The Lives of Lepidopterists - Paperback

by Lee A. Dyer (Editor), Matthew L. Forister (Editor)

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

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 &

Back Jacket

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.

Author Biography

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.