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Title details for Much Ado About Mothing by James Lowen - Available

Much Ado About Mothing

A year intoxicated by Britain's rare and remarkable moths

by James Lowen
ebook
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James Lowen narrates a year-long quest to see Britain's rarest and more remarkable moths.
Although mostly unseen by us, moths are everywhere. And their capacity to delight astounds.
Inspired by a revelatory encounter with a Poplar Hawk-moth – a huge, velvety-winged wonder wrapped in silver – James Lowen embarks on a year-long quest to celebrate the joy of Britain's rarest and most remarkable moths. By hiking up mountains, wading through marshes and roaming by night amid ancient woodlands, James follows the trails of both Victorian collectors and present-day conservationists. Seeking to understand why they and many ordinary folk love what the general public purports to hate, his investigations reveal a heady world of criminality and controversy, derring-do and determination.
From Cornwall to the Cairngorms, James explores British landscapes to coax these much-maligned creatures out from the cover of darkness and into the light. Moths are revealed to be attractive, astonishing and approachable; capable of migratory feats and camouflage mastery, moths have much to tell us on the state of the nation's wild and not-so-wild habitats.
As a counterweight to his travels, James and his young daughter track the seasons through a kaleidoscope of moth species living innocently yet covertly in their suburban garden. Without even leaving home, they bond over a shared joy in the uncommon beauty of common creatures, for perhaps the greatest virtue of moths, we learn, is their accessibility. Moths may be everywhere, but above all, they are here. Quite unexpectedly, no animals may be better placed to inspire the environmentalists of the future.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 27, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781472966995

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781472966995
      • File size: 6673 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Booklist

      June 1, 2021
      For most of us, moths are repellent insects prone to devour our clothes and rugs. Butterflies, on the other hand, get worshipful attention, and even urbanites nurture stands of milkweed to host migrating monarch butterflies. Nevertheless, moths have their devotees, eager to redeem these bugs' public image. Over the course of a year, naturalist Lowen (The Butterfly Pavilion, 2018) traverses Great Britain in search of as many species of moths as he can spot. Unlike butterflies, which fly customarily by day, most moths are nocturnal creatures, so the easiest way to capture them for identification and classification is by enticing them with an attractive light source. Most species are very tiny, but some have wingspreads to rival their butterfly cousins. Lowen reports on his explorations in vivid prose, and his use of British slang will have American readers running to their dictionaries. Such is Lowen's enthusiasm that he even converts his preteen daughter to his passion. Amateur entomologists will find this a fascinating, evocative armchair guide. Includes bibliography and a useful guide to mothing websites.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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