This spring I began a native plant garden, and less than two months after getting everything in the ground, I’d acquired a monarch caterpillar on the milkweed. In a patch of weeds I removed everything that wasn’t a violet, the violets happily expanded to fill the space, and fritillary caterpillars appeared. I’ve gotten hooked on watching the caterpillars, and am contemplating how to expand the repertoire next year. This book is maybe not the “complete guide” it claims to be, but it covers the basics nicely, not for every butterfly in existence, but for the dozens that are typically around in the US. It has a section of life size butterfly photos for identification, a section of caterpillar photos, example plans of small and large butterfly gardens, a list of nectar plants and their bloom times, a list of caterpillar host plants, and a chapter on butterfly behavior. I mostly wanted it for the section on each butterfly family, which includes details about its behavior and preferences, a map of species range, and a table noting habitat, food, and time frame for life cycle stages. For the novice, a useful reference.

(read 25 Aug 2012)

excellent book for the home gardener, part of the excellent Stoke's series. ( )