Living Butterflies Of Southern Africa

Watching and ‘ticking’ butterflies is a rewarding hobby and one that is gaining popularity in South Africa. This handy pocket guide details more than 250 of the region’s 670 species, from the tiniest blues and coppers to enormous swallowtails and emperors. The most commonly encountered butterflies are included, but there are also a few elusive ‘specials’, for those who enjoy a challenge. The book offers • Concise text describing the habits, favoured habitat and early life stages of each butterfly (egg, larva and pupa) • Details of seasonal and other variations • Similar-looking species and status information • Full-colour photographs and distribution maps • Colour-coded calendar bars, showing at a glance when a particular butterfly is most abundant. This handy little guide should prove invaluable to beginners and more experienced butterfly enthusiasts alike.

For this guide the author has selected from his own collection more than 620 full-colour photographs to illustrate the distinguishing features of 232 of the more commonly encountered species. These include shots of larvae, pupae and larval food-plants as well as of the adult butterflies, male and female. In the compilation of the text, the assistance of a number of experts has been sought. A map, giving the presumed distribution range of the particular butterfly in Southern Africa accompanies each species account and, where known, the larval food-plants are listed. English, Afrikaans and scientific names are provided. The guide also includes an extensive introductory section on butterfly anatomy, life history, strategies and nomenclature, as well as an ABC of butterfly collecting, captive breeding and the care of collections. There is a strong conservation message.