Butterflies of Britain and Western Europe and Their Caterpillars: An Identification Guide - Paperback

by Jean-Pierre Moussus (Author)

A comprehensive photographic field guide to the butterflies and caterpillars of Britain and Western Europe--as well as the Canaries, the Azores, Madeira, and Cyprus

This is the first field identification guide to the adult butterflies of Britain and Western Europe that also covers most of their caterpillars and egg types, providing all the tools needed for accurate identification. Comprehensive, practical, and easy to use in the field, this superb photographic guide covers all of the 472 species of butterfly found in Britain and Western Europe--as well as the Canaries, the Azores, Madeira, and Cyprus. Using the most recent taxonomy, it is also the first European butterfly field guide to use identification keys, including images of genitalia to distinguish between similar-looking species. The keys also include biogeographic and ecological identification criteria. Complete with an introduction on the biodiversity and biogeography of European butterflies, this is an essential guide for all lepidopterists and entomologists, from amateur enthusiasts to professionals.

• Features more than 1,500 color photographs and 300 distribution maps
• Includes identification keys for the top side and underside of adult butterflies and identification keys for most of their caterpillars and egg types
• Includes some 100 genitalia diagrams for difficult-to-identify species
• A highly visual presentation of the biological and ecological features of each species
• Designed for lepidopterists and entomologists of every level

Author Biography

Jean-Pierre Moussus holds a PhD in ecology and teaches zoology, ecology, and evolutionary biology at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon in France.