Book: The Last Wild Island

[exoticimports]

Tetepare Island is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific. Lying off the shore of Rendova in Solomon Islands, recent research on Tetepare has uncovered previously unkown bats, lizards, and insects.

The Last Wild Island: Saving Tetepare is the author's (Dr. John Reed) fabulous account of a young naturalist couple's stumble into a major ecological project- turning Tetepare into an Eco-Light destination rather than being logged.

Reed delves into the frustration of communications with Solomon Islands agencies and people, dealing with backstabbing politicians, and facing a brutal but beautiful environment.

Interwoven with his eco-political experience are detailed accounts of his explorer/ scientist exploits: GPS that don't work, malaria, crocs, and finding rare species such as the prehensile tailed skink and nest leatherback turtles.

I had the wonderful fortune in 2004 to be the first entomologist ever to survey Tetepare. At that time, I also had the good luck to stay in Dr. Reed's leaf house on Tetepare, though I wasn't to meet him until several weeks later.

Though the book is not about butterflies, it reveals a great amount about what one can expect while collecting butterflies on rugged Pacific islands. You'll read about malaria, the terrifying stinging plant (think nettles times ten with a sting lasting 24 hours), cuts that never heal and instead fester, native medicinal plants, and of course astonishing untouched wildlife.

If you've been to the Pacific, or plan to go, the book is an indispensible guide to culture, ecology, and how to (or not to) get done what you need done.

I wholeheartedly recommend this well written and entertaining story.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/0980760038/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004WX1AS2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ZA59646S6A8PATWG1MQ

Chuck

[wollastoni]

Thanks Chuck, I think I will read it. Knowing a little bit that part of the world (I know Sulawesi, Papua and Biak, not Solomons), I like to read about it, it reminds be my own collecting trips.
Did you find any Delias on Tetepare ?

[exoticimports]

It is unlikely the delias live on Tetepare, since it has no significant elevation. I saw no delias. Of course "unlikely" and "don't" are two different things...there is no reason for any unique sp/ssp of anything to be there, since it's only a few km from Rendova- yet, new sp/ssp of bats, fish, lizards, birds, and butterflies have been found there. Go figure.

It would not be a surprise to find delias on the top of Mt. Rendova, which is something like 1000 meters; AFAIK no entomologists have looked up there, despite the comparative ease of accessibility.

[wollastoni]

Well I would guess low-altitude Delias from the Solomons like Delias schoenbergi or Delias lytaea should be found on Tetepare...

[exoticimports]

I can't say they are NOT, it's impossible to say.

With a combined total of about six months in Solomon Islands, I have seen neither of those delias sp, anywhere. Of course, I have schoenbergi and the collecting data, so I suspect they are, like many species, locally common.