Richard South

author

Richard South

Best known for lively, practical books on butterflies and moths, this English entomologist helped make the study of Lepidoptera more accessible to a wide readership. His guides to the insects of the British Isles remained influential long after they were first published.

3 Audiobooks

The Moths of the British Isles, First Series Comprising the Families Sphingidæ to Noctuidæ

The Moths of the British Isles, First Series Comprising the Families Sphingidæ to Noctuidæ

by Richard South

The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series Comprising the Families Noctuidæ to Hepialidæ

The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series Comprising the Families Noctuidæ to Hepialidæ

by Richard South

The Butterflies of the British Isles

The Butterflies of the British Isles

by Richard South

About the author

Born in Marylebone, London, in 1846, Richard South became an English entomologist who specialized in Lepidoptera—the study of butterflies and moths. He began publishing notes on moths in the 1870s and built a reputation for careful observation and clear, useful writing.

He is especially remembered for three important books on the butterflies and moths of the British Isles. These works were valued for bringing together identification help, natural history, and illustrations in a form that served both enthusiasts and more serious students.

South also published research on Lepidoptera from places beyond Britain, including China and Korea. He died in 1932, but his books continued to be updated afterward, reflecting the lasting place they held in the field.