This illustrated guide will enables identification of caterpillars of nearly 700 butterflies and moths found east of the Mississippi.
The giant silk moths, tiger moths, and many other species covered include forest pests, common garden guests, economically important species, and of course, the Mescal Worm and Mexican Jumping Bean caterpillars. Full page species accounts cover almost 400 species, with up to six images per species including an image of the adult plus succinct text with information on distribution, seasonal activity, foodplants, and life history.
These accounts are complemented with additional images of earlier instars, closely related species, noteworthy behaviors, and other intriguing aspects of caterpillar biology. Many caterpillars are illustrated here for the first time. Dozens of new foodplant records are presented and erroneous records are corrected. The book provides considerable information on the distribution, biology, and taxonomy of caterpillars beyond that available in other popular works on Eastern butterflies and moths.
David L. Wagner is Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. He is coauthor of two United States Forest Service guides, "Caterpillars of Eastern Forests" and "Geometroid Caterpillars of Northeastern" and "Appalachian Forests".
A wonderful field guide for those interested in studying the fascinating world of caterpillars. -- Robert E. Hoopes Wildlife Activist A lusciously photographed book generally regarded as the most comprehensive field guide ever to caterpillars. -- Andy Newman New York Times