The Oracle of the Dryad

Hans Van Dyck

Written by a passionate narrator and distinguished expert An exciting exploration of Earth’s biological complexity How an intensive study of butterflies reveals the enthralling secrets of life

This is a fascinating story about butterflies. From the purpose of their wing colours to their mobility issues. From the famine they suffer in our people-oriented landscapes to the analysis of the winners and losers of climate change.

But this book is also about people. It combines Van Dyck’s expertise and his own metamorphosis from butterfly boy to butterfly enthusiast. It’s a story about wonder and passion for science, about engineers using butterflies as an inspiration for technical innovations and artists who are inspired by their colours and wonderful metamorphosis. This eventually leads us to a fascinating ‘butterfly paradox’: Do we get a wider view of life on our planet by focusing on these tiny animals?

In this book Van Dyck primarily focuses on one exceptional butterfly: the speckled wood or Pararge aegeria. ‘Aegeria’ refers to a nymph and prophetess in Roman mythology. She was the protector of Rome who advised her husband, King Numa Popilius, and inspired the apt title of this book.

155 x 240 mm | 304 pages | 96,000 words paperback with flaps | all rights available

Hans Van Dyck is a biologist. In 1997, he obtained his PhD thesis on the behavioural patterns of butterflies. Since 2004 he has been managing his own research team at the Earth & Life Institute of UC Leuven (Louvain-la-Neuve) as a professor in Behavioural Ecology and Environmental Management.