The Lygaeidae is a large, diverse family of the insect order Hemiptera. Approximately 5,000 species have been described, making it a group comparable in size to all mammals. Many species are of economic importance, including the chinch bug, false chinch bug, sugar cane bug and cotton stainer. In 1964, Dr. James Slater published a catalogue synthesizing the world literature on lygaeids. This two-volume, 1600-page work stimulated considerable systematic and biological work on the family and has been the standard reference on lygaeids. However, the catalogue is now badly out of date. Extensive systematic work since 1964 has added many new species, and researchers need a ready tool for access to this new literature. This project will fund preparation and publication of a third volume to the "Catalogue of the Lydaeidae of the World." The new volume will follow the same format as its predecessors and will cover all lygaeid literature since 1960. Dr. Slater is the world authority on lygaeids. He has already completed much work on the third volume of the catalogue, including preparation of extensive data files. Resources at the University of Connecticut are excellent for this type of research.
