Complete Book of North American Butterflies

Artistic depictions of butterflies have been used in many cultures including Egyptian hieroglyphs dating back 3500 years. In some cultures butterflies symbolize rebirth, while others believe that when a butterfly lands on you it is a sign of good luck to follow. Whatever belief, everyone agrees that butterflies are among the most beautiful and mysterious insects on the planet. Now discover the many amazing butterfly breeds in The Complete Book of North American Butterflies, edited by butterfly expert Paul Opler.

This book includes an entire chapter devoted to the resilient migrating Monarch. With its vibrant orange and black markings, it is possibly the most recognizable of all butterflies. The book also features all state butterflies like Maryland's Baltimore Checkersport, the California Dogface Butterfly, the Spicebush Swallowtail of Mississippi, and then explores the phenomenon of Mimicry, a survival mechanism butterflies use to trick predators into thinking they are inedibleand#151;or perhaps an entirely different organism all together!

Migration is essential to the survival of butterflies. Learn about migration patterns, how butterflies source food and distribution of different species throughout the United States. The book includes information on average life cycle (anywhere from four days to nearly one year) and the largest of all

Paul Smart first became interested in butterflies at the age of six and has studied them with undiminished enthusiasm ever since. After gaining a scientific training from Durham and London universities, he divided his time between lecturing in Zoology and English Literature before devoting himself full-time to butterflies. He is a fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London and the author of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Butterfly World.