Breeding Butterflies & Moths: A Practical Handbook for British & European Species

The captive breeding and rearing of butterflies and moths is becoming increasingly important in the light of the growing need for practical invertebrate conservation. It is also a popular hobby for the lepidopterist, using either wild-caught insects or breeding stock,eggs, larvae or pupae obtained from entomological livestock suppliers or exchanged with like-minded enthusiasts. In addition, the growing number of butterfly 'farms', displaying day-flying lepidoptera in simulated natural habitats, are now a great attraction for the general public and have greatly increased interest in these beautiful insects.Until now, no comprehensive work has been available in English giving adequate information about the requirements of the British and European Lepidoptera for them to be raised successfully from the egg to perfect insect through more than one generation. In Ekkehard Friedrich's handbook, first published over ten years ago in Germany and now published in this revised and enlarged English edition, such a work is to hand.Although the text is very largely based on the aUthor's experience of the Macrolepidoptera in central Germany, the majority of the species and the notes on rearing them are equally referable to the British fauna. An entirely new chapter on the rearing of Microlepidoptera has been added by the editor, A. Maitland Emmet, and other new material includes rearing descriptions of most of the British geometrids by Jim Reid. For the English edition, Brian o. C. Gardiner has rewritten the section on artificial or semi-synthetic diets. The first part of the book gives clear, illustrated instructions on breeding and rearing equipment and techniques. The second part gives detailed rearing instructions by species or, for closely related species with similar requirements, by genus for around 1000 species of butterflies and moths. The work also includes details of food plants; a note on conservation; a select bibliography of works on British and European Lepidoptera; a practical list of addresses of societies, journals and suppliers of value to the breeder; extensive references; and indexes of English and scientific names for both insects and plants.This oUtstanding handbook, based on the practical experiences of many expert breeders over very many years, should prove a valuable tool and result in a higher success-rate for all involved in entomological husbandry, be they professional scientists, keen amateurs, conservationists or biology students. It should be on the shelf of everyone with an interest in moths and butterflies as well as of those actively rearing Lepidoptera.

This book is is also available in hardback at£19.99.

Author: Ekkehard Friedrich, translated by Steven Whitebread with additional material by A Maitland Emmet
Publisher: Harley Books
Extra Details: Pictorial Card Covers 8 x 10 inches tall.176 Pages.Illustrated with B&W line drawings. NEW BOOK