Travel all round the world to meet 36 magnificent butterflies and moths in this beautifully illustrated reference book filled with fascinating facts. Take a journey through flower-filled meadows, dusky woodlands, and steamy rainforests to find 36 magnificent butterflies and moths, from the delicate glasswing butterfly to the mighty Hercules moth. Find out which butterfly has the biggest wingspan and how the red cracker butterfly got its name. Learn how these insects undergo an amazing transformation, turning from a voraciously munching caterpillar into a magnificent butterfly or moth. Discover how eyespots on the wings of the peacock butterfly scare off predators, and why its bright colors send a message that it is poisonous to eat. Witness the monarch butterfly emerging from its pupa and the tawny coster laying its eggs. Spot the orange oakleaf butterfly as it folds up its wings to look like a dead autumn leaf, and marvel at the prickly spines of the tiger moth “woolly bear” caterpillar. With full-color, poster-sized illustrations accompanied by intriguing facts, this is the ideal reference for lovers of these incredible insects. 36 BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS: Learn about dozens of butterflies and moths, from the fluttering paper kite butterfly to the cleverly camouflaged oleander hawk moth. BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED: Vibrant, detailed images bring these fascinating and beautiful insects to life. FASCINATING FACTS: Includes hundreds of illuminating facts in an easy-to-read format that will enthrall insect-lovers of all ages. MAP OF THE BUTTERFLY AND MOTH WORLD: A full-page map shows where each butterfly or moth is found. COLLECT THE SERIES: More beautifully illustrated compendiums for all ages include The Magnificent Book of Cats, The Magnificent Book of Birds, The Magnificent Book of Horses, The Magnificent Book of Extinct Animals, and The Magnificent Book of Sharks.

Walking a forest trail in Costa Rica, a visitor might be struck by the sight of an iridescent blue morpho butterfly fluttering ahead in the filtered daylight, or an enormous silk moth, as magnificently patterned and subtly colored as a Persian carpet, only emerging to fly at night. Elsewhere, vivid yellow and orange sulphur butterflies flock to puddles to sip the concentrated minerals. Such is the dazzling variety of the butterflies and moths unique to this region. Gathered by biologists Daniel Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs in the forests of northwestern Costa Rica, 100 tropical butterflies and moths represent the diversity in large-format photographs by Jeffrey Miller that document the dizzying variety of shapes, colors, and markings. The photographs are accompanied by species accounts and images of the corresponding caterpillar. The authors recount these insects' feats of mimicry and migration, lift the veil on their courtship, and show how the new technology of DNA barcoding is changing the picture of Lepidopteran biodiversity. The authors also tell the success story of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, where the long-term work of Janzen and Hallwachs, a team of caterpillar collectors, and the participation of neighboring farming communities has deepened understanding of Costa Rica's Lepidoptera and has brought about advances in restoration ecology of tropical habitats, biodiversity prospecting, biotechnology, and ecotourism development.

Travel all round the world to meet 36 magnificent butterflies and moths in this beautifully illustrated reference book filled with fascinating facts. Take a journey through flower-filled meadows, dusky woodlands, and steamy rainforests to find 36 magnificent butterflies and moths, from the delicate glasswing butterfly to the mighty Hercules moth. Find out which butterfly has the biggest wingspan and how the red cracker butterfly got its name. Learn how these insects undergo an amazing transformation, turning from a voraciously munching caterpillar into a magnificent butterfly or moth. Discover how eyespots on the wings of the peacock butterfly scare off predators, and why its bright colors send a message that it is poisonous to eat. Witness the monarch butterfly emerging from its pupa and the tawny coster laying its eggs. Spot the orange oakleaf butterfly as it folds up its wings to look like a dead autumn leaf, and marvel at the prickly spines of the tiger moth “woolly bear” caterpillar. With full-color, poster-sized illustrations accompanied by intriguing facts, this is the ideal reference for lovers of these incredible insects. 36 BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS: Learn about dozens of butterflies and moths, from the fluttering paper kite butterfly to the cleverly camouflaged oleander hawk moth. BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED: Vibrant, detailed images bring these fascinating and beautiful insects to life. FASCINATING FACTS: Includes hundreds of illuminating facts in an easy-to-read format that will enthrall insect-lovers of all ages. MAP OF THE BUTTERFLY AND MOTH WORLD: A full-page map shows where each butterfly or moth is found. COLLECT THE SERIES: More beautifully illustrated compendiums for all ages include The Magnificent Book of Cats, The Magnificent Book of Birds, The Magnificent Book of Horses, The Magnificent Book of Extinct Animals, and The Magnificent Book of Sharks.

Explore a secret world of leafy branches, forest floors and rocky crevices to meet incredible insect. Each leaf includes a detailed illustration with facts and taxonomic name of one creature.

The exquisite hues and shapes of butterflies — and their glorious spectrum of intricate markings — are rendered with incredible precision on 61 full-color plates. Imaginations will take flight with butterflies and moths of every family, along with details of pupa, eyes, antennae, and the winged insects' favorite plant life.

"This ... book will take you deep into the forest, far out to sea, and high into the air to discover the amazing birds that live there. From the majestic condor to the tiny bee hummingbird, this book captures a variety of birds .... See the dazzling quetzel, the lightning-fast peregrine falcon, the gigantic ostrich, and the incredible emperor penguin"--Back cover.

Ideal for today's young investigative reader, each A True Book includes lively sidebars, a glossary and index, plus a comprehensive "To Find Out More" section listing books, organizations, and Internet sites. A staple of library collections since the 1950s, the new A True Book series is the definitive nonfiction series for elementary school readers.