184 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY strate the evolution of butterfly populations in the con (which is fine ), but at the same time the purview of its text of a changing environment. Those of us who work influence is intended to include matters of scientific in areas where so little is known about butterflies may import, and it includes promotional material linked to be daunted by such an effort. Nevertheless, it is clear the North American Butterfly Association ( ABA). we must strive toward its example. The historical and organizational context from which Sturdily bound, filled with illustrations and informa the butterfly-watching movement has sprung is plain tion, and inexpensive, this book is uniquely outstand within the pages of BTB, and I therefore view it as im ing in many ways. However, I especially appreciated possible to review this book and some of the informa one aspect of it; the subtle yet pervasive conservation tion presented therein independently of similar mes underpinning based on the study of butterflies. If I sages published by NABA. It is my hope that a read the message correctly it might be paraphrased in contextual review of this kind will add more light than a more general way: appreciate and learn from nature heat. Regardless, after tending to the book's technical before it vanishes into the increasingly greedy maw of aspects, I will proceed to its message. the human dominated landscape. That is to say, the First to the nitty gritty. The meat of BTB is of course game is not just about collecting and writing epitaphs its 283 species accounts and accompanying pho of colorful insects. It is about preventing the ecological tographs. Again, through these, BTB is a fine introduc holocausts that surround us, and surviving. As the song tion to observing butterflies of eastern North America. title suggests, now is the time. Species accounts include identification cues, geo graphic range maps (which accompany the plates), P. J. DEVRIES, Center for Biodiversity Studies, some life history information, including primal)" host Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 West Wells St., plants and extensive flight season data in the form of Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, USA "phenograms" which consist of rough relative abun dance by month in four geographically separated states (WI, NY, NC, and LA) generated in consultation \\ith Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 56(3).2002, 184- 188 various local experts (no use of collection data is refer enced). The lack of detailed descriptions should not be BUTTERFLIES THROUGH BINOCULARS: THE EAST. A viewed as a shortcoming, assuming the guide's primary FIELD GUIDE TO THE BUTTERFLIES OF EASTERN target audience comprises hobbyists and prospecth-e NORTH AMERICA, by J. Glassberg. 1999. Oxford inventorists. The identification cues are b and large University Press. $18.95. ISBN 0-19-510668-7 well crafted, with the exception of their reliance on comparative observation: Size measurements for How MUCH SCIENCE IS TOO LITTLE? species are not generally gi en, but e\-aluated with ref The practice of butterfly watching has rocketed in erence to other butterflies. Field dia{Jlloses, when recent years, fueled primarily by increasingly accessi present, are emboldened. and brief deSCriptions ac ble field guides equipped with easy shortcuts to identi companying plates make quick identification easy and fication, technological advances in photography, and reduce the need for page flipping. The photographiC numerous organizations, local and national, devoted to quality is generally quite good (with a few exceptions), furthering public awareness of butterflies and their di and should help butterfly watchers get a feel for what versity. Butterfly watching, a healthy medium for natural various species look like in vivo, although field marks history education, has realized considerable popularity are not consistently delineated. The photographs are not just among weekend naturalists and recovering bird also carefully scaled against others on the plate. In any watchers, but also among educators and even profes event, BTB should serve as a step towards identifying sionallepidopterists that participate in local butterfly butterflies reliably in the field, and therefore meets its counts. Dr. Glassberg's Butterflies through Binoculars: purpose. The East (hereafter BTB) is likely to surpass previous The text comprising the book's introduction in guides' popularity among butterfly watching enthusi cludes sections on butterfly photography, butterfly gar asts, and to that end it serves as a photographiC guide dening, tips on finding butterflies, and butterfly biol for most eastern butterflies. Unfortunately, the general ogy. There is no discussion of proper vouchering, utility of this book is reduced sharply by several short collecting, or rearing techniques or protocols, nor any comings, all of them related to the furtherance of lep broad discussion of butterfly taxonomy or systematics idopteran science and science-based conservation. except for some remarks buried in the species ac It is difficult to decide in what spirit to review this counts. With those exceptions, this material serves as book. It is clearly a volume intended for hobbyists an adequate introduction for the casual butterflyer. VOLUME 56, NUMBER 3 185
Text following the species accounts includes a bibliog with the state of flux in North American butterfly raphy and a short glossary of terms. nomenclature, Dr. Glassberg writes (p. 33): I detect three principal shortcomings in the book's "Before the NABA checklist was published in 1995, message, all associated with teaching science-based each author of a book about butterflies used whatever natural history and the relevance of that science to set of names struck his or her fancy. The result has conservation of landscapes and species. First, Dr. been a confuSing plethora of names that has bewil Glassberg's dismissal of the nomenclatural process dered the uninitiated and made it more difficult for the combined with the assertion that butterfly taxonomy, public to become involved with butterflies. We are now including both scientific and common names, is being on the road toward standardization, although this "standardized" (p. 33) by NABA is a serious shortcom process will take years to be completed." ing. It also may render BTB impotent in serious bio inventories, butterfly counts, or identifying popula Later Dr. Glassberg writes (p. 53) in the context of tions of cryptic species. Second, while no doubt well the species account for the Mustard White Pieris napi: meaning, Dr. Glassberg makes a number of misleading "There is some recent evidence that the Mustard comments about managing butterfly habitat, specifi White complex may consist of a number of different cally fire management, that may oversimplify and ex species and a number of books have appeared that acerbate an already controversial conservation issue. jump on this bandwagon. Changes in well established Third, BTB's strident indictments of collecting utterly names should be made in works intended for the pub fail to mention the critical importance of collections lic only if the published evidence is overwhelming not only to the study of butterflies, but also the fur [emboldening as in BTBJ that the change is correct." therance of taxonomy, systematics, and the conserva tion and protection of threatened species. Notwithstanding that fact that, like many other strong There have always been nomenclatural controver opinions expressed in BTB, these statements are unac sies in the butterfly literature, for that is the nature of companied by specific references, these assertions also science: To modify existing taxonomy as new entities belie either a fundamental misunderstanding or a disre are discovered and described and as recent informa gard for the scientific process and its critical value to bi tion is brought to bear on our imperfect understanding olOgical conservation. As most lepidopterists know, there of nature. The proliferation of names is perhaps par are a number of competing endeavors to "standardize" ticularly acute in the most showy organisms, including butterfly taxonomy. Difficult as it may be for those birds, butterflies, and tiger beetles, because the atten with a superficial interest in butterflies to keep up with tion they draw from hobbyists leads inevitably to the the technical literature, are we to believe that taxonomic discovery of novel forms that are subsequently de stability, via the acceptance of one person's sanctioned scribed and all too often given sub speCific or infrasub list is more important than taxonomic progress via specific epithets. To be sure, keeping up with current scholarly study? Dr. Glassberg seems to find taxonomy nomenclature by tracking the most recent revisions and systematics so trivial as to make them beholden to and extracting valid names is a difficult task, one the hobbyist. In certain cases (e.g. , p. 153), taxonomic deemed necessary for scholars but annoying to those progress is expliCitly ignored and excused only in order with a more casual interest. To be sure, the existence to remain consistent with the NABA checklist. of privately published, non-peer-reviewed journals Unfortunately, the problem goes further: NABA that never make their way to libraries but in which publishes the results of annual butterfly counts, but new species and subspecies are regularly described is with little quality control. Thus it is easy for erroneous a bane to taxonomy, and frustrating to anyone at records to proliferate in print, and such apparent tempting to incorporate current nomenclature into "data" could, if taken seriously, prove fatal to distribu field guides. It is thus not uncommon for authors to tional revisions and local conservation efforts. For ex prefer, explicitly or otherwise, particular taxonomic ample, I recently encountered a local butterfly check arrangements on an ad hoc basis. The nomenclature in list, compiled by an avid (and talented) butterfly BTB, both scientific and vernacular, follows NABA's watcher, encouraged by a prominent international con Checklist alld Ellglish ames of North American But servation organization, and copyrighted. The checklist terflies. And while there are some differences of opin consisted primarily of records previously published by ion and treatment of taxonomic status are e\ident be lepidopterists (who were not credited) and a number tween BTB and other field guides. for example, the of new records for the region in question for which no most pointed remarks in BTB are directed at the specimen vouchers exist. Some of these species were nomenclatural process itself. Obviously dissatisfied described as occurring commonly. It might be worth- 186 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY while to contemplate the impact of such information from the equation, the endeavors of scholarly research should these species ever fall in need of protection. would be hamstrung. The question is whether serious Consider, for example, the unnecessary obstacle to se scientific research should take a back seat to the per curing protection of a species presented when indica sonal views, however noble, of those who don't under tions that it is abundant are disseminated. Such scenar stand the importance of collecting. ios are only worsened when taxonomic progress is But the importance of collections is certainly not ignored in favor of a popular "standard." Bottom line: limited to the realm of systematics. Our understanding The mmbination of inflexible and possibly question of conservation priorities would not exist without the able standardization with an unverifiable system of information contained in zoology collections and record keeping renders any inventories or butterfly herbaria. Importantly, our ability to protect popula counts meaningless without substantial follow up. tions and use the occurrences of rare organisms to pre "Standardization" won't change the valid names, and if vent destructive development and land use practices butterfly watchers promote ignoring those, then their often depends on voucher specimens' being deposited records will be even more meaningless. in scientific collections. I have known would-be devel Dr. Glassberg's own anti-collecting agenda, and that opers to contest the occurrence of rare Lepidoptera on of his organization, NABA, is well known. But as with their properties, often during conservation commis a number of issues on which Dr. Glassberg purports to sion hearings in mid-winter when vouchering is im speak authoritatively, intelligent discussion of this possible, and were it not for voucher specimens in col complicated and controversial issue is done a disser lections, important natural areas would have suffered. vice by the author's treatment in BTB and elsewhere. It seems to me that Dr. Glassberg is too busy prose As a lifelong conservationist and lepidopterist, I have lytizing to present a balanced discussion, or to bother been impressed by the unique ability of the lepi mentioning the importance of scientific collections. In dopterist community to integrate professional biolo deed, he appears to go to considerable lengths to gists with so-called "amateurs." I think this is recog downplay the potential role of amateurs in contribut nized by most as one of the major strengths of ing to them. The recent Dragonflies through Binocu lepidopteran research. True, controversies have arisen lars field guide, published under the auspices of with respect to such issues as collecting regulations NABA, contains not an iota of information on how to and the listing of endangered species, and irresponsi properly prepare dragonfly and damselfly specimens. ble collectors dt? indeed exist. But in my experience Here is a group of organisms about which we know those lepidopterists most effective at resolving such is Significantly less distributional information than but sues have done so by thinking clearly, speaking articu terflies, presenting an outstanding opportunity for am lately, collecting hard data, writing with skill and schol ateur naturalists to make valuable contributions to sci arship, and all without resorting to divisive tirades. ence and conservation. For someone so concerned Alas, such cannot be said of BTB. about the public's access to information, Dr. Glassberg At times, Dr. Glassberg's stance on collecting (and seems content to limit it selectively. I can't wait to see nomenclatural s~andards) appears predicated on the Moths through Binoculars. notion that our understanding of the North American Assuming trumping nomenclatural practices will fauna is sufficient, if not complete. One could, per amount to nothing, perhaps the most disturbing and haps, make such a case for birds, and butterflies' being disingenuous aspect of Dr. Glassberg'S agenda is his the birds of the insect world; the temptation to think stance on conservation. He describes (p. 27) conserva likewise for them is perhaps understandable-at least tion as the "raison d' etre of this book" and to the extent for a birdwatcher. But think for a moment on the real that it will help instill an appreciation of the natural state of lepidopteran taxonomy. Do we really have a world and enhance access to its study, it may make a complete enough understanding of butterfly variation, contribution. Unfortunately, both BTB's message and even in the conterminous United States, to stop study its intended furtherance of conservation are hampered ing it? I know of numerous recently discovered or un by a series of misleading comments (as well as by the described North American species. Lepidoptera are adherence to a rogue taxonomy). Among the more notorious for sudden range changes, both contractions disingenuous are those directed at the use of pre and expansions, as well as for host plant shifts and scribed burning in managing natural areas. In Dr. rapid speciation events. Regulators and legislators do Glassberg'S (p. 28) words, fire is an "often misguided not frequently distinguish recreational from scientific conservation tool," and goes on to smear the conserva collecting, and if scientific collecting were removed tion community (p. 29): VOLUME 56, NUMBER 3 187
"Unfortunately, some of the conservation commu species information for their properties. In my experi nity and groups charged with the management of our ence, protecting landowner privacy has been critical to natural areas have made a devit's embrace of fire-"fire conserving some of North America's most Significant is good at keeping areas open, let's burn like crazy. " natural areas. Equally important is the issue of illegal Dr. Glassberg only begrudgingly acknowledges the habitat destruction. What is to prevent a would-be de importance of responsible fire management, but his veloper of a shopping center in a wetland, for example, overall message is to alert naIve readers to what he of bulldozing the site at midnight upon finding out it characterizes as widespread irresponsibility in the ap contains a colony of some rare orchid. No rare butter plication of prescribed burning by land managers. fly or orchid, no hassles with Fish and Wildlife. It may Granted, we are all aware of examples of poor fire sound trite, but it happens, and clearly tightening col management, much as we know of examples of irre lecting regulations is not a solution. Serious scholarly sponsible politics, business practices and, yes, collect study is. ing. But the fact remains that only a small percentage Unfortunately, rather than contribute to disseminat of North America's fire dependent communities are ing useful information and understanding to the pub currently being managed with fire at all. lic, it appears that Dr. Glassberg prefers an alarmist Later, he writes (p. 30): route. In the same editorial Glassberg (2001 :2) writes: "[A] conservation professional, trained to look for "Butterflies through binoculars: The East describes "pure" examples of native habitats, may take one look how collectors killed the last Mitchell's Satyrs in New at these weedy fields [containing important nectar Jersey, invading private property despite the fact that sources] and turn up her/his nose." the owner, in a valiant attempt to save the butterflies, encircled the land with chain link fences and posted One is left to wonder whose training and credentials in guard dogs. " entomology or conservation are worthy of Dr. Glass berg's approbation. But perhaps the most telling quote from the editorial It is interesting to observe that BTB's crusade is this: against science and science-based conservation has "Last summer, NABA petitioned the U.S. Fish and been extended in an indictment of how conservation Wildlife Service to list Miami Blues as federally endan agenCies operate. Using NABA as a vehicle, Dr. Glass gered on an emergency basis. We decided to keep the berg has recently called upon The Nature Conser location of the colony secret until listing could prOvide vancy and the Heritage Program network to release in some protection. While I understand that the petition formation on locations of threatened plant and animal was favorable [sic] received, the Department of Inte occurrences, arguing that the public should have un rior subsequently issued a moratorium on all listings limited access to such information (Glassberg, 2001). and it is unclear when, if ever, this species will be pro In a recent editorial of American ButterRies Glassberg tected. So, I have decided to make the location of the (2001:2), writes: colony public [my italics added]. I hope that Secretary "The Nature Conservancy, other conservation organ of the Interior Norton acts to list this species and that izations, and government agencies charged with protect Florida legislators enact laws that prOvide real protec ing our flora and fauna, keep the locations of rare plants tion, before it too late, but I am not optimistic. So, my and animals a secret with the best of intentions: obsessive advice to you is to see these butterflies, at the northern collectors are a threat---especially to certain populations end of Bahia Honda State Park, along Silver Palms N a ofrare orchids, cactuses [sic], butterflies, and reptiles." ture Trail, while you still can. But please don't tell any one This is an interesting, but inaccurate and incomplete els ~ ." characterization of why threatened species informa Now let us get this straight: Even given that the site tion is kept confidential. In fact, most of the reasons occurs in a state park, presumably protected from de have nothing whatsoever to do with collectors, but velopment, Dr. Glassberg divulged speCific site infor rather with protecting the rights of landowners and mation in virtually the same breath as noting that the protecting the most vulnerable sites from habitat de maximum fine is $50 and that prospects for serious struction. As anyone with experience in serious bioin protection are unlikely. Even if illegal collecting were ventories and conservation assessment knows, many a threat (which for all I know it might be in this case), private landowners would be loathe to cooperate with hasn't Dr. Glassberg just declared open season on this conservation endeavors if anyone could access rare butterRy? 188 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY
To many it is unfortunate that Dr. Glassberg the German-language edition of Part 11 (ISBN 1-