Book Description Review Quotes Contents
Book Description

A plastic box with a lightbulb attached may seem like an odd birthday present. But for ecologist Tim Blackburn, a moth trap is a captivating window into the world beyond the roof terrace of his London flat. Whether gaudy or drab, rare or common, each moth ensnared by the trap is a treasure with a story to tell. In The Jewel Box, Blackburn introduces these mysterious visitors, revealing how the moths he catches reflect hidden patterns governing the world around us. 

With names like the Dingy Footman, Jersey Tiger, Pale Mottled Willow, and Uncertain, and at least 140,000 identified species, moths are fascinating in their own right. But no moth is an island—they are vital links in the web of life. Through the lives of these overlooked insects, Blackburn introduces a landscape of unseen ecological connections. The flapping of a moth’s wing may not cause a hurricane, but it is closely tied to the wider world, from the park down the street to climatic shifts across the globe. 

Through his luminous prose and infectious sense of curiosity, Blackburn teaches us to see—and respect—the intricate web of nature in which we’re all caught. The Jewel Box shows us how the contents of one small box can illuminate the workings of all nature. 

Review Quotes

"Meditative take...Blackburn succeeds in drawing broad ecological lessons from the world of moths... Lepidopterists will want to take note."
Publishers Weekly

"Darwin spoke of life as a 'tangled bank' of interacting species, and William Blake, a century before Darwin, wrote of seeing 'the world in a grain of sand, and Heaven in a Wild Flower.' The moths in Blackburn’s jewel box are like Blake’s grain of sand: gems to be treasured not only for their beauty, but for the way their brilliance, captured during the dark of night, casts light on the complex whole of living nature."
Natural History

"We are creatures of the daylight, spending most of the night asleep, oblivious to life’s continuing struggles that take place in the hours of darkness…. This is a book that will appeal to those who have a fascination for moths and want to understand the world in which they live."
 
The Biologist

"This is an entertaining book that can appeal to a variety of readers. Moth enthusiasts will be thrilled to see their group used as a model to explain the fundamentals of ecology…. This book is a testimony of the value of biodiversity and a silent warning of the unforgivable loss we are experiencing."
 
Community Ecology

"Tim Blackburn shows us that moths are more than bugs that invade outdoor lights and bathroom drains. Through Blackburn’s scientific passion and insight, these relatives of butterflies teach us a lot about evolution, nature, and the ecological consequences of our species, the real pests in the woolen chest of Earth."
Jack Davis, author of "The Bald Eagle" and "The Gulf"

"Not only is this a wonderful hands-on introduction to a diverse and enigmatic group of insects (moths), it is also an excellent primer on the basic principles of ecology, and crucially, the urgent need for humankind to live more gently on Earth."
Jonathan Balcombe, author of "Super Fly" and "What a Fish Knows"

Contents

Introduction: The Moth Trap
Chapter 1. The Gypsy Moth: The Power of Reproduction
Chapter 2. Footmen: The Consequences of Limited Resources
Chapter 3. The Oak Eggar: When Consumers Become the Consumed
Chapter 4. The Codling and The Goat: Live Fast and Die Young, or Linger On?
Chapter 5. The Uncertain: Living Together in Communities
Chapter 6. The Silver Y: The Importance of Migrants
Chapter 7. The Poplar Hawk-moth: Diversification and What Drives It 
Chapter 8. The Box-tree and The Stout Dart: How Ecology Is Now Humanity
Chapter 9. The Acer Sober: Conclusion
Sources
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author