Marc C. Minno

Basics: 1993, softcover, 168 pages, 106 species, 29 color plates with photos of 282 specimens plus 43 of larvae and pupae; no range maps

Focusing on all 106 species of butterflies recorded from the keys off southern Florida, this book does a good job a displaying each. Each color plate is a photograph of 6 – 26 collected specimens arranged together by taxonomy. Nearly all species are shown with both a dorsal and ventral views. Many species, especially the sulphurs, have multiple variations shown. The sizes of the specimens in the photos are also good.

Of the 29 plates, the last 6 contain color photos of the caterpillars and pupae of 30 species. These individual photos are of good quality in both size and color.

The last half of the book contains the species accounts. Depending on the status of the species in the region, each is given 1/3 to 2/3 of a page of text. The primary sections covered are description, distribution, natural history, flowers visited, and status. The descriptions do a good job at describing the characteristics of the butterfly, but typically do not compare similar species. Casual butterfly enthusiasts might find these accounts to be a little dry or too data oriented. These accounts do tend to have more of a science or reference focus familiar to the more practiced lepidopterist.

Whether intentional or as an oversight, the common names of the butterflies are not included with the plates or with the text adjacent to the photos. Only the scientific names are listed. This is also frustratingly true for the index. The two-page index consists of exclusively the genus and species names; no common names. Consequently, if you want to find the page containing the White Peacock, the Gray Hairstreak, or any other butterfly and you don’t know its scientific name, you must skim through the pages until you (a) recognize its picture or (b) come across the common name in the species accounts.

This is certainly a good book to have if you want to focus on just the Florida Keys. The beginning 32 pages of the book also provide good background information on climate, history, eco-communities, and phenology. Many color photos are shown for the various habitat types. Also provided are two great checklists. One has a column for each month to denote the butterfly’s presence throughout the year. The second checklist has a column for each of 30 different islands/keys to show where the species has been present.

I’ve listed several related books below…
1) Butterflies of North America by Brock/Kaufman
2) The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide by Scott
3) A Field Guide to the Butterflies of the West Indies by Riley
4) National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies by NAS… (más)