The Lives of Lepidopterists

ISBN-13: 9783319204567 / Angielski / Twarda / 2015 / 273 str.

Lee Dyer; Matthew Forister

Opis

This book is a collection of anecdotes and observations and philosophies by a subset of the scientific community: lepidopterists. Many of the authors in this book don t refer to themselves as lepidopterists, rather they might be ecologists or molecular biologists or systematists, but they all share one thing in common. They all made the decision to spend their lives thinking about caterpillars, and moths and butterflies. Many of the authors in this book recall an early experience with a caterpillar in the grass or a large moth at the window that captivated them, apparently for life. This text provides insight into many questions surrounding lepidoptera. Why are most Lepidoptera so specialized in their feeding habits? Why are some lineages of moths so much more diverse than others? How does the diversity of caterpillars affect the diversity of phytochemicals in plants and forests?"

Recenzje

"The book is peppered with intriguing scientific facts that effectively balance its emphasis on field anecdotes and natural history. ... the lives of lepidopterists clearly mirror the diversity of their study organisms. This book documents the history and experiences of these influential people and the lepidopterists who came before them. Each of them is driven by a deep affection and sense of wonder that is nourished by butterflies and moths, and these experiences can inspire us all." (Trond H. Larsen, American Entomologist, Vol. 63 (1), Spring, 2017)

"The editors have done an excellent job in compiling a fascinating and eminently readable volume of lasting interest in the history of interest in Lepidoptera, and in cajoling authors to reveal their thoughts and enthusiasms, together with the highlights (and occasional lowlights) of their experiences, to comprise a unique and intriguing set of insights into the maturation of knowledge of butterflies and moths. The book is excellently produced, illuminated with numerous illustrations, many in colour, and with a functional index." (Tim R. New, Journal of Insect Conservation, Vol. 20, 2016)

Spis treści

Contents

Preface                                                                                                              

Introduction                                                                                                               

Section One: How did we get here?                                                                        

1: From caterpillars to chemistry

M. Deane Bowers                                                      

2: A reflection on the career: Following a path to moths and butterflies

Pedro Barbosa

3: Follow the breadcrumb trail                                                                                

Carla M Penz

Section Two: Adventure                                                                                          

<4:Contingency                                                                                                           

Art Shapiro

5: Pursued by adrenalin, in pursuit of dopamine                    

Greg Ballmer

6: Mount Shasta and the mystery of Mu                                                                   

Felix Sperling

7: How and when I ventured into the study of butterflies and adventures along the way

Lawrence E. Gilbert

 

Section Three: Discovery                                                                                         

8: One butterfly turned me to biology, another one

helped establish

metapopulation ecology

Ilkka Hanski

9: Tropical caterpillar addiction

Annette Aiello

10: Tales of three tigers: A 50-year career-shaping journey chasing swallowtail butterflies 

Mark Scriber

Section Four: Natural History                                                                    

11: Butterfly reflections in thirds

Phil DeVries

12: It should have been called a moustache

Harold F. Greeney

13: Collections, serendipity and flightless moths

Jerry A. Powell

 Section Five: Secret Lives of Lepidopterists                                                          

 14: A tale of two... glasses?

John Brown

15: Journeys of a micr

olepidopterist – from

South Korea to Arizona

Sangmi Lee

16: The education of the field biologist

Michael C. Singer

 Section Six: History                                                                                                  

 17: Some Brazilian lepidopterists

Ivone Rezende Diniz

18: Butterflies on a dragon’s head; butterflies in a dragon’s head

Roger L. H. Dennis

19: A butterfly has time enough

Robert Michael Pyle

20: Butterfly nexus

Paul R. Ehrlich

O autorze

Lee. A. Dyer is an ecologist who has worked with Lepidoptera—focusing on immature stages—in tropical and temperate ecosystems for the past few decades. He received a BSc in biochemistry and a BA in english from the University of California (UC) Santa Barbara and then spent 6 years traveling, rock climbing, writing poetry, and working on environmental issues before deciding to go to graduate school. His PhD research at the University of Colorado, Boulder, examined chemically mediated interactions between plants, herbivores, and their natural enemies and included work in Costa Rica, Colorado, and California. Lee spends his free time looking for caterpillars, hanging out with his family, rock climbing, listening to music, drinking red wine, writing poetry, and reading books.

Matthew L. Forister is an evolutionary ecologist in the Biology Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received a BA in English writing from the University of San Francisco, spent 2 years with the Peace Corps in Ukraine, and then earned a PhD in ecology from UC Davis. He studies herbivory, diversity, and hybridization, and has worked with different plants, animals, and fungi across temperate and tropical ecosytems, but particularly loves the blues, coppers, and hairstreaks (family Lycaenidae) and their humble but fascinating caterpillars and the ants that keep them safe. When not chasing butterflies, he favors old novels, the mountains of the Great Basin, and hanging out on the porch with his family, Beth and Catalina.

Blurb

Inchworms, tiger moths, underwings, owlet moths, silkworms,sphinx moths, grass moths, and butterflies. Collectively, these and many others are the Lepidoptera, one of the most diverse groups of animals on the planet.

Lepidoptera can be found in the highest tropical canopies,the driest deserts, and at the leading edge of science. The adults include some of the most beautiful insects that have inspired artists and have sailed through the dreams of human cultures for millennia. The immature stages (“caterpillars”), like the underwing depicted on the cover, link together vital processes in diverse terrestrial ecosystems that are only barely documented let alone understood.

The people that study these animals are lepidopterists, and the goal of this book is to introduce them with their own words. In twenty chapters, lepidopterists tell their stories, and these tales mirror the diversity of nature in their range and depth. You will find individuals that wrestle with the challenges of scientific careers, stories of far flung travel sand close calls, and historical perspectives on recent decades of scientific break throughs.