Introduction Haut de page ↑
The general plan of this monograph, as well as the scientific and
English editing of the manuscript, were mainly the task of S.G. Smith,
until his death in May, 1975.
Chapters 2 to 5 were written during the year beginning July lst. 1972,
when Virkki spent his sabbatical leave from the University of Puerto
Rico at the Insect Pathology Research Institute in Sault
Ste. Marie. These Chapters include a relatively broad discussion of
the Coleoptera in relation to recent advances in cytogenetics,
allowing us some speculation and new hypotheses. The literature
survey for these chapters was practically concluded by 1973,
although a few additions were made later. Virkki is mainly responsible
for this part of the volume.
Six is the most deeply analytical of our Chapters, containing the
first synopsis of the meticulous karyotyping, hybridisation, and
cytotaxonomic studies on Chilocorini and Pissodes weevils conducted by
Smith during the last twenty years. Chapters 6 and 7 were mainly
written by him in 1973-75. Smith’s third Chromosome List is added to
the end of the volume as an Appendix.