The Life Cycles of Butterflies - by Judy Burris & Wayne Richards (Paperback)

About the Book

For every person who has ever watched and marveled at the magic as a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis, this book is a treasure chest of amazing butterfly transformations. Readers are invited to explore and experience the life cycles of 22 common backyard butterflies, in this unique collection of stunning fullcolor, up-close photography, all taken in a live garden setting.
From the Black Swallowtail to the Monarch, the Question Mark to the Painted Lady, each butterfly is shown from start to maturity, with sequential photographs of the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and emerging butterfly. Additional detail shots highlight caterpillar behavior, changes in the chrysalis as the wing pattern emerges, open- and closed-wing shots, and the color variations between the male and female butterflies.
Authors Judy Burris and Wayne Richards, a brother-and-sister team, tell how they created the ultimate butterfly havens in their own backyards, planting every kind of caterpillar host plant and nectar-producing flower imaginable. With cameras in hand, they set out on a mission to record the lives of all the butterflies that flocked to their gardens. Readers learn how they can create their own butterfly gardens, with specific host plants suggested for each species, most of which are found across North America.
This richly visual and highly browsable guide to the life cycles of butterflies will appeal to wildlife enthusiasts, gardeners, school teachers, and families alike.

Book Synopsis

This stunning photographic guide will have butterfly enthusiasts of all ages aflutter. Judy Burris and Wayne Richards include more than 400 full-color, up-close images that present the life cycles of 23 common North American butterflies in amazing detail. Watch caterpillars hatch from eggs, eat and grow, form into chrysalides, emerge as colorful butterflies, and fly through the air. You'll also learn which plants butterflies avoid and which native species they're attracted to, so you can create your own backyard butterfly haven.

Review Quotes

"The dazzling, close-up photos and compelling writing make this easily accessible to young readers..."
--Cecilia Goodnow, San Antonio Express-News

About the Author

Judy Burris is the co-author of The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs and The Life Cycles of Butterflies. She and her brother and co-author, Wayne Richards, have spent many years observing, raising, and photographing the amazing lives of insects in their own backyards in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Judy Burris and Wayne Richards, a brother-sister author team, have been intrigued with butterflies since they were children. They have spent many years observing, raising, and photographing these miraculous creatures. Judy and Wayne live in Erlanger, Kentucky.