Carey Knox is an independent ecologist, researcher, and wildlife photographer based in Ranfurly, Central Otago, New Zealand. He has an MSc, PgDip, and BSc from the University of Otago in the fields of Zoology and Ecology and is currently completing a PhD. Carey specialises in lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) and herpetology (lizards) and is passionate about their conservation. Carey talks to NZ Booklovers.
Tell us a little about A Naturalist’s Guide to Butterflies & Moths of Aotearoa New Zealand.
There are few modern field guides or dedicated books on the butterflies and moths of Aotearoa New Zealand. I was delighted to receive the opportunity to put this guide together. It was a dream come true for a big ‘nature nerd’ - to be able to produce a field guide on our wildlife and be able to include many of my own favourite images of our beautiful lepidoptera. The guide is reasonably comprehensive with images of 360 of Aotearoa’s species within. It also includes enjoyable sections on their habitats, ecology, life cycle, identification, conservation, and how to find and study butterflies and moths.
What research was involved?
I first took a keen interest in the lepidoptera of Aotearoa a mere three years ago, having spent over a decade working solely on New Zealand lizards as a professional herpetologist. To start with I simply enjoyed photographing and observing moths and seeing how many species I could find in various places around where I live in Central Otago. I started going out looking for moths for several nights every week and occasionally during the day too (New Zealand has a diverse range of day-flying moths as well as butterflies). I began putting my observations on the website iNaturalist and soon discovered a community of like-minded people who were interested and could help me identify the moths I had found. I found this experience very rewarding, and addictive! especially when I found rare or poorly known species, which got all the experts excited!
Whilst travelling around New Zealand, mostly during my day job as a herpetologist, I was able to undertake moth surveys in some of the most remote parts of the country, such as the Fiordland mountains. Before I knew it, I had undertaken over 200 nights of surveying for moths right across New Zealand and photographed over 700 species. A thirst for exploration and a love of the natural world has always inspired me, and the thrill of the hunt hoping to locate new or rare species. The camera is the tool with which I record these experiences, and I am sure that my passion and thirst for exploration comes across in this new book.
What was your routine or process when writing and taking the photography for this book?
The first challenge was to work out how many species I could fit within the page limits of the book, and what species should be in or out. I put together an excel spreadsheet of potential species that I could add to and whittle down as required. New Zealand has about 2,000 species of lepidoptera, and I only had a set number of pages to work with, so I knew only a small proportion would make the cut. However, I was keen to squeeze in as many species as possible.
I wanted to include all the species most likely to be seen by naturalists across New Zealand, so most of this book is devoted to what are expected to be the most commonly seen moths and butterflies. To balance the emphasis on common species, a selection of rare and particularly ecologically fascinating lepidoptera is profiled in a special rarities and specialities section that I am sure all readers will enjoy. Of course, as well as a species list, I needed to compile photographs of all the relevant species and for species that I didn’t have photographs of I asked for photographs from other keen naturalists and lepidopterists. Lastly, of course all of the relevant sections to the guide had to be drafted. Once that was done, I was extremely lucky to receive an excellent review from one of New Zealand’s premiere lepidopterists Dr Robert Hoare. Eventually all the text and photographs were finalised and the final guide put together.
What did you enjoy the most about writing this book?
Being able to include some of my favourite images, stories, and anecdotes collected over the last few years. The publisher John Beaufoy was a pleasure to work with, giving me a solid template to work from (in terms of their naturalist guide series), but also the freedom to put my own twist on things and include the species that I wanted to.
Do you have a favourite moth or butterfly? Why are they your favourite?
My favourite moth is the Exquisite Olearia Owlet (Meterana exquisita) which is profiled in the rarities and specialities section of the guide. The Exquisite Olearia Owlet certainly lives up to its name, being an exquisite beauty of Aotearoa’s tree daisy (Olearia) shrublands. The colour pattern is a pale blue/green mixed with contrasting white and black markings in a pattern form that resembles lichen and blends in well with their natural small-leaved tree daisy habitat, as well as lichen-encrusted branches and rocks. Once found from Auckland to Invercargill, the disappearance of tree daisies (small-leaved Olearia shrubs) that the species' larvae are completely reliant on, has reduced their numbers and distribution throughout New Zealand.
In addition to this species, there are many other threatened moths that are totally reliant on tree daisies. Thus, I hope to use Meterana exquisita to increase awareness for the protection of tree daisy shrublands and the special moth fauna that have existed alongside these plants for millions of years. For this reason I have been part of a group that has nominated the Exquisite Olearia Owlet for New Zealand ‘bug of the year’ in 2025.
What’s next on the agenda for you?
I plan to continue working as a professional herpetologist and also undertaking contract surveys on lepidoptera. I hope to continue with both interests long-term and make a positive difference in both fields of ecology. I am also working on a part-time PhD on developing drones as a tool for reliably finding lizards in inaccessible habitats, such as forest canopies and steep mountain sides. I am always on the lookout for new adventures and research opportunities. All of this combined with family life at home in Central Otago keeps me pretty busy.
John Beaufoy Publishing