Synopses & Reviews
- Raise your own butterflies!
- Create a butterfly habitat with 15 projects and activities
- Close-ups of 40 favorite North American butterflies
Everyone enjoys seeing butterflies flitting about on a warm summer day, but few people realize that many species are endangered. Without help, nine out of ten caterpillars won't survive long enough to become butterflies. The "grandfather of butterfly farming," Rick Mikula, wants to improve these odds. In The Family Butterfly Book, Rick shares his vast knowledge, contagious enthusiasm, and deep respect for these fascinating creatures.
Though many of us know that caterpillars turn into butterflies, Rick explains the transformation from start to finish - egg to caterpillar to chrysallis to butterfly - and reveals where each stage can be found in the wilds of our own backyards. With stunning color photographs and detailed illustrations, Rick explains how to attract, safely catch and handle, and raise and support butterflies. He also discusses how to make irresistible habitats for butterflies and emphasizes the importance of basking sites, water sources, and shelter. Did you ever want to hand-feed a butterfly? Have a live-butterfly tree? Feature butterflies in special celebrations? Rick explains all that and more.
Features many do-it-yourelf projects that can be completed for under $10 and 2% of net profitswill be donated to the a butterfly survival fund.
Synopsis
Offering 40 fun projects that include building butterfly habitats, feeding butterflies by hand, and even incorporating live butterflies into special celebrations, Rick Mikula encourages you to get the whole family involved as you explore the exciting and colorful world of butterflies. Providing a comprehensive overview of the butterfly lifecycle and close-up photography of 40 stunning North American species, this guide teaches you everything you need to know to identify, care for, and raise these beautiful and fascinating insects.
Synopsis
- Raise your own butterflies!
- Create a butterfly habitat o 15 projects and activities
- Close-ups of 40 favorite North American butterflies
Everyone enjoys seeing butterflies flitting about on a warm summer day, but few people realize that ma
Synopsis
Take a Butterfly Under Your Wing
From a spectacular cloud of migrating Monarchs to a vivid Red Admiral lighting on your arm, butterflies take your breath away with their beauty and freshness. In this magnificent book, butterfly expert Rick Mikula shows how you can identify, care for, and raise butterflies in your own back yard so they will grace our earth for all time. Brimming with photos, insights, tips, and a dozen projects, this book is ideal for families, school, community groups, and individuals that want to have fun with butterflies.
Inside you'll learn how to:
- Hold and hand-feed a butterfly
- Grow host plants and nectar plants
- Make butterfly nets and rearing cages
- Identify common and endangered North American butterflies
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Getting to Know Butterflies (1)
In Love with Butterflies - Caterpillar and Butterfly Anatomy - Water on the Wings and Other Common Myths Debunked - Long-Distance Travelers - Skippers - Butterflies in Danger - Creating a Butterfly Habitat
Chapter 2: Inviting Butterflies into Your Garden (15)
Facets of Your Garden - Favorite Nectar and Host Plants - Beyond Flowers - The Best Regional
Backyard Butterfly Plants Landscaping for Butterflies - Container Gardening - A Shady Situation
Your Own Butterfly Box - Make Your Own Butterfly Net
Chapter 3: Taking a Butterfly under you Wing (43)
Bring Up Butterfly Eggs - Raising Caterpillars - Make a Caterpillar-Rearing Container - Build a Hanging Butterfly Cage - Learn to Hand-Feed Butterflies - The Mating Game - The Magical
Emergence of a Monarch - Butterfly Life Stages - To Free or Not to Free
Chapter 4: Starting Your Own Butterfly Farm (65)
Raising A Quantity of Caterpillars - Containers and Cages - Making Caterpillar Cages - Tending the Chrysalis - Quirks and Peculiarities - Butterfly Atria - Marketing Butterflies - Releasing Your Butterflies - First Aid for Butterflies
Chapter 5: The Most Common Backyard Butterflies (89)
Learning to See - What's in a Name? - Swallowtails and Parnassians - Brush-footed Butterflies -
Gossamer Wings - Sulphurs - Whites - True Skippers - Neotropicals - Oddities
Chapter 6: Taking the Plunge! (145)
Share the Joy - Collecting Farther Afield - Look before You Lep - A Butterfly in Winter -
Photography Tips and Tricks
Appendixes (156) Hardiness Zones for Common Host Plants - Make A Butterfly Envelope - Development Time for Selected Butterfly Species - USDA Permit to Transport Butterflies across State Lines - Butterfly Web Sites