The Lives of Butterflies

A beautifully illustrated introduction to the lives of butterflies around the world

There are more than fifteen thousand butterfly species in the world, fluttering through a wide variety of habitats. Bright and beautiful, butterflies also have fascinating life histories and play an important role in our planet's ecosystems. The Lives of Butterflies showcases the extraordinary range of colors and patterns of the world's butterflies while exploring their life histories, behavior, habitats and resources, populations, seasonality, defense and natural enemies, and threats and conservation.

With remarkable photography, graphic illustration, and profiles of thirty-five selected species, this comprehensive and inviting book discusses dozens of key topics, including eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalids; flight, feeding, courtship, and mating; migration and hibernation; concealment, mimicry, and predators; habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, and pesticides; and farming and gardening to support and attract butterflies.

With its stunning illustrations and clear, up-to-date, and authoritative text, The Lives of Butterflies will appeal to a wide range of butterfly and nature lovers.

About the Authors

David G. James is associate professor of entomology at Washington State University. He is the coauthor of Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies and was consultant editor on The Book of Caterpillars. He completed a PhD on the winter biology of Monarch butterflies and has published more than two hundred scientific papers on a wide range of entomological subjects.

David Lohman is associate professor of biology at the City College of New York, a visiting scientist at the American Museum of Natural History, and a research associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University and at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila. His research focuses on butterflies in Southeast Asia and the ecology, evolution, and conservation of biodiversity.