S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 56. (Budapest, 1995)

Book review The recognition, identification and exact determination of taxa, so the whole process of identification is of major importance not only for taxonomy and faunistics, but for ecology, zoogeography and faunagenetics as well. The exact determination and identification is especially important in the case of the three latter sciences, as the identification mistakes in ecology, zoogeography and faunagenetics are almost impossible to detect, as the determined specimens are only represented as data, the basis for comparative studies, evaluations and other investigations. But in the case of taxonomy and faunistics the identification mistakes are usually quickly recognized, or could be corrected on the basis of work carried out in the collections. In the case of easily identifiable or well-known taxa, such as birds or some butterflies, the importance of identification keys is considerably less than it has been in the past. On the contrary, the importance of such works is outstanding in the case of those taxa, in which the genera or species are poorly known and the identification is very difficult, and requires a determination key. The writing of identification books is not an easy task. Usually it take years of diligent work, and requires a broad overview from those, who attempt to accomplish such a demanding task. Therefore it is a great pleasure for the taxonomists, when such new books are published, and especially so, when these works are finely edited, well-structured, and they can be used efficiently for an either taxonomically or geographically well-designed area. Lately two works were published on the identification of Oribatid mites, a very important group of soil-dwelling taxa, but which is also very hard to determine. Both of these publications stand up to the above-mentioned high standards. Pérez-Inigo, C. (1993): Acari, Oribatei, Poronota. - Fauna Iberica, 3. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, pp. 320. C. Pérez-Inigo is one of the best living oribatologists world-wide. His works are fundamental on the Oribatid fauna of the Iberian Peninsula, but his contributions to the knowledge of the Oribatid groups of the Ethiopian and Neotropical fauna region are also outstanding. In his present work he surveys the Poronota Oribatids of the Iberian Peninsula, and gives an exact identification key to this taxon. In the introduction we get information on the group itself, and on the ongoing faunistic research in the region. In the following chapters we find information on the characteristic distinguishing features of Poronota Oribatids, on their position in the system, then a detailed outline is given on their morphology, and identification could be carried out on