UKMoths Description
This is still the only book in print to cover the British Pyralidae in any detail, and remains the definitive guide for the serious student of this group.
However it is now beginning to show its age, in terms of the number of species represented, and the classification and nomenclature. This does show, however, how long it has been around serving as the best introduction to the micro moths, perhaps now superceded for the more general observer by the excellent recently published Micro moths field guide.
There are 8 colour plates of set specimens, depicting both male and female where these differ, and also some variations. There is also a colour frontispiece with photos of 12 species in their natural resting positions, part of which is reproduced on the dust jacket.
The specimens are shown life-size, which is fine for the larger species, but in some instances, the smaller species suffer from the limitations of print resolution and it can be difficult to use the plates, for example to identify the Scopariinae. In several cases there are line drawings of wing-pattern or genitalia for some difficult groups.
The text is quite comprehensive, and for each species gives a description, pointing out the more salient identification pointers, though this is in quite technical jargon and can be difficult to interpret for the inexperienced. There are cross-references to similar species, and further details about distribution, larval habits and foodplants.
Presently, this is the only book in print to exclusively cover the British Pyralidae, and therefore is still a great buy for the serious British moth enthusiast.
