“The Life Cycles of Butterflies” by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards, 2006, Storey Publishing, $16.95, softbound, 151 pages: This book starts out by explaining the complexities of the butterfly’s metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. This section tells how butterflies lay their eggs. Here the reader learns that female butterflies find appropriate host plants for their eggs by sight and by scratching the leaf surface, effectively “tasting” with the chemical receptors in her feet.
There are many egg shapes and textures, and finding butterfly eggs takes a keen eye. Some eggs are illustrated here by photograph.
Along with learning how caterpillars grow, and a few choice scientific terms (instars are caterpillar growth spurts), the reader is offered a good look at the parts of a caterpillar.
We are told how a chrysalis is formed and given more photographic examples.
The authors help the reader understand how butterflies experience the world: through sight, including an ultraviolet range of colors that humans aren’t able to see; and through smell and taste using chemical receptors on their antennae, tongue and feet.
After these preliminary sections, the book details the life cycles of 23 common butterfly species.
Organized by family, these life cycles include pictures of eggs, cultivated and wild host and nectar plants, photos of various stages the caterpillar goes through, the chrysalis and the resulting butterfly.
There are also range maps and timelines for each butterfly’s life cycle season.
Field notes add useful information about each species. For example, although the black swallowtail claims many host plants, the authors say they’ve personally had the best luck with fennel, dill and Queen Anne’s lace.
The host plants and nectar plants are cross-referenced with information in the following chapter on butterfly habitat gardening.
In the gardening chapter, host flowers are listed for each of the 23 species of butterflies highlighted in the book. Information is given regarding each of these plants, such as how high they grow and what type of care they require.
Lastly, the authors document several other butterflies who have come through their gardens only on occasion.
There are a glossary and references, plus an easy comparison guide for eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises. Readers are encouraged to use this section to aid in butterfly identification in the field.
Lee’s take: Great for identifying eggs and caterpillars.
J.J.’s take: Great for drawing butterflies to your yard.
LEE AND J.J. MACFADDEN are twins and voracious readers living in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail them at leeandjj.doubletake@yahoo.com.
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