Great Plains Studies, Center for
Date of this Version
Fall 2005
Abstract
This little book is a guide to 100 of the most common among approximately 255 butterfly species on record for the region it covers. Major taxonomic groupings are distinguished by color bars at the tops of pages. Colloquial nomenclature follows the North American Butterfly Association's Checklist and English Names of North American Butterflies (2001). Order of presentation and scientific names accord essentially with Opler and Warren, Scientific Names List for Butterfly Species of North America, North of Mexico (2002). Each species account presents up to four photographs of adults in nature, much in the style of the Butterflies through Binoculars series. Quality of the photographs, most taken by the second author, ranges from good to excellent. My only criticism is that because of the book's diminutive dimensions (5 x 7 inches) some small species appear at 200% of life size, while the largest are as little as 25% (Papilio glaucus is figured at 1.5 inches). The uniformity of image dimensions may have been convenient for the printer, but less than ideal for a field guide user.
Comments
Published in Great Plains Research 15:2 (Fall 2005). Copyright © 2005 The Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Used by permission.