The Natural History of Moths (Poyser Natural History Series)

Uniting the results of amateur study with the latest scientific research to paint a broad picture of all aspects of moth biology and ecology, this text uses many examples from the moth faunas of Britain and Europe to shed light on what is largely a neglected group. The breeding, feeding, distribution and life-history and ecology of moths are described as well as the more specialized aspects of their behaviour. Their interactions with host plants, their anti-predator responses, and the threats arising from the degradation of natural habitats are also all explored in this illustrated text. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 List of colour plates......Page 12 Preface......Page 14 CHAPTER 1 An Introduction to Moths......Page 16 A butterfly is just a moth by another name......Page 17 Counting species......Page 18 Moths are found everywhere......Page 19 The classification of moths......Page 21 Types of moths......Page 23 The life cycle of moths......Page 24 Laying eggs......Page 29 The structure of moths......Page 31 Moths and man......Page 33 The study of moths......Page 34 Recent studies......Page 36 The conservation of moths......Page 37 The last Ice-age......Page 38 The varied climate and vegetation since the last Ice-age......Page 40 What do we know of the current distribution of Britain's moths?......Page 42 'The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland'......Page 44 Basic patterns of distribution of moths in Britain and their possible causes......Page 47 Habitat preferences of moths......Page 56 Anomalous distributions and their causes......Page 57 Recent changes in distribution......Page 58 Races, clines and subspecies......Page 64 The numbers of subspecies in different families of moths......Page 65 Coastal races......Page 66 Island races......Page 67 Races associated with specific habitats......Page 69 Clines......Page 70 Moving on or staying put......Page 72 Dispersal......Page 73 Patterns of movement within suitable habitats......Page 75 Which stages are dispersive?......Page 77 What starts migration?......Page 78 Definitions of orientation and navigation......Page 79 Cues used in orientation......Page 81 Confusing orientation – moths and candles......Page 84 Evidence for migration in moths......Page 87 Which species migrate?......Page 89 Where do migrants come from?......Page 91 Mass arrivals and years of abundance......Page 92 Return migration – does it work?......Page 93 Colonisation follows migration!......Page 94 Moths and climatic warming......Page 96 Continuous development or seasonal patterns?......Page 97 How many generations in each season?......Page 99 What controls the start of overwintering?......Page 102 Species requiring more than one year for each generation......Page 103 Northern and mountain species......Page 104 Synchrony of emergence in multi-year life cycles......Page 106 Delayed emergence from pupae – bet-hedging......Page 107 Aestivation......Page 108 Passing the winter......Page 110 Quiescence or diapause during adverse conditions......Page 114 Breaking diapause......Page 115 Choosing a hibernation site......Page 116 Avoiding predation and other overwintering losses......Page 117 Coping with freezing temperatures......Page 118 What do moths and their larvae feed on?......Page 121 What do plants provide as food for larvae of moths?......Page 122 Choosing which part of a plant to eat......Page 125 Choosing which species of plant to eat......Page 130 Oligophagy – feeding on only a small number of plant species......Page 131 Polyphagy – generalist feeders......Page 132 Why do certain species of plant have more than their share of moth herbivores feeding on them?......Page 133 Other factors that influence the choice of hostplant – 'apparency'......Page 136 Finding a foodplant......Page 138 Changing to new foodplants......Page 139 Changing a foodplant may allow a change of range......Page 140 Feeding strategies......Page 141 Leaf miners and their mode of feeding......Page 144 Specialised feeding habits......Page 146 Moths that do not feed on plants......Page 147 Do moths damage their foodplants?......Page 148 Physical defence......Page 149 Chemical defence......Page 152 Can moths detoxify plant chemicals?......Page 154 Ecological defence......Page 155 Plant responses to feeding damage – induced defence......Page 158 Talking trees?......Page 160 How do moths respond to plant defence?......Page 161 Green islands' and mining larvae......Page 179 Finding a mate......Page 181 Female pheromones – their chemistry and production......Page 184 Courtship and mating......Page 189 Pest control using pheromones......Page 193 Examples of moth control programmes using pheromones......Page 194 Monitoring populations of pest species......Page 196 What causes mortality in moths?......Page 200 Parasites as a cause of mortality......Page 203 How great is the mortality due to predators?......Page 207 Pine Looper population cycles......Page 210 How do moths avoid being eaten?......Page 212 Melanism in moths......Page 218 Changes in colour and pattern over very short distances......Page 219 Moths and bats......Page 220 The way moth populations are organised......Page 223 Early moth hunters and their apparatus......Page 226 Collecting and studying larvae......Page 227 Pupa-digging and other methods of collecting pupae......Page 231 Catching and studying adult moths......Page 232 Sallowing......Page 233 Attracting moths to sugar......Page 235 Light traps......Page 236 Marking moths for research......Page 238 Rearing moths......Page 239 Storing eggs and pupae and encouraging emergence......Page 242 Keeping adult moths......Page 243 The causes of recent reductions in Britain's moths......Page 244 Mapping rare species and recording key species......Page 248 Formal notification of rarity – the Red Data Books......Page 251 Coping with small and isolated populations......Page 253 Researching the habitat requirements of moths......Page 255 Examples of research on the conservation of moths......Page 256 Positive conservation action......Page 259 Practical conservation examples......Page 261 Recovery programmes and viability analyses......Page 263 Conservation in the wider countryside......Page 264 The future for moths in Britain......Page 265 References......Page 268 A......Page 282 B......Page 283 C......Page 284 D......Page 285 E......Page 286 H......Page 287 L......Page 288 M......Page 289 N......Page 290 P......Page 291 Q......Page 292 S......Page 293 T......Page 294 Z......Page 295 D......Page 298 H......Page 299 N......Page 300 S......Page 301 W......Page 302 The colour plate section......Page 162 The Natural History of Moths covers all aspects of moth biology and ecology. Moths are often as beautiful as butterflies, and with more than 2,000 species on the British list they are more numerous, more diverse and occupy a far wider variety of habitats and lifestyles. Yet for most naturalists they remain a little-known and neglected group. Not since E. B. Ford's 1955 New Naturalist volume has the biology of moths been treated in a popular book. Here, Mark Young sets out to redress this imbalance and to show the great variety and interest of these sometimes striking, sometimes subtle insects. He draws together the results of amateur study and the latest scientific research to paint a broad picture of all aspects of moth biology, brought to life with many fascinating examples from the moth faunas of Britain and abroad. The breeding, feeding, distribution and life-history ecology of moths are described, in addition to more specialised aspects of their biology, such as pheromone atraction of mates, interactions with host plants, and the anti-predator responses that many moths use to foil bats and birds. While butterfly conservation problems have often provided headline news in the press, the difficulties facing moths have received much less attention. However, threats arising from the loss and degradation of natural habitats have had no less effect on moths, and have endangered many more species. The status and fortunes of many moths are still unknown, but a growing number of success stories. such as that of the Black-veined Moth, point the way to better practice for the future, and to the preservation of this enormous wealth of beauty, diversity and natural history interest. "Moths are often as beautiful as butterflies, and with over 2000 species on the British list are more numerous, more diverse and occupy a far wider variety of habitats and lifestyles. Yet, for most naturalists, they remain a little known and neglected group. Not since E.B. Ford's 1955 New Naturalist volume has the biology and ecology of moths been treated in a popular book. Here, Mark Young sets out to redress this imbalance and to show the great variety and interest of these sometimes striking, sometimes subtle creatures. He draws together the results of amateur study and the latest scientific research to paint a broad picture of all aspects of moth biology and ecology, brought to life with many fascinating examples from the moth faunas of Britain and abroad." "The breeding, feeding, distribution, and life-history ecology of moths are described as well as the more specialist apsects of their biology such as the behaviours associated with pheromone attraction of mates, their interactions with host plants and the anti-predator responses that save many individuals from predation by bats and birds."--BOOK JACKET.p Moths are often as beautiful as butterflies, and with over 2000 species on the British list are more numerous, more diverse and occupy a far wider variety of habitats and lifestyles. Yet, for most naturalists, they remain a little known and neglected group. Not since E. B. Ford's 1955 New Naturalist volume has the biology and ecology of moths been treated in a popular book. Here, Mark Young sets out to redress this imbalance and to show the great variety and interest of these sometimes striking, sometimes subtle creatures. He draws together the results of amateur study and the latest scientific research to paint a broad picture of all aspects of moth biology and ecology, brought to life with many fascinating examples from the moth faunas of Britain and abroad. The breeding, feeding, distribution, and life-history ecology of moths are described as well as the more specialist apsects of their biology such as the behaviours associated with pheromone attraction of mates, their interactions with host plants and the anti-predator responses that save many individuals from predation by bats and birds. This book unites the results of amateur study with the latest scientific research to paint a broad picture of all aspects of moth biology and ecology. The breeding, feeding, distribution, and life-history ecology of moths are described as well as the more specialized aspects of their behavior This text uses many examples from the moth faunas of Britain and Europe to explore the breeding, feeding, distribution and life history and ecology of moths as well as the more specialized aspects of their behaviour.