The moth species Anthela callicesta
‘Moth makeover’ book wins literary prize
Usually regarded as being the drab cousins of more exotic butterflies, Australia’s moths have been given a ’makeover’ in a new book published by CSIRO.
The book; A Guide to Australian Moths by Paul Zborowski and Ted Edwards, has won a Whitley Awards Certificate of Commendation for the best zoological guide published in Australia in 2007.
“This book is the first well-illustrated guide to Australian moths and puts paid to the general perception of moths as drab and unspectacular,” says Mr Edwards – a Post Retirement Fellow at CSIRO Entomology. “The wonderful colour photos by Paul Zborowski feature living moths in their natural habitats and make an enormous contribution to the book.
“There are more than 20 000 moth species in Australia and their diverse biologies and lifestyles are all there – from the famous Witjuti grubs to the migratory bogong moths and much, much more,”
Mr Edwards says.
“Mr Zborowski is an entomologist and renowned photographer who has published a number of insect reference works including the Whitley Award winning; Field Guide to Insects of Australia,” he says.
Mr Edwards – who has studied Australian moths for more than 30 years at CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) in Canberra – says the book is a fascinating introduction to the extraordinary diversity of Australian moths.
Featuring all the major moth families, A Guide to Australian Moths is aimed at a general readership. It includes information on unusual aspects of moth biology and highlights the environmental role of moths and their importance to humans.
“There are more than 20 000 moth species in Australia and their diverse biologies and lifestyles are all there – from the famous Witjuti grubs to the migratory bogong moths and much, much more,” Mr Edwards says.
The Whitley Awards are presented annually by the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales for outstanding publications on Australian fauna.
A Guide to Australian Moths is published by and available from CSIRO Publishing.
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