Journal of Lepidopterists' Society

Journal of Lepidopterists' Society
Title	Journal of Lepidopterists' Society
Discipline	Entomology
Former name	Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
Abbreviation	J. Lepidopt. Soc.
Publisher	Lepidopterists' Society
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1947–present

Contents

Journal of Lepidopterists' Society The Journal of Lepidopterists' Society is a peer-reviewed periodical focused on butterflies and moths, produced by the Lepidopterists' Society and associated with entomological societies such as Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, California Academy of Sciences, Field Museum of Natural History, and Natural History Museum, London. It publishes original research, species descriptions, faunistic surveys, and notes that connect with work at institutions like Harvard University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley, and Yale University.

History

Founded in 1947 by members of the Lepidopterists' Society alongside figures active in organizations such as Entomological Society of America and Royal Entomological Society, the journal emerged during a postwar expansion in natural history research associated with collections at United States National Museum and expeditions sponsored by bodies like National Science Foundation and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Early editors collaborated with curators from American Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum, London, and California Academy of Sciences, while contributors included lepidopterists affiliated with Cornell University, University of Michigan, Ohio State University, and University of Florida. Over decades the periodical adapted to changes in scholarly communication influenced by policies at National Institutes of Health, technological shifts from microfilm to digital archives used by Biodiversity Heritage Library and digitization efforts at British Library.

The journal emphasizes taxonomy, systematics, ecology, behavior, and conservation of Lepidoptera, publishing work that interrelates with research at institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and projects like those led by personnel from Natural History Museum, London and Australian National University. Articles often document species from regions including Amazon Rainforest, Himalayas, Madagascar, Borneo, and Galápagos Islands, and connect to conservation initiatives by groups like World Wildlife Fund, IUCN, and Convention on Biological Diversity. Contributors range from curators at Field Museum of Natural History to academics at University of California, Davis and independent researchers associated with museums such as Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Published quarterly by the Lepidopterists' Society, the journal follows editorial practices comparable to those at Nature Publishing Group and Elsevier journals, with peer review conducted by specialists connected to universities such as University of Arizona, Texas A&M University, and University of Florida. Editorial boards have included curators from Smithsonian Institution, academics from University of Kansas, and emeriti linked to University of Texas at Austin. Production and distribution historically relied on printing partnerships similar to those used by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, while contemporary issues are managed with submission systems used by entities such as Scholastica and indexing coordinated with services like Web of Science.

Indexed in bibliographic services and databases comparable to Web of Science, Scopus, and CAB Abstracts, the journal is discoverable through library catalogs at institutions including Library of Congress, Biodiversity Heritage Library, and university libraries at Harvard University and University of California. Abstracting services used by researchers from Smithsonian Institution and Natural History Museum, London help integrate its contents with taxonomic repositories such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility and nomenclators maintained by curators at American Museum of Natural History.

The journal has been influential among lepidopterists linked to museums and universities such as American Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum, London, University of Florida, and University of California, Berkeley, informing conservation assessments submitted to IUCN and contributing taxonomic baseline data used by projects at National Center for Biotechnology Information and regional faunal surveys in areas like Southeast Asia, Neotropics, and Africa. Reviews and citations by researchers at Smithsonian Institution, Field Museum of Natural History, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew attest to its role in species description and distributional records.

Landmark contributions include original species descriptions and faunal checklists from fieldwork associated with expeditions to Himalayas, Amazon Rainforest, and Madagascar, authored by scientists affiliated with Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum, London, University of Florida, and Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Articles documenting range extensions, larval host plant records, and taxonomic revisions have been cited in monographs produced by authors connected to Cambridge University Press and regional guides used by conservation agencies such as IUCN and national parks administrations in countries like Costa Rica and Australia.

Back issues are held in collections at Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, American Museum of Natural History, and university libraries including Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley, with selected digital access facilitated by aggregators similar to Biodiversity Heritage Library and institutional repositories maintained by Cornell University and University of Florida. Individual membership in the Lepidopterists' Society supports mailed print copies and electronic access for members in regions spanning North America, Europe, and Asia.

Category:Entomology journals Category:Lepidoptera