An illustrated obsession, a guidebook, a kaleidoscope of life on the wing.
"If you live in the Bay Area and wish to know the butterflies, this is the only field guide you'll ever need." —Lewis Hyde, author of The Gift
Liam O'Brien has spent three decades chasing, learning about, protecting, occasionally catching, and always loving butterflies. Here, he shares his capacious knowledge of California butterflies through a treasure trove of stories and 700 gorgeous, hand-drawn illustrations—featuring both adult forms and caterpillars—of the 135 species that live in the greater Bay Area. This sumptuous book also shares practical tips for finding and identifying all the butterflies who call the Bay Area home. Learn which plants nurture Silver-spotted Skippers, which trail to hike to see Swallowtails flitting creek-side, and why so many butterflies cluster on hilltops. Share in the joy that O'Brien brings to the study of butterflies, and join the community scientists contributing to our understanding of Monarchs, Metalmarks, and Marbles—and what they need to survive and thrive in our busy Bay Area.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction
What is a Butterfly?
The Parts of a Butterfly
The Scales Have It
On Metamorphosis
On Migration
A Shout-out for the Moths
On Nets and Collecting
On Common Names and Latin Names and the Big Bag of Crazy Those Are
On Butterfly Counts
On Butterfly Watching
The Best Butterfly Walks in the Greater Bay Area
- Alum Rock Park
- Kent Pump Road
- Garrapata State Park
- Mitchell Canyon Trail to Eagle Rock
- Chews Ridge
- Pinnacles National Park
The Structure of These Entries
The Skippers (Hesperiidae)
The Swallowtails (Papilionidae)
The Whites, Sulphurs, Marbles and Orangetips: (Pieridae)
- Bilateral Gynandromorphism
The Brush-foots (Nymphalidae)
- On Silverspots, Lumpers and Splitters
- Interview with Mia Monroe
The Gossamer-Winged: Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks and Metalmarks (Lycaenidae)
- The Green Hairstreak Project
- In the Shadow of Xerces
- On a Mission
The Metalmarks (Riodinidae)
- The Hope Butterfly
- Xerces Rising (Sort Of ...)
Acknowledgements
Appendix A: Strays
Appendix B: Tableaux Keys
Organizations
Glossary
Bibliography
Index of Butterflies
Index of Host Plants
About the Author
A Note on Type
