"The South Pacific is a vast expanse of ocean over 50 million square kilometres with tiny island groups and scattered islands. From Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji in the west, to Tahiti, the Marquesas and Hawai'i in the east, this book surveys (and discovers) the butterfly inhabitants of these tropical islands. For completeness, and with a much larger land area, temperate New Zealand to the south is included"--Cover.
This outstanding work is the ultimate guide for the identification of Australia’s butterflies. Nearly 400 species – all those currently recognised from Australia, plus those from surrounding islands – are represented, with all adults and some immature stages displayed in stunning colour sections. Introductory chapters cover the history of publications, classification, morphology, distribution, conservation and collection, together with a checklist of the butterfly fauna. The body of the text is arranged systematically, providing a wealth of information including description, variation, similar behaviour, distribution and habitat, and major literature references, giving a comprehensive summary of the present state of knowledge of these insects. Appendices provide details of those species recorded from Australian islands outside the Australian faunal subregion, those protected by legislation, the larval food plants, and the attendant ants. Extensive references, a glossary and an index of scientific and common names complete the work. Joint Winner of the 2001 Whitley Medal. Finalist Scholarly Reference section - The Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing 2001.
This comprehensive guide draws together the remarkable array of butterflies that mark the West Indies and the southern tip of Florida as a biogeographical area. The authors describe all six hundred butterflies, species and subspecies, known from the area, including the many that have evolvedon the islands, and the work is based on their first-hand field experience. The book provides an historical overview which surveys possible faunal origins, the size of island faunas, and conservation problems. The individual descriptions detail its West Indian distribution, key identification features, observations on habitat choice and behaviour, and life historyinformation. It also includes a taxonomic checklist and an extensive bibliography.
The third in a trilogy of global overviews of conservation of diverse and ecologically important insect groups. The first two were Beetles in Conservation (2010) and Hymenoptera and Conservation (2012). Each has different priorities and emphases that collectively summarise much of the progress and purpose of invertebrate conservation. Much of the foundation of insect conservation has been built on concerns for Lepidoptera, particularly butterflies as the most popular and best studied of all insect groups. The long-accepted worth of butterflies for conservation has led to elucidation of much of the current rationale of insect species conservation, and to definition and management of their critical resources, with attention to the intensively documented British fauna ‘leading the world’ in this endeavour. In Lepidoptera and Conservation, various themes are treated through relevant examples and case histories, and sufficient background given to enable non-specialist access. Intended for not only entomologists but conservation managers and naturalists due to its readable approach to the subject.
Biogeography is a diverse subject, traditionally focusing on the distribution of plants and animals at different taxonomic levels, past and present. Modern biogeography also puts emphasis on the ecological character of the world vegetation types, and on the evolving relationship between humans and their environment. Panbiogeography describes a new synthesis of sciences of plant and animal distribution. The book emphasizes that the geographical patterns of animal and plant distribution contribute directly to the understanding and interpretation of evolutionary history. Geographic location is reintroduced as a critical element of both biogeography and evolutionary biology. The authors present chapters exploring the roles of geology, ecology, evolution in panbiogeographic theory, and introduce new methods, modes of classification, and ways of measuring biodiversity.
As fascinating as they are beautiful, butterflies are a pleasure to watch and an important group of invertebrates to study. This second edition of the award-winning book The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia is a fully updated guide to all butterfly species on Australia's mainland and remote islands. Written by one of Australia's leading lepidopterists, the book is stunningly illustrated with colour photographs, many of which are new, of each of the 435 currently recognised species. There is also a distribution map and flight chart for each species on the Australian mainland, together with information on similar species, variation, behaviour, habitat, status and larval food plants. The introduction to the book covers adult structure, higher classification, distribution and habitats, as well as life cycle and behaviour. A new chapter on collecting and preserving butterflies is included. There is also an updated checklist of all species, a glossary, a bibliography and indexes of common and scientific names.
This twenty-two volume set presents the appearance and behavior of thousands of species of animals along with species population and prospects for survival in a arranged alphabetically and easy-to-read format.
