Moths A complete guide to biology and behavior

What exactly is a moth? Most people would say ""a less pretty, night-flying butterfly relative."" While the two groups are closely related, forming the Order Lepidoptera, butterflies usually get all the glory. Lepidopterists Lees and Zelli steal the limelight back in this thorough and scientific survey of the world's moths. Like many insects, moths exhibit a myriad of weird (to us mammals) and wonderful ways to live their lives, and the authors provide concise elucidation of their biology and ecology. Beginning with moth anatomy, they then cover the fascinating metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult. A chapter on foods and feeding reveals some real oddities, such as caterpillars that capture flies or feed on live snails, and adult moths that drink the tears of sleeping birds. Meeting the opposite sex can involve scents (pheromones), sounds, and appearance, with some species' females dispensing with wings altogether and relying on males coming to them. Chapters on the diversity of moths (close to 140,000 species), moth evolution, and human interactions complete an excellent and well-illustrated survey.--Nancy Bent Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 9 Up--Lees and Zilli detail the physical descriptions and needs of moths and offer many eye-catching pictures, drawings, and diagrams. The authors discuss the basics of biology, including mating and feeding, but students might find chapters on moth warfare and their effects on humans especially fascinating. There is also a sprinkling of the history of moths and moth research. The book often refers to scientific classifications, so students who have no knowledge of taxonomy (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species) or binomial nomenclature (Latin names) might find the text difficult. VERDICT This is not the book for the idle insect enthusiast wanting pretty pictures with simple text. Suitable in a secondary school library with a need for specific, high-level titles on order Lepidoptera or moths.--Kim Gardner, Fort Worth Country Day School, TX