Butterflies of the World

About this book

A lavishly illustrated book covering the butterflies of the world with informative text written by an expert author who has spent many years watching and studying Lepidoptera around the world. Opening chapters cover the evolution, anatomy, lifecycle, ecology and taxonomy of the world's butterflies. The bulk of Butterflies of the World comprises chapters offering comprehensive coverage of each of the world's butterfly families, from the spectacular swallowtails, apollos, morphos and birdwings through to the cryptic browns, whites, skippers and hairstreaks. The pages are illustrated with hundreds of stunning colour photographs showing more than 350 images taken, mainly by the author, in locations around the world.

Put simply this will be the best book of its kind on the market anywhere in the world. It will be an essential reference for butterfly enthusiasts everywhere, from amateurs right through to academics
 

Contents

PART 1   12
Introduction   14
Origin, evolution and speciation   18

PART 2   26
Anatomy   28
The butterfly lifecycle   48
Enemies of butterflies   82
Strategies for survival   90
Migration and dispersal   110

PART 3   118
The Butterfly families   120
Hesperiidae   128
Nymphalidae   156
Lycaenidae   230
Riodinidae   262
Papilionidae   288
Pieridae   310
Hedylidae   324

PART 4   328
Habitats and conservation   330

PART 5   342
Glossary   344
Index   348

Customer Reviews

Biography

Author Adrian Hoskins has spent the last 25 years studying and photographing butterflies around the world, including many destinations in South and Central America, Africa, Europe and Asia. He organises and leads butterfly-watching tours to many of these fabulous regions.