A Lifetime of Identification

It’s just the start of the summer, but my kids are already bringing me the insects they find in the yard and demanding to know what they are. Some things are easy – fireflies, ladybugs, or stinkbugs, for example – but if they show up with a larva, or so-help-me a leaf with an egg on it, I’m usually at a loss. And most of the guidebooks in our house are no help, either. They’re great for identifying adult stages, but they usually don’t include egg or larval forms. This is the problem that The Life Cycles of Butterflies by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards (2006, Storey Publishing) solves, at least for a few of the butterfly species you’re most likely to find in your yard.

The book begins with an introduction to the butterfly life cycle that explains the different stages in a very friendly and approachable way, touching on the anatomy, physiology, and ecological role of each stage. But its centerpiece is a gorgeous photographic atlas of all the life stages of 23 common butterflies. Focusing on only a few species means that the book is far from comprehensive, although there are brief descriptions of 11 more species at the back of the book. It also means that there’s a fair bit of geographic bias toward the species that are most common in the mid-Atlantic states where the authors live. People who live in the colder Northeast and most of the Western states are mostly out of luck. That being said, the book does cover the species your kids are most likely to bring home in a jar. It includes well-known favorites like Monarch and Viceroy butterflies, but doesn’t shun the less showy species like the Cabbage White.

And it covers those 23 species very thoroughly. Each description includes clear photographs of the butterfly’s egg, several molts (or instars) of its caterpillar, its chrysalis and its adult form; as well as a life-sized silhouette to show size, a map that shows its breeding range in North America, photographs of their favorite host plants, and a calendar showing when its most active as a caterpillar and as an adult. The photos of eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalises are repeated at the back of the book in a comparison guide, and the book also includes growing tips for the host plants and nectar flowers to help you plan your own butterfly garden.

Between my kids’ entomological impulses and the evolving plans for the new kitchen garden, this book is going to get some heavy use this summer.

The Life Cycles of Butterflies
Judy Burris and Wayne Richards
2006, Storey Publishing

Comments

[Silvia]

I'll have to check this book out. We're seeing lots of butterflies these days and I can't tell what they are--they move too fast!