Saturday, May 07, 2022

Book Review - The Lives of Moths, A Natural History of Our Planet's Moth Life - Princeton University Press

 "Moths are somehow more cuddly, more like mammals, than butterflies."
Roger Deakin


     I don't think you would find much disagreement that moths have taken second place to butterflies when it comes to public acceptance. This is the book that is about to change your mind.
     Moths evolved long before butterflies, and the sheer number of species, and their incredible diversity is breathtaking. There is a sublime beauty to these winged creatures, primarily nocturnal, but also day-flying, that is hard to beat. As someone who has put in my time with black lights and sheets at night, the diversity available even in a suburban backyard is breathtaking. Most are tiny creatures that will fit on the nail of your little finger, but every so often a giant apparition comes fluttering through the gloom, to mesmerize you with its beauty. If you ever see an Io Moth, or a Polyphemus, or a Luna Moth, you will not soon forget it. A Cecropia Moth will cause your jaw to drop.
     And of course there are plume moths, and geometers, crambids and leafrollers, lichen moths, underwings and owlets, carpets and pugs, daggers, sallows and midgets. The variation in size, colour and structure is endless it seems. Then there are the caterpillars, large and small, benign, toxic, hairy, spiny, resembling bird droppings, with opercula to repel dragons, snake mimics, inchworms....and on and on.
     Moths and caterpillars are key components of many different ecosystems, predatory in some, and an important food source for a multitude of other organisms. It may be said without exaggeration that many species of bird would be unable to raise their young without a bounty of lepidopteran larvae to provide nutritious food filled with fat and protein.
     This book begins with a comprehensive examination of the biology, physiology, classification and lifestyle of moths. Even if you have never contemplated the structure of a moth's wings before, or even heard the term ovipositor, never contemplated a proboscis or pondered Batesian mimicry, you will be engaged with these pages, and acquire knowledge quickly and easily.
     The succeeding sections are then devoted to moths in their various habitats - Moths of Tropical Rainforests, Moths of Grasslands and Meadows, Moths of Deserts and Tundra, and so on, with detailed coverage of archetypal species of these various biomes. 
     Sadly, as is the case with every other life form on Earth, human influence in the form of soil and water degradation, deforestation, acid rain, and other abuses too numerous to mention, but well known to all, are affecting moths in deleterious ways. If we can only come to view ourselves as one part of a greater whole, with respect for all other creatures, we can begin to address the imbalances we have created, and remediate the egregious despoilation of the planet.
     The book is gloriously illustrated; page by page it leaves your mouth agape.
     Study it well, learn from it, get involved with moths, learn how to protect them and deal rationally and sensibly with those that present challenges to humans. Both you and the moths will be all the better for it.

The Lives of Moths, A Natural History of Our Planet's Moth Life - Princeton University Press
Andrei Sourakov and Rachel Warren Chadd
Hardcover - US$29.5 - ISBN 9780691228563
288 pages - Colour photos and illustrations
7.5 x 9.5 inches (18.75 x 23.75 cm)
Publication date: 26 April, 2022
David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

62 comments:

  1. Hello David,
    The Luna moth is beautiful. Thanks for sharing the book and great review! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  2. Beautiful picture for, I'm sure, an interesting book !
    Human influence over nature is irreversible and sad...
    Thanks for sharing.
    Have a lovely weekend !
    Anna

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  3. When thinking about moths what first comes to my mind are those tiny pesky ones that flit around the home looking for your woollen carpets and cashmire jumpers to gobble them up given half a chance. However, there are, some truly beautiful moths - I love our Humming-bird Hawk-moths, they are a joy to find in the garden hovering around the lavender, Garden Tiger moth, and the large Elephant Hawk moth.

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    1. Those big diurnal moths are really fascinating, Rosemary.

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  4. Birds definitely fascinate me, with their varied behavior and interesting relationships and courtships. However, I find it hard to be as interested in non-vertebrates. Your review seems to show some reasons why I may be wrong to lack interest in moths.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Birds are at the top of my list too, Mae, but I do find invertebrates fascinating also. I wish I knew more about them.

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  5. Your first photo is very beautiful, David. I do not have many moths here, and I only see a few during the summer.
    Thank you for the nice review.
    Hugs and kisses, Marit

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  6. ...I never see as many butterflies as I would like, but I always see fewer moths.

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  7. Hari OM
    I adore moths and have been privileged to see a great variety in various parts of the globe. However, in clearing out our late dad's home, we did discover a veritable infestation of the wool-munching ones and it was a major operation ridding the place of them before putting it on the market! I guess every species has to have its 'bad boys'... YAM xx

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  8. Interesante libro y la frase Roger deakin.
    Me ha hecho cambiar la imagen que tenía idea de las polillas y no era muy buena, sobre todo las que vemos por casa David.
    No estaría mal que empezaramos desde ya a intentar remediar los desequilibrios del planeta antes de que sea demasiado tarde.
    Siempre que vea aves las mostraré 😉 Gracias por estar.
    Os deseo un buen fin de semana.
    Un abrazo.

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  9. This looks like a book for me, David - I will be ordering it shortly. I think my fascination with moths was originally sparked into life when a young child. My grandmother brought me an Atlas Moth that had flown into their dining room in Malaya and they'd euthanised it in a biscuit tin with a cloth soaked in gin! Its 11 inch (28cm) wingspan was greeted with amazement when I took it to school.

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    1. What a great introduction, Richard, both to gin and to moths.

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  10. Ah, the wonderful Roger Deakin. He lived in a house which was far more hospitable to animal and insect life than many of us would think reasonable. Moths are certainly fascinating creatures, not least for the curious names bestowed upon them by Victorian clergymen/naturalists.

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    1. The odd names are a major part of the fascination, I think.

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  11. The moth on the book cover looks like an angel :-)

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  12. La couverture est très belle, il doit y avoir de très jolies photos.
    Bon weekend

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  13. Hello. I know several bird watchers who have also started watcher butterflies and moths. It would be nice to get to know butterflies, but if you give it your little finger, the whole hand will go...

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  14. Moths are severely underrated aren't they? They are often very, very beautiful. Yet another book I lust after...

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  15. Some of the moths I have seen here were also stunning. Have a great weekend, David, big hugs to you and Miriam. Hugs, Valerie

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  16. I would love to read this book and have it to refer to. We see so many moths and butterflies on our hikes and it's always a challenge to get good photos. Enjoy your weekend!

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  17. Moths are interesting and often beautiful creatures all on their own. No need for them to play second fiddle to those gaudy butterflies!

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  18. Este libro me vendría genial, aunque tengo dos de mariposas y polillas, nunca diría no a otros libros. Abrazos.

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  19. As stated, moths are often the forgotten relatives of butterflies and yet they are gorgeous little creatures in their own right. The largest one I have ever seen was a bright green puriri moth (Aenetus virescens). The wing span of this endemic moth can reach six inches across and we were once witness to a mass hatching of them. What a marvellous sight that was.

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    1. For whatever reason, Margaret, I am now unable to leave comments on your blog. It doesn't matter how I try, the comments just never go through. Each time you post I will try again.

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  20. Great review. Thank you for sharing this!

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  21. I love seeing large moths and often they even hold still for my camera.

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  22. Hi David - I must say with all your wonderful reviews of the Princeton University Press I'd love to have a Reading Room here, where these books sit on the library's shelf ready for me to take down and have a look and good read. This looks to be another excellent reference work, yet entertaining enough for the lay-reader to enjoy and learn some more - moths .. the hairy ones I recollect from my childhood. Thanks for this - cheers Hilary

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  23. Muy buena reseña, un libro interesante sobre las polillas, las grandes olvidadas y que merecen nuestra atención.
    Muchos besos.

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  24. Than you for taking the time to share by linking in!

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  25. I have some yellow butterfly ginger and one summer we had a lot of hummingbird moths come visit. Unfortunately I found some dead hanging from the flowers, their tongues having somehow gotten trapped in the flowers. I managed to rescue one or two that were still alive but I thought it weird that they would die overnight like that.

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  26. Very interesting book!...Indeed, we don't appreciate the importance of moths....however, I believe that nature is so big and complex that, as humans, we can impact nature, but nature will never be destroyed.....Abrazotes, Marcela

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  27. Good review, David. I like the cover of the book, I never saw a moth so colourful. Thanks for the advice of using another browser to comment. It worked fine!

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  28. The cover photo is beautiful. I'll be paying more attention to moths now. I had no idea there were so many species.

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  29. Never given a great deal of thought to moths as I don't see hardly any, they are interesting I'm sure with many varities.

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  30. Moths are certainly beautiful on their own, aren't they?

    Great review, David.

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  31. My only knowledge of moths is that they are brown. Or rather: My only knowledge until today. The Luna Moth is adorable and I'm sure the book is great.

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  32. Marvelous cover photo! That moth is most fascinating.

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  33. ... anything that flies is beautiful... at least I'm always excited about it.
    Thank you for introducing the beautiful book. And thanks, too, for your commitment to life on earth in general.
    i love your posts. Warm regards to you.

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  34. Dear David,
    "If we can only come to see ourselves as one part of a greater whole," - you say something very important! I'm afraid it started with biblical phrases like "Subdue the earth" that mankind began to see itself as the crown of creation. And this crown treated its subjects very, very badly: instead of "governing", people oppressed and exploited the world.
    But back to the moths: Until I met Gabi (the friend of my schoolfriend Brigitte and a retired biology teacher who is very fond of insects) in 2021 I didn’t know the difference between butterflies and moths - or I knew food moths and clothes moths (both unsympathetic) and what we call "Nachtfalter" (=night moths), everything else was butterflies ("Schmetterlinge") to me. But she taught me otherwise. The book is definitely fascinating - the cover alone shows such a beautiful specimen that tempts to learn more about these delicate creatures.
    Have a happy new week of May!
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/05/monatsruckblick-auf-den-april-teil-1.html
    PS: PS: Thanks for your "kudos" - but I have the feeling that I'm still doing far too little. Most of us live more or less in luxury and it's so hard to break habits we've grown fond of (whether it's eating meat or buying unnecessary things or traveling or computer games or...) I've cut some habits, but my major sin is traveling, and I can't get rid of that yet. However, we try to offset our CO2 emissions by supporting organizations that plant trees, and I have made a list of the three long-distance trips I "absolutely" still want to make in this life. They are: Costa Rica, Australia & New Zealand (preferably a long trip for both countries) and Canada :-) We don't know how the world situation will develop, maybe traveling will be too difficult, too expensive, too dangerous anyway - but if not : Maybe I'll manage to limit myself to these three big journeys for the rest of my life and then only travel to nearby countries or within my home country...

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    1. Travel is the most difficult for all of us, Traude. Until COVID I had spent my entire life travelling and I cherish every memory. One key component of travel is the ability to connect with other cultures and in many countries to provide employment for local people. In some cases tourist dollars help to protect biodiversity. I too have planted tree as offsets for my airplane travel, but I suspect that my overseas trips will be curtailed from now on. Iceland is high on my list though!

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    2. Oh yes, Iceland is well worth seeing for all nature lovers. We were there in 2017 - including the bird island of Vigur, which you would certainly like - https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2017/10/island-kreuzfahrt-teil-8-vogelinsel.html - but certainly others Bird Islands can be visited there which are less touristy.

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  35. You gave a good review on this interesting moth book. But right now I do not share your enthusiasm for moths as every time I drive back to clear the house in Atlanta I fight moths in closets there; they destroyed a lot. Just saw last week a beautiful tapestry my father had brought back from Cairo, Egypt, and all the sides have been eaten by moths. When the house is sold, I'll check other types of moths, maybe?

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    1. I can understand that moths damaging furnishings and clothing would not cause you to look kindly on them, but there are several ways to safeguard against that. The loss of a tapestry, however upsetting, seems to me a small tradeoff for the habitat we have destroyed for moths and other organisms too.

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  36. Thank you for sharing your review on this book. I am always interested in the moths that I come across.

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    1. This is the book to tell you a little more about them.

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  37. A very interesting book.
    Great review.

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  38. The pix of your moth caught me by surprise, such subtle colours. I always assume them to be "dull" creatures. In Asia, moths have a rather bad rap, it represents a visit from a dead person so most kids are scared of moths which usually visit at nights. I have seen large beautiful grey/black moths with large circles but cannot appreciate their beauty cos of this prejudice. Might have to get this book to educate me otherwise! Good review.

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  39. I would love to see that moth :)

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  40. I would love to see that one myself. :)

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  41. I'm not very well versed in moths, David but thanks for the review. I know well moths - pests of vegetables, they lay eggs on the leaves, especially for cabbage.

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  42. Don't hate me but every day Rick and I try to get rid of the moths that seem to like living inside my house. We see them at night when the lights are on, flying around and try to "clap them" to their doom. Even Lizzie helps. We only can hope we get to them before they get to the yarn and the flour.

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  43. About two weeks ago, the Live Oak Tussock Moth caterpillars (Orgyia detrita) descended on us by the hundreds: perhaps even thousands. At the time, I remembered a point that's been made by several naturalists about the number of those caterpillars needed to raise a brood of birds to adulthood. It's truly amazing. Now, the moths are appearing here and there, and while they're small and not particularly colorful, they're quite a treat to see.

    Speaking of books, I heard a radio interview with the author of a new book titled Outdoor Kids in an Inside World. That's not a book you need, for sure, but I was greatly impressed by the interview, and it certainly is good to see this sort of literature beginning to appear.

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  44. Buenos días, apreciado amigo, David, una inmejorable reseña de todo un mundo de magia por descubrir para la gran mayoría de nosotros.
    Recibe un afectuoso abrazo de tu siempre amigo Juan.

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  45. Another wonderful book that I hope my local library will purchase. Fingers crossed!
    In other news..... I saw my first hummingbird of 2022 at my feeder today and added it to the Ontario Migration map on the internet.

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  46. Nice picture and I think it's an interesting book.
    Human influence on nature is disastrous.
    Greetings Irma

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  47. Wonderful review. The only moth that bothers me is the white one that lays eggs in my garden. LOL Have a nice day.

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  48. That book sounds wonderful and the photo on the cover is simply stunning. I have to confess I really haven't paid as much attention to moths as I should apart from the pestiferous ones and a couple large beauties that come to rest on our windows at some times of the year. I have no idea what they are and now feel very remiss about not finding out.

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