(15868) LENCIONI, F.A.A., 2005. Damselflies of Brazil, an illustrated identification guide, Vol. 1: Non-Coenagrionidae families. All Print Editora, São Paulo. iv+324 pp. Hardcover (17.2x24.0 cm). ISBN 85-98310-56-5. (Engl., with an abridged text of the book in Port., on pp. 255-324). - (Orders to: book@zygoptera.bio.br).
In 10 fam., there are over 300 Zygopt. spp. in Brazil; 155 spp. of 9 fam. are subject of the present work, which is the first commercially available book on Brazilian odon. The book opens with a brief chapter on collecting and handling the specimens, followed by a pictorial presentation of damselfly morphology, giving topographic positions of all diagnostic characters used in Zygopt. taxonomy and systematics. In combination with the Glossary (pp. 237-245 & 315-324), this will be very useful. A well-styled and nicely illustrated key to the families of Brazilian Zygopt. precedes the spp. treatments. The genera are briefly characterised, concisely described and keyed. Each sp. is treated on a single page. The information is provided on the original description, type locality and type depository, and on the range in S. America and Brazil. The synonymy and references to the revisions are given where applicable, and it is indicated whether U, T and larva were described. The diagnostic figs (mostly of anal appendages and/or wing scans) are supplied for almost all spp. Keys to the spp. are not included in this work. The appended bibliography is comprehensive. - The book is one of the results of a decade of Author’s work on Brazilian Zygopt. It will not make the identification of the regional spp. easy, but it will enormously facilitate the work by providing within a single volume all the essential information that is scattered in often not easily available periodicals. This applies also to the diagnostic illustrations, of which ca 700 are reproduced from primary publications, whereas almost 300 are original, many of the latter contributed by R.W Garrison. This circumstance additionally enhances the value of this work. The Author is to be congratulated on this achievement, and the readers are to be looking forward to the appearance of the 2nd (i.e. Coenagrionidae) vol.