by Martin Warren

From the Publisher

A Review by Peter Eeles - 28th March 2021

Disclosure: I reviewed each of the chapters as they were written, and have contributed a number of images to the final work. That being said, I'm not sure that this would change my review below!

The first thing to know about this book is its author - Martin Warren is not only a former Chief Executive of Butterfly Conservation, a fledgling organisation he helped grow from its first shoots of success to a membership of over 30,000 members, but is also the author or co-author of numerous scientific papers and books. He is also a founder of Butterfly Conservation Europe that now covers 35 countries across Europe. He won the Marsh Award for Insect Conservation from the Royal Entomological Society in 2007 and was voted one of the top 10 British conservationists by BBC Wildlife Magazine. He was also awarded an OBE for services to the Environment in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours in 2017. I think it's fair to say that Martin 'knows his stuff'.

I must own over a hundred butterfly books, and there are always a few that stand out - those that I constantly refer to because of the incredible amount of detail that is packed into them - and this is such a work. While the author has written numerous publications in the past, this is the first that I believe will have a broad reach, appealing to both amateurs and professionals alike. I would have to say that the most comparable book I have in my collection is also, coincidentally, entitled 'Butterflies' - the seminal work that is the first in the New Naturalist series by the great E.B. Ford, published in 1945.

This book might equally be entitled 'Everything you wanted to know about butterflies but were afraid to ask' which, admittedly, is a mouthful, but this does at least convey the book's intent. This is a very different publication to most others and covers a wide variety of topics that make for an enjoyable read, with salient points punctuated with stunning images from butterfly enthusiasts and scientists from around the world - the full-page image of a Wood White emerging from its chrysalis in the wild, taken by Dave Miller, is truly amazing, as is that of a Spotted Flycatcher with a Ringlet in its mouth, taken by Andrew Fusek Peters. I think the contents listing is the best indication of this variety and, at least, helps me rationalise why I need yet another butterfly book added to my collection. The book is choc-a-bloc full of interesting facts, each of which answers a particular question that the author has posed. A smattering of facts is given below, aligned with each chapter, to give you an idea of what's in store:

1. Why we love butterflies
• There were field naturalists before there were any nature books.
• In Georgian and Victorian times, the open woods around London were full of fritillaries, hairstreaks and other treasures.
2. Butterfly basics
• Genetic research is helping to decipher the relationship between butterflies and moths.
• Butterflies can detect scents with their antennae.
3. Taking flight: the life of the adult butterfly
• Butterflies roll their wings in flight to 'row' through the air, with no analyses of how this pattern might vary between species.
• There is still much to learn about about honeydew feeding by some species.
4. Butterflies in the landscape
• The mobility of High Brown Fritillary reduces the chance of inbreeding.
• The Marsh Fritillary has been known to colonise a new site up to 10km from an existing colony, with a record of 40km away.
5. The amorous butterfly
• The bright colours often seen in males are primarily a mechanism to ward off rivals, rather than attract females, with females responding far more to scent.
• The Green-veined White female requires at least two matings to reach her full egg-laying potential.
6. New life begins: eggs and where to lay them
• A female will scratch the surface of a plant with her legs to test its suitability in terms of nutrients and before laying her eggs.
• The Brown Argus selects plants that are noticeably more green, indicating their nitrogen content.
7. The eating machine: the life of the caterpillar
• Some skipper species create notches in grass blades to prevent plant toxins from reaching the upper leaf.
• Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock larvae are so dependent on gregarious feeding to raise their body temperature to aid digestion, that separating them often results in their demise.
8. The great transformation: the secret world of the chrysalis
• The activities of a pre-pupation larva and the survival of the chrysalis are the least understood aspects of the life cycle of most species.
• A Camberwell Beauty larva may travel up to 40m before finding a pupation site.
9. Survival of the fittest
• Species that lay their eggs in batches are especially prone to parasitism.
• It is possible to determine the type of predator by examining the feeding damage on what remains of the chrysalis.
10. The macabre world of parasitoids
• Parasitoids are themselves parasitised by hyperparasitoids.
• Viruses may be injected into a larva along with parasitoids eggs, whose DNA is then assimilated into that of the butterfly.
11. Long-distance travellers
• The Camberwell Beauty adult can occasionally survive our winters.
• There are several species in mainland Europe that could fare well in Britain, but the English Channel represents an insurmountable obstacle.
12. Recording butterflies
• In the early days of recording, 137,000 records were obtained over a 12 year period. Today, seven times that number are recorded each year.
• There are several methods for recording abundance.
13. Winners and losers
• Concerns regarding the decline of certain species had been raised well before any formal recording techniques were put in place.
• The criteria for assessing the status of each species is now standardised across Europe.
14. A changing world
• For many species, such as the Marsh Fritillary, habitat fragmentation is the most serious threat.
• A major change in woodland practices was the need for fast-growing timber, in order to reduce our reliance on imported timber.
15. Managing habitats for butterflies
• There are obvious and not-so-obvious principles of habitat management.
• Cattle are good for chalk and limestone habitats since they tend to focus on coarse grasses rather than flower-rich areas.
16. Landscapes for butterflies
• A landscape-scale strategy is needed to conserve our butterflies.
• We need more, bigger, better and joined up landscapes.
17. Watching butterflies
• There are some obvious and not-so-obvious tips to spotting butterflies.
• Even the casual observer can contribute to our collective understanding of our butterfly fauna.
18. Future prospects
• Butterfly losses are so gradual that we may hardly notice them - we won't notice individual rivets popping out of the frame of an aircraft until it's no longer air-worthy (an analogy provided by Paul Ehrlich).
• It is up to each and very one of us to safeguard habitats, and lobby governments.

There are also five appendices covering: the checklist used; the number of generations and foodplants of each species; the main habitats and their management; parasitoids; and where to see each species. Each appendix makes for an interesting read in its own right. The book is also seriously enlightening when it comes to the link between ecology and conservation. Furthermore, it is brutally and refreshingly honest in terms of good and bad, what we know and what we don't, and successes and failures.

This review has barely scratched the surface of the subject matter covered by this book and I can't but feel that I've done the author a disservice since he raises so many important questions - "are we hurtling towards an 'insect apocalypse'?". The author 'tops and tails' this work by discussing the place that butterflies have in our consciousness - they are perceived as objects of desire and wellbeing currently, but will they become objects of pity? This is a serious piece of work, with serious detail, and serious messages. I like to think that I'm someone who is always willing to learn, and I've had some great teachers, and this book is an education unto itself. The chapter 'A changing world' really touched me - especially the damage that neonicotinoids are doing (and future pesticides will do) with respect to our insect fauna (and, ultimately, us).

What comes across loud and clear, however, is the author's love for the Lepidoptera to which he has dedicated his working life, and the potential for each of us to make a difference. I remember interviewing the author back in 2006: "There are a lot of reasons to give up, but I'm an optimist and I think we really can do things to reverse decline and save threatened species. So I admire anyone who thinks that too and is prepared to do something about it". It's good to see that Martin's optimism hasn't diminished and I, for one, feel newly invigorated to fight the good fight. Suffice to say, this book is highly recommended.