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Butterflies capture the imaginations of humans for various reasons, from the many forms and patterns of the adults, to their amazing life cycles which involve transformation from egg to larva to chrysalis, and then the final emergence of the fully developed winged adult. This process is illustrated opposite for the Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus)—a species which occurs in South Asia and Australia. The exact number of butterfly species in the world is in the region of 20,000, with estimates varying due to factors such as new discoveries and taxonomic interpretation—for example, whether one form is a full species or just a subspecies. This book broadly follows the classification and taxonomy used in Adrian Hoskins’ superb book Butterflies of the World (Reed New Holland), which divides the 20,000 species between six butterfly families: Hesperiidae (Skippers), Nymphalidae (Nymphs), Lycaenidae (Blues and Coppers), Riodinidae (Metalmarks), Papilionidae (Swallowtails), and Pieridae (Whites and Yellows). The moth-like Hedylidae, which are sometimes classified as butterflies, are not covered. World of Butterflies aims to illustrate the great a diversity of butterflies by showing adults of as many different sizes, shapes, and forms as possible. Butterflies occur on every continent except Antarctica, and in almost every habitat, from arctic tundra to deserts to high mountaintops. More than 30 subfamilies from the six butterfly families are covered in the book, with stunning images of beautifully patterned upperwings and underwings, of butterflies mating and flocking, and of species from all around the world, from the common and widespread to the exceedingly rare. We hope that you enjoy this book and its amazing images, and that it contributes towards inspiring further interest in butterflies and their conservation worldwide.
