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Full Description
'If you thought butterflies were special, the clear intelligible science in this superb page-turner will make you realise they're ultra-special' - Matthew Oates
This new addition to the British Wildlife Collection is a unique take on butterfly behaviour and ecology, written by the former Chief Executive of Butterfly Conservation, Martin Warren. It explores the secret lives of our British species (also drawing on comparative examples from continental Europe), revealing how they have become adapted to survive in such a highly competitive natural world.
Combining personal anecdote with the latest discoveries in the scientific literature, this book covers everything from why we love butterflies and their life-cycle from egg to adult, to their struggle for survival in a world of predators and parasites and the miracle of migration. The final chapters explore how butterflies are recorded, the change in their ranges and abundance during the 20th and 21st centuries, and the significance of managing habitats at a landscape scale, concluding with a passionate plea for why we must act now to reverse butterfly declines.
Insightful, inspiring and a joy to read, Butterflies is the culmination of a lifetime of careful research into what makes these beautiful insects tick and how and why we must conserve them.
Contents
Preface
1. Why we love butterflies
2. Butterfly basics
3. Taking flight: the life of the adult butterfly
4. Butterflies in the landscape
5. The amorous butterfly
6. New life begins: eggs and where to lay them
7. The eating machine: the life of the caterpillar
8. The great transformation: the secret world of the chrysalis
9. Survival of the fittest
10. The macabre world of parasitolds
11. Long-distance travellers
12. Recording butterflies
13. Winners and losers
14. A changing world
15. Managing habitats for butterflies
16. Landscapes for butterflies
17. Watching butterflies
18. Future prospects
Appendices
References
Species names
Illustration credits
Index
