Happy New Year moth enthusiasts! As always, much has happened since my last post. While MPG has in the past been kept fairly well up to date with respect to species accounts, all other taxonomic ranks have lagged. That has changed. Greg Pohl and I have spent the last few months getting MPG current through the 2023 Checklist and 2025 Errata. I have also been working on upgrading the offline database in preparation for MPG v. 2. The new version of MPG will replace the Google search with a built-in modifiable search tool and will allow users to browse by taxonomy with separate accounts for each name regardless of rank. Other major changes will include interactive maps with details of individual datapoints and specimen details for photos.

New host plant information: Many users will be delighted to find the addition of a wealth of larval host plant information to the species accounts which has been graciously shared by Kimberley J. Shropshire and Douglas W. Tallamy, authors of the new Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records" (see ZooKeys 1261: 101-113).

New MONA Fascicle: It is with great pleasure that I announce the publication of a new MONA Fascicle covering the "Papaipema group of genera and Arundinaria-feeding genera" by Eric L. Quinter and Anthony E. Mcbride. Many years in the making, this remarkable work pulls the shroud from some of the most difficult genera in the Noctuidae. See Abstract for mor details. In an effort to further promote the study of lepidoptera, the Wedge Entomological Research Foundation offers this book and all other MONA Fascicle publications as PDF downloads free of charge!

In Memoriam: Among the North American lepidopterist we lost in 2025, we saw the passing of one of the true giants, Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine (December 8, 1948 - November 20, 2025) (obituary). A world renowned expert in the study of the Noctuoidea, Don was a huge contributor of MPG. I owe him a great debt to him personally for his support and encouragement. Chris Schmidt, his coauthor of many important publications, has posted an In Memoriam documenting his life and accomplishments.

Also in 2025 we saw the passing of Dr. David Adamski (March 2nd, 1950 - October 25th, 2025), an avid science communicator and author or co-author of over 115 scientific publications. For more information please refer to his obituary.

Steve Nanz

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Download Pohl & Nanz (eds.) (2023), Annotated Taxonomic Checklist of the Lepidoptera of North America, North of Mexico - Excel format

Download current MPG checklist file - Excel format, 09-Jan-2026.

Request to the authors for a digital copy of: Pohl, G.R. & S.R. Nanz, 2025. Corrections to the 2023 "Annotated Taxonomic Checklist Of The Lepidoptera Of North America, North Of Mexico", Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 79(2): 104-116.