14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous detail while down to earth, May 20, 2007
This review is from: Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions (California Natural History Guides) (Paperback)
Best known for his prolific hard science publications on butteflies, Arthur M. Shapiro helps lead an elite branch of 21st century scientists and critical thinkers studying butterfly biology. With increasing genetic and biological sophistication they study what constitutes a species, the complex relationships between different butterfly populations, the unusual evolutionarily conserved reactions in butterfly phenotype to cooler and warmer weather, and all sorts of esoteric, peer journal debated theory in butterfly biology............but not here.
Instead, I was delighted to find a very accessable, well written, good natured and often humorous field guide, to the butterflies of the bay area, written by this scientist.
The treatment of individual species is stunningly detailed, and the plates illustrating the species are just fine, and logically organized (e.g the blue copper is with similar looking blues for comparison, rather than the coppers).
In addition, all sorts of useful specific information about finding butterflies, rearing larvae, butterfly gardening, and things to do with butterflies is layed out in the tightly written text.
As might be expected for a veteran UC Davis thesis professor, Arthur M. Shapiro does touch on big emerging or ongoing debates in butterfly biology, but in an easy introductory way, without the traditional academic qualification of every aspect of every point proposed. These debates can be quite interesting, too. A troubling trend toward declining California butterfly numbers is examined in some detail.
Overall this book is a masterpiece, which colorfully details countless discoveries in butterfly natural history. It's a real joy to read. I definitely recommend it.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shapiro on butterflies, November 9, 2007
This review is from: Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions (California Natural History Guides) (Paperback)
Professor Art Shapiro has studied the ecology and evolution of butterflies in the area around Davis, CA, for more than 30 years. This book is not only an excellent field guide, but it also contains a career-full of natural history observations, not only on butterflies, but also on the rest of central California's natural world.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent guide book, August 27, 2011
This review is from: Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions (California Natural History Guides) (Paperback)
I've used a number of similar guides for central California and this one is by far the best. Very usable and the illustrations are very clear.
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