Logo created by  Florence Marteau at the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland

'Pyraloid Planet' is an informal e-collective for those who have a serious interest in the study of pyralid moths, especially their taxonomic and evolutionary relationships. It was started in 2007 and produces a yearly newsletter packed with information on the latest activities of the group, highlighting key papers, new species, field visits, important collections and research appointments. The core of the collective is made up of professionals employed in museums but participation is open to all.

There are 99 names and addresses in the current newsletter. The geographical reach of  the participants is truly worldwide and shows that although taxonomy in some Western countries is starved of funding, on a global basis there is lively interest and considerable research activity. Go to:  http://www.pyraloidea.org/assets/files/Pyraloid_Planet_8.pdf  for the latest newsletter (July, 2014).

Hopefully, as DNA analysis and other diagnostic tools become more widely used, many more species complexes will be teased out and lots more species clearly defined. Already there is a burst of ecological work which hopefully will be summarised in the newsletter along with further reports on genus level taxonomy and the broader sytematics of the Pyraloidea.

'Pyraloid Planet' is professionally edited by Dr Bernard Landry of the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland, with help from many contributors. It is well laid out and presented, always with some high definition images of new and interesting species.  All in all, this newsletter is a very good development and an effective spur to the advancement of knowledge of this incredibly diverse and fascinating superfamily. 

Stephen Sutton, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, 31 March 2014

 Bernard Landry writes:

'The Pyraloid Planet newsletter was founded in 2006 in Dresden, Germany, by the participants of the 1st GlobIZ workshop. Globales Informationssystem Zunslerfalter, or GlobIZ, is a platform providing free information via the search options offered on the website www.pyraloidea.org. It supplies data on the current classification and nomenclature of Pyraloidea taxa, including details of original descriptions, current status and rank, as well as new generic combinations of species.The information is also linked to literature references in which these nomenclatural changes have been published.'