The Lives of Lepidopterists

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xix

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2. How Did We Get Here?

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. From Caterpillars to Chemistry

      • M. Deane Bowers

      Pages 3-9

   3. A Reflection on the Career: Following a Path to Moths and Butterflies

      • Pedro Barbosa

      Pages 11-16

   4. Follow the Breadcrumb Trail

      • Carla M. Penz

      Pages 17-28

3. Adventure

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 29-29

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   2. Contingency

      • Art Shapiro

      Pages 31-40

   3. Pursued by Adrenalin, in Pursuit of Dopamine

      • Greg Ballmer

      Pages 41-48

   4. Mount Shasta and the Mystery of Mu

      • Felix Sperling

      Pages 49-55

   5. How and When I Ventured into the Study of Butterflies and Adventures Along the Way

      • Lawrence E. Gilbert Jr.

      Pages 57-76

4. Discovery

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 77-77

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   2. One Butterfly Turned Me to Biology, Another One Helped Establish Metapopulation Ecology

      • Ilkka Hanski

      Pages 79-89

   3. Tropical Caterpillar Addiction

      • Annette Aiello

      Pages 91-102

   4. Tales of Three Tigers: A 50-Year Career-Shaping Journey Chasing Swallowtail Butterflies

      • Mark Scriber

      Pages 103-131

5. Natural History

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 133-133

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   2. Butterfly Reflections in Thirds

      • Phil DeVries

      Pages 135-144

   3. It Should Have Been Called a Moustache

      • Harold F. Greeney

      Pages 145-150

   4. Collections, Serendipity, and Flightless Moths

      • Jerry A. Powell

      Pages 151-160

6. Secret Lives of Lepidopterists

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 161-161

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   2. A Tale of Two…Glasses?

      • John Brown

      Pages 163-171

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.

• Butterflies
• Moths
• New species
• Science narrative
• Travel
• Entomology

“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)

• Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, USA

  Lee A. Dyer, Matthew L. Forister

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 Englishwriting 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.

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