Butterflies of the Midwest field guide

This pocket-sized guidebook by entomologist Daniels (Univ. of Florida; Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies: Southeast), organized by color, offers a wealth of information. Introductory sections cover butterfly body parts, wing structure, life cycle, observation tips, and Q&A. Each of the almost 200 entries includes species name, wingspan, wing markings above and below, larva markings, host plants, range, and relative abundance (rare; occasional; common). A comments section denotes flight styles, feeding patterns, and congregation points. Photos accompany each entry, most taken by Daniels. Additional resources, like comparison notes for butterflies that look similar and a section of caterpillar photos, add utility. VERDICT A compact and useful guidebook for libraries in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor Above: overall black; male has iridescent greenish-blue scaling on hindwings; female is duller black with a single row of white submarginal spots Below: hindwings with broad iridescent blue scaling on outer half with a row of prominent orange spots Compare: Spicebush Swallowtail (pg. 25) is larger with prominent crescent-shaped submarginal spots; Red-spotted Purple (pg. 79) lacks hindwing tails; female Black Swallowtail (pg. 31) is larger with orange hindwing spot; dark-form female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (pg. 29) is much larger and often has faint black stripes, especially on the ventral surface. Wingspan: 2.75-4.0" (7.0-10.2 cm) Habitat: open woodlands, forest margins and adjacent open areas including clearings, roadsides, yards and gardens Range: primarily southern portions of the region; absent from ND, SD; uncommon in NE; uncommon stray or temporary breeding colonist northward; unlikely able to survive winters in more northern portions of the range. Abundance: rare to common Sexes: dissimilar, female is dull black with a prominent row of white spots Broods: two; overwinter as a pupa Egg: brownish-orange, round, laid singly or in small clusters Larva: velvety black with orange spots and numerous fleshy tubercles; superficially resembles a centipede Larval Host Plants: various pipevines ( Aristolochia spp.) including Virginia snakeroot ( Aristolochia serpentaria ), woolly dutchman's pipe ( A. tomentosa ) and pipevine ( A. macrophylla ) Notes: Our smallest black-colored swallowtail, it is most common throughout the southeastern half of the region. It is absent, rare or locally sporadic farther north and west, temporarily colonizing available planted pipevines. Farther south, one or more native pipevine species naturally occur. The Pipevine Swallowtail's fleshy larvae sequester toxins from their host plants, rendering them and the resulting adults highly distasteful to certain predators. The butterfly's bold orange and black ventral hindwing pattern visibly advertise this unpalatability. Adults have a very swift, frenetic flight but are quite fond of flowers. Excerpted from Butterflies of the Midwest Field Guide by Jaret C. Daniels 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.