Britain’s Butterflies is a comprehensive and beautifully designed photographic field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Ireland. Containing hundreds of stunning colour photographs, the fourth edition has been extensively revised and updated, and provides the latest information on every species ever recorded. It covers in detail the identification of all 59 butterfly species that breed regularly, as well as four former breeders, 10 rare migrants and one species of unknown status. The easy-to-use format will enable butterfly watchers – beginners or experts – to identify any species they encounter. Produced in association with Butterfly Conservation, the fourth edition features new introductory sections on the identification of more difficult groups; revised maps that show the latest distributions recorded by the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme; expanded sections on food plants and on recording and monitoring; a new section on climate change; and a revised species order reflecting the latest taxonomy.
David Newland has been a butterfly enthusiast since boyhood. He is the author of Discover Butterflies in Britain and the coauthor of Britain's Day-flying Moths (both WILDGuides).
Robert Still, the cofounder of WILDGuides, is an ecologist and graphic artist, and has designed more than thirty of its titles.
Andy Swash, the managing director of WILDGuides, is an ecologist and wildlife photographer. Swash and Still are the coauthors of a number of books, including Britain's Habitats, Britain's Dragonflies, Britain's Day-flying Moths and Britain's Sea Mammals (all WILDGuides).
David Tomlinson is a freelance writer on wildlife and the countryside, and first became interested in butterflies as a schoolboy in the early 1960s.
Praise for the previous editions:
"The large number of photographs showing each species from various angles, combined with the accessible and informative text make [Britain's Butterflies] an indispensable guide for beginners and experts alike. WILDGuides are in danger of becoming addictive to anyone with an interest in the natural world."
– Peter Smithers, Antenna (Royal Entomological Society)
"This continues to be my favourite photographic guide for British butterflies [...] highly recommended."
– Peter Eeles, Dispar: The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
"Undoubtedly this book is one of the best and could be used to help one find and then identify Britain's butterflies with confidence."
– Nick Bowles, Atropos
"What is remarkable about the book is the 81 colour plates where the photographs of adults, eggs, larva and chrysalis are all depicted together on a background of vegetation. This has involved using digital image technology and it is strangely compelling."
– Ray Collier, Highland News Group
"The images in this pocket-sized photo-guide are excellent and include pictures of eggs, chrysalids and caterpillars of all breeding species. Comparing very similar species can be difficult, but computer mock-ups helpfully place specimen in situ. Clear text and page design make the book easy and fun to use."
– BBC Wildlife magazine
"British Butterflies has to be one of the best Butterfly ID books I have seen [...] This gorgeous guide will be a perfect gift for the budding wildlife photographer or butterfly lover because of the depth of information. With extra information on where to go to watch or photograph certain species throughout the UK this book is light enough to take anywhere. It has excellent quality glossy pages and I was really surprised to find it has a heavy duty plastic sleeve; perfect for being out and about. Wow what a fantastic book, this is what I've been after for years! All you could want in one beautifully photographed affordable guide book."
– Gadget Girl Reviews