Caterpillars in the Field and Garden: A Field Guide to the Butterfly Caterpillars of North America (The Butterflies Through Binoculars Series)

Jeffrey Glassberg's acclaimed Butterflies through Binoculars guides have revolutionized the way we view butterflies. Now there's a field guide in the same practical format, and with the same emphasis on conservation, to identify caterpillars. Caterpillars are as varied, fascinating, and often as colorful as the adult butterflies they become. This is the most comprehensive guide to these creatures available. It contains all the information necessary to find and identify the caterpillars of North America--from Two-tailed Swallowtails, some of the largest butterfly caterpillars at just over two inches when fully grown, to tiny Western Pygmy-Blues. Caterpillar seekers will learn how to distinguish between butterfly caterpillars and moth caterpillars, where and how to find caterpillars, and the visual differences between young and older caterpillars. Each species section describes how to identify the caterpillar, complete with brilliant photos--many published here for the first time. To make for easy field use, each caterpillar's key physical features, abundance, habitat, and major hostplants are listed on the same page as its photo. The book also contains a special section on butterfly gardening, offering valuable information on how to set up a butterfly garden and raise healthy butterfly caterpillars, and provides a thorough list of the plants butterflies most like to feast on. From the concerned gardener who wishes not to kill caterpillars that may one day become beautiful butterflies to the serious butterflier wishing to take the hobby to the next level, this remarkable guide will provide all of the information necessary for an enriching caterpillar experience. With an emphasis on conservation and more than nine hundred full-color photographs, a comprehensive field guide furnishes all the information necessary for finding and identifying caterpillars, with information on key physical characteristics, habitats, and host plants and tips on butterfly gardening Presents over nine hundred full-color illustrated photos of a number of species of North American caterpillars, and includes complete identification, life cycles, habitat, and tips on butterfly gardening With over 900 color photos, this is the first authoritative guide to the butterfly caterpillars of North America. 413 maps