Butterflies

Review by Choice Review

Butterflies are among the most recognizable and beautiful of insects. Most people know them only as common garden visitors, never suspecting the many other fascinating aspects of their lives. This book takes readers on a remarkable tour of the hidden world of butterflies and moths, ranging from the many nectar-feeding flower visitors so familiar to everyone, to those that prefer feeding on rotting fruit, decaying animals, feces, or even blood. With emphasis on the many similarities among butterfly groups, as well as on a host of unique species-specific features, Orenstein, a zoologist/lawyer/conservationist and author of Ivory, Horn and Blood (CH, Jun'14, 51-5601), examines general patterns of natural history (e.g., behavior, food preferences, courtship and mating, migration, camouflage and mimicry, puddling, and developmental stages) and some of their many intriguing strategies for survival in a world fraught with predators. The book is densely packed with a wealth of beautiful, full-color photographs (most of excellent quality) that nicely complement the text. Presentation is worldwide in scope, showcasing the vast array of spectacularly beautiful butterflies and moths. Written in clear, easily readable language and relying little on jargon, this coffee-table-style book will interest anyone captivated by this unique group of insects. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All library collections. --Danny A. Brass, independent scholar

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

This is a combination of exquisite coffee-table book and factual introduction to the six butterfly families and their night-flying relatives, moths. The text is full of fascinating facts about what a butterfly is (a day-flying moth), their origins, families, how they fly, and their colors, patterns, and mimicry. Courtship, nuptial gifts, host plants, caterpillar behavior, metamorphosis, diet, and migration are also succinctly covered in accessible language. Special attention is paid to threats, conservation, and samples of the effects of climate change. The images and accompanying descriptions are a worldwide sample of especially beautiful members of each family: swallowtails, skippers, brush-footed, gossamer-winged, and whites, sulphurs, and yellows. This book aims to entice browsers and readers alike to learn more about these small, miraculous creatures.--Scarth, Linda Copyright 2016 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Library Journal Review

Orenstein (Ivory, Horn and Blood) and Marent (Rainforest) showcase a sample of the loveliest, most engaging members of the insect order Lepidoptera; they concentrate on the day-flyers, though a "miscellany" of moths is also included. Species presented range globally from seldom seen tropical species to more familiar North American ones. Orenstein's text is short and purposeful: his introduction covers taxonomy, wings, mimicry, mating, life cycle, caterpillars, feeding, migration, and conservation issues. These topics are developed later in the book, following sections exploring the six families of the order. The power of the title, as with most Firefly publications, is in the visuals; its sharp design perfectly complements its sublime subjects, from the elegant reverse-type presentation of the text to the dramatic way Marent's dazzling close-ups are introduced. The images confirm Sharman Apt Russell's remark that "[m]ore than any other group of animals, butterflies look as if they were designed in art school." VERDICT Though one might quibble with the infrequent identification of plant life in the photographs, or perhaps wish for exact-size measurements of pictured species to be included in the captions, this gorgeous book reveals a wonder on nearly every page and will enthrall natural history enthusiasts both amateur and expert alike.-Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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excerpt from the Introduction It would be nice to think that butterflies had something to do with butter, like the bread-and-butterfly Alice encounters behind the looking-glass. The Old English word buttorfleoge , from which "butterfly" probably derives, may have been inspired by the butter-yellow wings of the Brimstone ( Gonepteryx rhamni ). It may also come from the belief that butterflies hovering around milk pails were actually witches in disguise, there to steal the cream. The peculiar word "caterpillar" is supposed to come from the Old French chatepelose , meaning "hairy cat" or, roughly, "fuzzball." Or maybe it comes from cate , meaning "food," and piller , meaning "pillage," in recognition of its voracious appetite. We don't know for sure. Butterflies have long been symbols of our own ephemeral nature. To the Blackfoot, butterflies are the bringers of dreams. According to the creation myths of the Miao people of southwestern China, the human race itself is descended from the eggs of a Butterfly Mother. In China butterflies are symbols of long life, beauty and elegance. A pair of butterflies symbolizes eternal love, most famously in the 1,600-year-old legend of the "butterfly lovers" Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, who were turned into butterflies after their tragic deaths. Butterfly life cycles are metaphors for birth, death and rebirth for peoples from Japan to Mexico. The arrival of Monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus ) on their wintering grounds in Mexico coincides with the Day of the Dead ( Día de los Muertos ), and Mexicans have traditionally viewed the arriving insects as the souls of their ancestors, come for their yearly visit. The pre-Columbian flower goddess Xochiquetzal, worshipped as an aspect of a lunar cult in central Mexico, was identified with the Two-tailed Swallowtail ( Papilio multicaudatus ) because of both its attraction to flowers and its aggressive, warrior-like nature, since Xochiquetzal was a warrior herself. Butterflies have become model organisms for studies in genetics, ecology and evolutionary biology. Engineers have tried to replicate their flight. Designers of antifogging and antifouling surfaces, which are needed for everything from medical catheters to nuclear power plants, have analyzed the way a butterfly's wings direct water droplets away from its body. The intricately structured, dazzlingly iridescent wing scales of tropical American morphos ( Morpho spp.) have been examined, particularly in China, for their application to the design of reflective surfaces and -- because exposure to different gases changes their iridescent tint -- vapor detectors. For centuries, then, we have seen butterflies as remarkable creatures. And we are still learning how remarkable they are. Excerpted from Butterflies by Ron Orenstein All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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