Language: English
Covering moths traditionally classified in the Noctuidae family encountered in Europe and its neighbouring regions. Here the contemporary classification is adopted. Four families are featured: Noctuidae, Euteliidae, Nolidae and Erebidae. The Erebidae now include some moths formerly placed in separate families but downgraded to subfamily level i.e. the Arctiinae and Lymantriinae, which were covered in Volume 1 of this guide-book series. More than 1500 species are illustrated in both volumes and described in detail, with special focus on their possible variations. Their biology is also highlighted (food-plants, the biotopes they frequent, their usual flight-times and distribution). The status of some taxa has also been revised, bringing one new species and several new subspecies. Where accurate identification is especially difficult, photos of genitalia of both sexes are shown. Distribution maps are presented for the majority of species featured.
Volume 5 covers Erebidae, Eutelidae and part of the Noctuidae up to the Apameini.
"[...] In spite of its idiosyncrasies, inconsistencies and the presence of a number of features that seem unnecessary (and probably make the books longer than they needed to be), this work will undoubtedly contain information not present in other works [...] moreover, it remains the only series of guides covering all of the macro-moth families in all of Europe. As such, it is an important contribution and all the volumes will be very useful for any macrolepidopterist operating in continental Europe, North Africa and its associated archipelagos."
– Martin Townsend, Atropos 64, September 2019