The Lives of Lepidopterists

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.

From caterpillars to chemistry.- A reflection on the career: Following a path to moths and butterflies.- Follow the breadcrumb trail.- Contingency.- Pursued by adrenalin, in pursuit of dopamine.- Mount Shasta and the mystery of Mu.- How and when I ventured into the study of butterflies and adventures along the way.- One butterfly turned me to biology, another one helped establish metapopulation ecology.- Tropical caterpillar addiction.- Tales of three tigers: A 50-year career-shaping journey chasing swallowtail butterflies.- Butterfly reflections in thirds.- It should have been called a moustache.- Collections, serendipity and flightless moths.- A tale of two... glasses?.- Journeys of a microlepidopterist - from South Korea to Arizona.- The education of the field biologist.- Some Brazilian lepidopterists.- Butterflies on a dragon's head; butterflies in a dragon's head.- A butterfly has time enough.- Butterfly nexus.

"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)