Bob Pyle Responds/Fourth Attempt

[Valerie Passoa]

Hello,
    The following is Bob Pyle's response to the comment made by Paul Cherubini yesterday that read "Reminds me of Bob Pyle's comment that people who breed and sell Monarchs and Painted Ladies for release are 'entomology's lowlifes'."

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 From Bob Pyle:

    I am a visiting professor at Utah State University this semester and not currently tuned in to Leps-L, so I have asked Valerie to kindly pass on my response to Paul Cherubini's tossed-off comment.  When Paul and I met at the Bay Area Monarch Conference last fall he was actually civil, so I am sorry to see his venom leaking again.  Is Paul aware that attributing a direct quotation to someone else incorrectly is potentially libelous?
    It is true that I criticize the practice of transferring and releasing butterflies far away from their point of nascence, for very good reasons that were more or less accurately (if incompletely) quoted in the January 14 Wall Street Journal article.  But I believe Paul is incorrect in attributing me with the statement that people who breed and sell Monarchs and Painted Ladies for release are "entomology's lowlifes".  I don't believe I have ever spoken or written such a thing.  If Paul can
show where that quote appears in print under my name, I would be very surprised.  If he cannot, then he had better be more careful about putting words in my mouth, or anyone else's.  I do think those who transfer and release are misguided and mistaken in their actions; but they have nothing to do with entomology, and I do not tend to use the term "lowlifes" for anyone.  
    By the way, for those still debating the netting/collecting/ watching issue as if they have to be mutually exclusive, I recommend the section on "Watching Vs. Catching" in my HANDBOOK FOR BUTTERFLY WATCHERS and the part called "Enjoying the Butterfly Resource" in my BUTTERFLIES OF
CASCADIA, currently at press in Hong Kong and due out in April.

Best to all, and be nice, Paul; it becomes you.
Bob 
 

 



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