The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide
Combining the species descriptions of a field guide with the essays of a monograph, this is an excellent one- volume lepidoptery encyclopedia replete with color plates, diagrams, and charts. Part 1 surveys the physical structure of butterflies, their behavior, and population dynamics. Part 2 presents keys to identifying larvae, pupae, and adults. Users are directed through the keys in flowchart fashion, matching the physical features of their unknown specimens with those described. The 679 species descriptions in Part 3 are keyed to the book's 64 color plates, which group adult butterflies not by genus but by common physical characteristics. Each species entry shows a range map, gives scientific and common names, describes the species and its subspecies, and offers information on habitat, life cycle, and behavior. The book is exhaustive in scope and moderately technical in language. Rank amateurs will be better served by basic field guides, but serious amateur lepidopterists and specialists will find this an essential, all-inclusive reference. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries. Laurie Tynan, Huntingdon Cty. Lib., Pa.Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.