Butterflies of the Western Palaearctic Vol. 1: Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, and Lycaenidae (partim)

Description:

The first of a 2-volume set which will cover butterflies of the West Palaearctic region from the Azores and Canary Islands through Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Iraq, Iran, and the Caucasus to the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, western Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and the eastern border of Turkmenistan. Includes 922 species (432 in the first volume and 490 in the second), with over 20,000 unique illustrations: colour photographs of over 12,000 set specimens, including males, females, upper- and undersides of wings, type specimens, many rare species and subspecies; approximately 12,000 colour photographs of butterflies in nature and their habitats, including historical photographs of biotopes that have been destroyed in recent years. About 900 colour distribution maps.

In addition to the traditional systematic checklist list in the first volume, a schematic overview of all species is presented in the colour section at the beginning of each family, allowing for an immediate assessment of both the number of species and their diversity.

The text covers nomenclature, distribution, ecological and phenological data, and discusses taxonomic issues. For many species, differences are described and illustrated, allowing for reliable identification based on external and internal morphology. This publication summarizes the most important information and knowledge accumulated over the past 300 years, presented in a user-friendly format.