Provides common and scientific names, size, gender specific and seasonal representations, and habitats for 64 easily seen midwestern species of butterflies.

This beautiful and comprehensive guide, many years in the making, is a manual for identifying the butterflies of Iowa as well as 90 percent of the butterflies in the Plains states. It begins by providing information on the natural communities of Iowa, paying special attention to butterfly habitat and distribution. Next come chapters on the history of lepidopteran research in Iowa and on creating butterfly gardens, followed by an intriguing series of questions and issues relevant to the study of butterflies in the state. The second part contains accounts, organized by family, for the 118 species known to occur in Iowa. Each account includes the common and scientific names for each species, its Opler and Warren number, its status in Iowa, adult flight times and number of broods per season, distinguishing features, distribution and habitat, and natural history information such as behavior and food plant preferences. As a special feature of each account, the authors have included questions that illuminate the research and conservation challenges for each species. In the third section, the illustrations, grouped for easier comparison among species, include color photographs of all the adult forms that occur in Iowa. Male and female as well as top and bottom views are shown for most species. The distribution maps indicate in which of Iowa’s ninety-nine counties specimens have been collected; flight times for each species are shown by marking the date of collection for each verified specimen on a yearly calendar. The book ends with a checklist, collection information specific to the photographs, a glossary, references, and an index. The authors’ meticulous attention to detail, stimulating questions for students and researchers, concern for habitat preservation, and joyful appreciation of the natural world make it a valuable and inspiring volume.

Provides detailed description to enable easy identification of butterflies in the field [cover].

Charles Darwin, George Washington Carver, and Jane Goodall were once curious kids with pockets full of treasures! When you find something strange and wonderful, do you put it in your pocket? Meet nine scientists who, as kids, explored the great outdoors and collected "treasures": seedpods, fossils, worms, and more. Observing, sorting, and classifying their finds taught these kids scientific skills--and sometimes led to groundbreaking discoveries. Author Heather Montgomery has all the science flair of a new Bill Nye. Book includes the Heather's tips for responsible collecting.

The second edition of Richard Lewington's pocket guide to the butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Presented in an accessible, easy-to-use format, this is an ideal guide for both beginners and more experienced enthusiasts. It includes more than 600 superb illustrations of all the life stages of each species, together with beautiful artworks of the butterflies in their natural settings and pertinent species information, distribution maps and life history charts. The second edition features a new, illustrated 'at-a-glance' identification guide, updated distribution maps and species accounts, and new spreads and artwork for the Cryptic Wood White and Scarce Tortoiseshell. Part of the Pocket Guides series covering British and European wildlife, including garden birds, mushrooms, insects, wild flowers, trees and shrubs and tracks and signs.

Third edition of the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the larger moths of Great Britain and Ireland. This latest edition of the Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland has been fully revised, updated and restructured, bringing it in line with the latest thinking in taxonomy. Moths are illustrated in their natural resting postures, and there are also paintings of different forms, underwings and other details to help with identification. New descriptions and illustrations have been included for species that have been newly recorded in Britain and Ireland since the last edition of the guide was published. The text descriptions of all other species – covering field characters and similar species, flight season, life cycle, larval foodplants, and habitat – have been revised and updated where necessary, and particular attention has been paid to updating the distribution information, which is now supported by maps. The revised general introduction explains how the methods of identifying and recording moths have evolved over recent years with the advent of new technologies and as a result of data analysis.