Seeing Butterflies: New Perspectives on Colour, Patterns & Mimicry

Description:

See butterflies with new eyes through the author's fascinating text and superb imagery. Understand the colours and designs on their wings, and the varied and fascinating strategies of behaviour, mimicry and camouflage of the butterflies and moths in your garden, the countryside and in tropical butterfly houses. Predators such as birds see a greater range of colours than we do and focus on details rather than whole objects. Engraved on the wings of many butterflies and moths, among the rainbow colours and the opalescence, are images that closely resemble millipedes, salamanders, frogs, snakes, falcons, spiders, hornets, bats, large canine teeth, claws, caterpillars, wolves and owls. Philip Howse explains how these colours and designs have evolved and how the insects are protected by such camouflage, mimicry and deception. Whole chapters are devoted to commonly seen groups of butterflies, such as whites, admirals, monarchs, swallowtails, blues, peacocks and passion vine butterflies as well as hawkmoths and giant silkmoths. The superb images will inform and inspire nature-lovers, photographers, artists and scientists