What is a lepidopterist

Ron Gatrelle gatrelle at tils-ttr.org
Thu Jan 31 00:06:34 EST 2002


----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris J. Durden" <drdn at mail.utexas.edu>
To: <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 11:58 PM
Subject: RE: What is a lepidopterist


> At 09:56 PM 1/30/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>
> - - -
> >  If you are serious about the study of butterflies and
> >moths at any level, then I suspect you are indeed a lepidopterist.  It's
not
> >a title that has to be earned, nor is it a title that requires peer
review.
> >But it simply doesn't apply to everyone that has an enthusiasm for
> >butterflies.  I don't believe the word was intended to have this wide an
> >application - it's as simple as that.  It's not an issue of "us" and
"them".
> >It's just category X vs. Y.
>
> Yes Mark, you have the essence here.
> This would leave out those who decorate their gardens with butterflies as
> well as those who craftily decopage wings to plates, or construct glass
> frames of a thousand monarch wings in a design on milkweed silk. Not that
> there is anything wrong with the use of butterflies in arts and crafts,
but
> it is just not Lepidoptery. It would also leave out some of the
> life-listers who rush from hot spot to hot spot without lingering for a
> long look at familiar species.
> ...................Chris Durden (an Entomologist who is also a
Lepidopterist)
>

Chris -- Dittos on this.  Here we have the worm turning.  We come to the
place where lepidopterists' object to being identified with those who put
morpho wings on lamp shades or painted lady wings under the plastic on
drink coasters.  I also want all to note you said _some_ of the life
listers.  Ron



 
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