University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

An insatiable curiosity about the natural world, facilitated by field guides and patient mentors, is what pulled me into a rewarding career as an entomologist. I continue to draw inspiration and knowledge from books, including field guides, which have helped my lab group make progress in new research directions and brought me to unlikely projects at the intersections of art, literature, and science. This new guide to the butterflies of Pennsylvania, by James Monroe, a Penn State emeritus professor, and David Wright, exemplifies the kind of book that can change someone's trajectory. The authors have compiled an authoritative list of the butterflies that occur in the Commonwealth, using data from natural history collections, and include rich descriptions of diagnostic characters, seasonality, diet, behavior, and other biological traits. The photographs of each species are as informative as they are gorgeous, and many of those specimens are from our own collection at the Frost Entomological Museum. The book will undoubtedly help curious people understand these fascinating insects, and it will hopefully inspire student projects aimed at increasing our knowledge of butterfly biology.