Customer Reviews

Butterflies and Moths (Eyewitness Handbooks)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I write this review, there is a blizzard raging outside the bedroom. How pleasant it is to sit down and look at beautiful butterflies at such a moment!

Over 170,000 varieties of butterflies and moths have been identified. The author estimates that an equal number remain to be identified in the future. How can a simple pocket book hope to cope?

Mr. Carter has developed a solid concept for this helpful volume. He gives you a little bit of information about all the things that are most likely to be of interest. Then, as you become more knowledgeable, you can graduate to more extensive works and experiences.

The bulk of the book is a field guide to 5 butterfly and 22 moth families that are most common throughout the world. Over 600 color photographs are contained here. In this way, you have a decent chance of identifying whatever is flying in your garden during the good weather. Each species is beautifully illustrated with the wings outspread and a map showing where the species is usually found. Some species also have illustrations of both sides of the wings, caterpillars and other distinctive views.

Although moth varieties outnumber butterflies by about 9 to 1, the book wisely displays mostly butterflies. The moths chosen rival the butterflies for their wonderful designs and vibrant colorations.

For those with a casual interest in the subject, the beginning will be especially valuable. Here you can find out about the differences between butterflies and moths, the details of the life cyles of these insects, how to best observe them, and tips for building a garden that will attract the largest possible population. I thought that last information was most worthwhile.

At the end of the book are listed some of the many gardens you can visit that are populated by collections of living butterflies. I have found those to be remarkably good fun, and very relaxing. You have to slow down to enjoy butterflies. It's good for each of us to move at butterfly speed more often.

The current edition was published in 2000, and contains corrections to the original 1992 edition so be sure to get this second edition.

After you have finished enjoying this beautiful visit to nature's paintbrush and invention workshop, I suggest that you consider how else you can enjoy studying nature. For example, have you ever looked at flowers with a high-power magnifying glass? Like butterflies, they look quite different (and more wonderful) when you can see more details.

Overcome your stalled thinking that you have to wait for a butterfly to cross your path before you can enjoy one!

I had searched dozens of places for literature that is both accurate and containing high quality photographs. Nothing comes closer to providing the information that this book contains! It has been a treasure trove for me in my quest for knowledge about the wonderful insects we call butterflies. It's an EXCELLENT book for both novice and expert alike. I give it 5 stars and two thumbs up!

This book is excellent in terms of the printing quality, the book layout and the information is great and the pictures superb. Many of the species show both an upper and lower view of the butterfly or moth - though I'm more used to seeing pictures of a side view with wings up and that seems to work well for me - especially when I'm taking pictures and can't get a shot of the wings open but can easily get good side-vire shots.

HOWEVER, the book is worldwide in scope. If it were for North America (or a Eurpoean edition, etc.) it would be a lot more useful. Naturally, when covering butterflies and moths worldwide, short shrift had to be given to any particular area in terms of species covered. Additionally, as you look through, you are looking at butterflies from North America and next to it one from Australia... There seems to be no logical grouping, either by geographic region or type of butterfly.

I got the book to help me identify butterflies somewhere in the range of where I'll see them - North America, at least. For general information, excellent pictures, etc. the book is great; for identifying butterflies you are likely to see in your back yard, the park or the woods, it is lacking. The best I've seen is the Kaufman Focus Guides "Butterflies of North America" - which, unfortunately does not cover moths. This book does cover moths and has a lot, so that part will be somewhat useful because I can't seem to find much on moths.

IF YOU LIKE BUTTERFLIES AND/OR MOTHS THIS GUIDE WILL MAKE YOU GO HOG WILD AND PIG CRAZY!