphinginae.- Sphingidae: Macroglossinae.- Thaumetopoeidae.- Notodontidae.- Lymantriidae.- Arctiidae: Lithosiinae.- Arctiidae: Arctiinae.- Ctenuchidae.- Hypsidae.- Nolidae.- Noctuidae: Noctuinae.- Noctuidae: Heliothinae.- Noctuidae: Hadeninae.- Noctuidae:Acronictinae.- Noctuidae: Acontiinae.- Noctuidae: Euteliinae.- Noctuidae: Stictopterinae.- Noctuidae: Sarrothripinae.- Noctuidae: Chloephorinae.- Noctuidae: Catocalinae.- Noctuidae: Plusiinae.- Noctuidae: Ophiderinae.- Noctuidae: Hypeninae.- Agaristidae.- X. List of new taxa, new synonyms and new combinations.- References.- Botanical index.- Zoological index, excluding Lepidoptera.- Lepidoptera index: supraspecific categories.- Lepidoptera index: species and subspecies.