A little bit of everything

"The Natural History of Moths" by Mark Young is a book difficult to review. It contains information about a little bit of everything concerning moths. The author jumps from one subject to the next, almost like a rambling college lecturer, and although the book is about 230 pages long, it still feels like a introduction to the subject. Perhaps it is intended that way.

But yes, if you want solid scientific information about moths, this is probably the place to start. "Discovering moths" by John Himmelman feels less scientific, and many other books are field guides, the quality of which I cannot judge.

But if you buy "The Natural History of Moths", be prepared for a fast-paced roller-coaster ride! Mark Young has attempted to cover almost everything about moths in a little over 200 pages. Note that the book is about British moths, not American ones. The chapters cover the origin and distribution of British moths, their dispersal and migration, life cycles and hibernation, the relation between moth larvae and their food plants, mating behaviour and moth predators. The book ends with two chapters on how to catch moths, and how *not* to catch them (read conservation). The only topic not covered very extensively is the classification of moths. The book also contains an extensive bibliography. Since "The Natural History of Moths" was published in 1997, I assume most of the information isn't completely out of date.

Not being much of a mothman, I only skimmed the book. But yes, it does contain intriguing information. For instance, some moths can avoid being eaten by bats by disturbing their eco-location. Other moths migrate (like Monarch butterflies) over long distances, sometimes across most of Europe. Apparently, migrating moths often land at British oil platforms in the North sea. Some of them look so scary that the oilworkers usually kill them on sight! It turns out that moths can orientate with the aid of the sun, the moon, the stars, and even the Earth's magnetic field. The author also ponders why moths often have a more restricted distribution than their food plants. Perhaps soil quality has something to do with it? An edible plant might be less than edible in a region with "bad" soil. The tricky subject of "talking trees" is also discussed: how is it possible for trees unaffected by moth larvae to increase their defenses against moths if they stand close to an affected tree? Can trees really communicate with each other? (Clue: No, not really.) Of course, the book also discusses why moths are drawn to light, and it turns out that the issue is more complicated than may be assumed!

I recommend the book to budding scientists. Personally, I rather purchase a coffee table book about butterflies! :-D