Actor Paul Giamatti narrates filmmaker Ann Johnson Prum’s PBS-aired Nature documentary on butterflies and their evolutionary ancestors, moths. Obviously, there is visual splendor (in the grass, in the air, in the flowers) in the closeup cinematography, but the film complements the beauty of the insects with good biology, albeit often of the Believe-It-Or-Not variety. Moths, according to cutting-edge research, actually emit a sort of "jamming" frequency to trick the sonar of their chief predators, bats. A certain Peruvian butterfly peacefully co-exists—both as a caterpillar and as an adult—with voracious ants who otherwise eat and fight everything in their path. The "painted lady" butterfly makes a generations-spanning high-altitude migration from Africa to northern Europe and back. And other butterflies (or their larva) generate natural toxins—or mimic species that do—in order to avoid becoming a meal. Sure to appeal to lovers of Lepidoptera, this informative and gorgeous nature documentary is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (C. Cassady)
Sex, Lies and Butterflies
(2018) 53 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR), Blu-ray: $29.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0477-3 (dvd), 978-1-5317-0478-0 (blu-ray). Volume 33, Issue 5
Sex, Lies and Butterflies
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