Britain"s Butterflies (ebook)

Argumento de Britain"s Butterflies (ebook)

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, this revised and updated edition 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.

• Stunning colour plates show typical views of each butterfly species, including the various forms and aberrations
• Detailed species profiles cover adult identification; behaviour; habitat requirements; population and conservation; egg, caterpillar and chrysalis; and status and distribution, including up-to-date maps
• Photographs of egg, caterpillar and chrysalis for every breeding species
• Sections on biology, where to look for and how to identify butterflies and other essential information

"This Princeton WILDGuide will easily fit into your suitcase to accompany you on your trip to Britain."--REH, Wildlife Activist

"[A] comprehensive and superbly designed photographic guide."--Birdwatch

"Anyone even remotely interested in butterflies should have this on their bookshelf or in a rucksack when out and about."--Ray Collier, Highland News

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.

"This volume completes my collection and they are constantly referred to so I am also a fan of the plastic covered book jacket. They survive being stuffed into a pocket or the glove compartment of the car. I thoroughly recommend the whole series!"--Fatbirder

"The species descriptions have been refined and new photographs added to enrich an already-pleasing array of visual delight . . . this continues to be my favourite photographic guide for British butterflies and, as such, is highly recommended."--Peter Eeles, Dispar, Online Journal of Lepidoptera

"Anyone even remotely interested in butterflies should have this on their bookshelf or in a rucksack when out and about."--RC, North Star

"I was actually very impressed with the images. All are of exceptional quality, utterly sharp. . . . With a bright, attractive design and a practical clear plastic dust-wrapper to protect the book in the field, there is everything to like about this field guide. For butterfly beginners and for collectors of fine butterfly portraits, it's an ideal purchase."--Andrew Stoddart, Rare Bird Alert

"[T]his volume completes my collection and they are constantly referred to so I am also a fan of the plastic covered book jacket. They survive being stuffed into a pocket or the glove compartment of the car. I thoroughly recommend the whole series!"--Fatbirder

"The large number of photographs showing each species from various angles combined with the accessible and informative text make it an indispensable guide for beginners and experts alike. This third edition is an excellent addition to the WILDGuide[s] series and an irresistible addition to any natural historian’s bookshelf. WILDGuides are in danger of becoming addictive to anyone with an interest in the natural world."--Peter Smithers, Antenna0Foreword 7
Preface 9
Introduction 10
How butterflies and moths differ 12
The life-cycle of a butterfly 14
Butterfly biology. 15
Egg 15
Caterpillar 16
Chrysalis 17
Adult 18
Where to look for butterflies 24
Gardening for butterflies 25
Butterfly habitats 26
Favoured habitats 32
Key places for rare and localized butterflies 33
How to identify butterflies 34
Key features of adult butterflies 34
Butterfly identification 35
Colour variation: forms and aberrations 36
The types of butterfly 38
Glossary 40
THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS 41
Species of doubtful provenance 192
Caterpillar foodplants 194
Butterfly nectar sources and caterpillar foodplants 202
Eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises. 206
Eggs 207
Caterpillars 212
Chrysalises 219
List of British and Irish butterflies. 225
Butterfly watching and photography 230
Butterfly Conservation 231
Recording and monitoring 231
Conservation and legislation 232
Further reading 234
Sources of further information and useful addresses 235
Acknowledgements and photographic/artwork credits 236
Index of English and scientific names 239