It didn’t take long for news of the forthcoming publication by Little Toller Books of Peter Marren’s “Emperors, Admirals and Chimney-Sweepers; the Naming of Butterflies and Moths” to spread across the land like a flock of migrating Monarchs.
For many years, Robert Michael Pyle’s “The Butterflies of Cascadia” has been my go-to reference guide for any non-moth lepidopteran seen in my beloved Pacific Northwest. However as this book is now out of print with even used copies selling for double its original cover price – and unread ones classifiable as “new” well over $100.00 – I can’t very well recommend it to those seeking a guidebook to the area’s species.
I think the first time I heard Robert Michael Pyle discuss his idea for a butterfly-as-a-main-character novel was back in 2004 or thereabout. We were discussing one of his lesser known books, “Walking the High Ridge; Life as a Field Trip” (which happens to also be my favorite among all his works to this day) and he casually told me of his idea for a romantic novel centering on a Magdalena Alpine butterfly.
Whenever someone begins a sentence, “Can I ask you a question about butterflies?” the odds are good, particularly if I’m in North America at the time, that it is going to be a question about Monarchs. And there’s plenty of reasons for this. Even if Monarchs aren’t prominent among your local lepidoptera there is simply something about these vivid black-and-orange butterflies that has captured the popular imagination.