Review
Butterflies and moths (lepidoptera) are among the most colorful and conspicuous tropical insects, and their caterpillars are important herbivores. Yet reliable information on caterpillar/adult associations has been limited to scattered reports by 19th- and early 20th-century lepidopterists. Then in the late 1970s, Janzen and Hallwachs began intensive raising of wild-caught caterpillars in Costa Rica. In this sequel to their
100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica, they present photographs of adults and their caterpillars for 200 species of the showiest lepidoptera of Guanacaste National Park in northwestern Costa Rica. The adults are each presented in Miller's full-page photographs taken against a black background, while smaller images of the caterpillars are embedded in the text...Much more than pretty picture books,
100 Caterpillars and 100 Butterflies will be devoured by lepidopterists and visitors to the New World tropics. (Annette Aiello
Library Journal 20070601)
100 Butterflies and Moths presents portraits of some of the 10,000 species estimated to inhabit the Guanacaste conservation area in northwestern Costa Rica. The photographs, taken by Jeffrey Miller, and the accompanying, informative descriptions could serve as a field guide for a visit to the Costa Rican forest or be equally appealing to the armchair naturalist. (
Nature 20070505)
This stunningly beautiful book offers 100 portraits of butterflies and moths from Costa Rica...Even if you are not wildlife-mad, the wondrous pictures alone are worth the price. Recommended. (Lucy Sussex
Sunday Age 20100415)
This is a beautiful book that helps us experience the rich biodiversity of the tropics. (Frederic Brock
Wildlife Activist )
From the authors of
100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica comes this new book dedicated to the moths and butterflies of the Guanacaste Area of Conservation. The reserve is a wild area in the northwestern portion of Costa Rica, equal in size to New York City and its suburbs. This book presents the site's winged beauties in vivid detail. Wings with striking colors and markings not only keep the insects aloft, but also transmit a variety of messages, serve as camouflage, and attract mates. The authors present a compilation of the 28 years of research that they've conducted in the conservation area with the aid of local lepidoptera collectors. Details emerge of moth and butterfly behavior, their metamorphoses, the conservation area's environment, and the effort that goes into identifying and classifying these animals in both their caterpillar and adult stages. (
Science News )
Filled with fascinating details about the inner and outer workings of their subjects, they remain true to their original missions: to present caterpillars and Lepidoptera (the order of insects that includes moths and butterflies) "as beautiful objects unto themselves." And beautiful they are, not to mention bizarre. (Peter Scowen
Globe and Mail )
Review
A beautiful window on 28 years of research on the butterflies and moths of Guanacaste. Their wings are Nature's semaphores – Miller, Janzen, and Hallwachs explain the message conveyed by each of 100 species. This book is a treasure trove for amateur and professional lepidopterists contemplating a trip to the tropics as well as those making the journey from their favorite armchair. (William E. Conner, Wake Forest University, and President of the Lepidopterists' Society 20070708)
