The Jewel Box: How Moths Illuminate Nature’s Hidden Laws

Blackburn, a biology professor at University College London, debuts with a meditative take on what moths reveal about the “workings of nature.” Homing in on nine moth species that he’s caught on the terrace of his London home, Blackburn explains how each speaks to the mechanisms through which ecosystems operate. He describes how the gypsy moth’s introduction to the U.S. in the late 1860s led to a rapid increase in their population until disease eventually tempered their numbers, illustrating the ways in which natural processes put a cap on species growth rates. Noting that there are scores more species of hawk moths found in tropical equatorial areas than at cooler latitudes, Blackburn expounds on how the higher frequency of hot periods in Earth’s history has led to a greater number of species suited to such climes. Other chapters on the codling, silver Y, and stout dart moths contemplate the role climate change, lifespan, and migration play in the insects’ lives. Blackburn succeeds in drawing broad ecological lessons from the world of moths, though some won’t come as a surprise (his examination of the oak eggar moth centers on how predators keep in check the populations of their prey). Lepidopterists will want to take note. Photos. (May)