Checklist of the Lepidoptera of British Columbia, Canada
This list documents 2832 Lepidoptera species reported for the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is based on examination of the major public insect collections in the province and the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Ontario. Records from relevant literature sources and online databases have also been examined and reliable ones have been included. The entry for each species includes the scientific name, the author and year of publication of the original description, and occurrence status. Taxonomic, distributional and biological notes are provided for selected species, and 134 species are flagged as introduced from outside North America. An additional 27 species which probably occur in British Columbia are included in the list. A list of 322 species erroneously reported from British Columbia in previous works is provided. Introductory sections provide an overview of the order Lepidoptera, review the province’s ecozones, and discuss the history of lepidopterology in British Columbia and its current state of knowledge. Each of the 70 families occurring in the province is briefly reviewed, along with information on its distinguishing features, general appearance and biology and diversity. An index of higher taxonomic names, genera, species, and common names is included.