This checklist is named to honor Ronald W. Hodges in recognition of his many contributions in advancing the study of North American lepidoptera and, in particular, his work as senior editor of the 1983 Check List of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico (E. E. Classey Ltd. & The Wedge Entomological Foundation). In that work he was also responsible for the portion covering almost all of the Gelechioidea. Ron Hodges spent a career as a curator of lepidoptera at the United States National Museum. He also spent some time each year in field work and he contributed many thousands of specimens to the museum's collections. In retirement he remains editor-in-chief of the series of publications popularly known as MONA fascicles published by The Wedge Entomological Foundation. He has been the author of five of these fascicles (Sphingidae, 1971; Gelechioidea, 1974, 1978, 1986, 1999). He continues to facilitate work in this series by other authors with perhaps five more volumes expected in the new few years.

The 1983 checklist was based essentially on material published by the end of 1979. There were very few entries from after that date. By now, almost 35 years later, there have been thousands of changes to the list, making it very seriously out of date. The 1983 checklist was itself an advancement upon the 1938-1939 checklist published by James McDunnough which was an advancement upon a 1903 list compiled by Dyar, Fernald, Hulst and Busck. Each checklist is a reflection of earlier efforts supplemented by more recent information appearing in hundreds of journal papers, books and other sources.

Each major checklist presents information based upon rules established by its authors. They may include few or many synonyms. Genera and species might be listed alphabetically within families and subfamiles or within genera, or they might be listed in phylogenetic sequence (closest relationships) according to the best scientific evidence available at the time. A checklist might include some degree of taxonomic revision without significant notation (merging of genera, creating "new combinations"). Names given in a checklist might conform to the rule that the gender of a specific name must agree with that of the genus.

The Hodges List will be based almost entirely upon previously published work and will not itself propose novel taxonomic changes. It will be updated, with minimal delay, as new taxonomic works are published. Sections of the checklist may be renumbered in their entirety whenever the volume of recent revisionary work makes it appropriate to do so. Species which have previously been described and that have been newly introduced to North America may be added to the list without waiting for articles to be published announcing the introductions. The reason for this is that we often have excellent photographic or specimen evidence for new introductions years before announcements are published.

And on and on and on..............

Subject to your approval and "peer review" inputs.