New Book

Every Australian knows Ms Densey Clyne from her many books and articles on the Australian biota and from her appearances on the "Burke's Backyard" TV show. Some may have thought she has "disappeared". Well she has. She moved from suburban Sydney to the wilds of Wauchope, NSW a few years ago where she continues her writing. 

Densey has just produced a new book, published by New Holland. She provides a note on its content below.

 

“An egg on its  way to being a butterfly.     The unlovely child of a

pretty moth.  Gardener's bane  and farmer's foe. Is that how we see

caterpillars ?   Are they  really  nothing more than expendable   pests,

guzzling grubs doing mayhem on our prize plants?      Nothing could be

farther from the truth.  Upstaged by their glamorous  parents,

caterpillars are worth more   than a passing glance or a shot of

insecticide. 

 

“ Caterpillars  play an important role in the health of the planet as

recyclers.     A major food source for other animals, their vulnerability

has led to amazing defence strategies and lifestyles.    They are the

architects and artisans of the insect world.   They carry inside them the

blueprints for some of nature's  loveliest creations,  and  they  too can be

stunningly beautiful.

 

“There are many books about butterflies and moths but their long and

eventful  lives as caterpillars is usually overlooked.  My book  “The Secret

Life of Caterpillars”  seeks  to set the record straight.     Aimed at

readers young and old  it presents the larval forms of the Lepidoptera   as

diverse and  fascinating little animals in their own right.   Densey Clyne"