Authoritative and informative, Southern African Moths & Their Caterpillars provides a comprehensive overview of the moth fauna of the region.

Featuring more than 1,500 of the 11,000 species occurring here, the guide focuses on those that are most abundant, of economical or ecological importance, conspicuous or unusual.

This essential guide offers:

• Authoritative text richly supported with photographs of both adult moth and larva
• Clear ID pointers plus information on biology, habitat and distribution
• An informative introduction covering evolution, life cycle, diversity and ecological importance of moths

Southern Africa boasts wonderful invertebrate diversity and abundance. In this book, approximately 1,500 species of the region's moths - and most of their caterpillars - are illustrated with images of live specimens. A diagnosis based on visible characters is provided, also enabling the user to readily identify many closely related species not illustrated. Known host associations, habitat preferences, phenology and accurate distribution maps are provided for each species. As the only substantive and up-to-date guide to the rich moth fauna of the wider southern African region, this volume fills a gap in the natural history books of Africa. Furthermore, it includes data from citizen science project The Caterpillar Rearing Group to depict caterpillar stage and respective host plant/s for a sizeable proportion of the southern African moth fauna. Based on more than 270,000 location records, preferred habitats and point-based distribution maps are provided for the first time. A crucial addition to our understanding of the wildlife of the African continent.