A superb collection of more than 1,000 individual specimens, this is an authoritative visual encyclopedia of all the world's most common butterflies. Photographed at the Florida Museum of Natural History, which houses one of the world's largest butterfly collections, this book features superb full-color portraits of these jewels of creation.In addition to descriptions of each species, the author also discusses the current recognition of butterflies as the mark of a healthy environment and indicates which species are protected by various conservation authorities.Among the many subjects covered are such topics as: -- Taxonomy and structure-- Lifestyle and migration-- Tips on butterfly watching and where to find themIncluding an index to both common and scientific names of species, ths is the ultimate reference for butterflies, an ideal guide and source book, providing everything one needs to identify all varieties of butterflies.