You're certain to find your favorite butterfly- no matter how exotic-featured within the pages of this lavishly illustrated guide to Lepidoptera life on Earth. Take a fascinating tour of the butterflies of the world guided by renowned lepidopterist and writer Adrian Hoskins, who shares hundreds of spectacular color photographs captured at butterfly hot spots around the world. In the book's opening chapters, Hoskins describes the evolution, anatomy, lifecycle, ecology, and taxonomy of the world's butterflies. The second half of the book offers comprehensive coverage of every butterfly family, along with fascinating accounts of butterfly behavior. Readers of all backgrounds will be delighted and informed by interesting facts and stories about Lepidoptera, from the spectacular Tiger Swallowtail, Blue Morpho, and Tibetan Glory, to the legendary Giant Birdwings and the cryptic Variegated Rajah, Amber Phantom, and Scarlet-eyed Skipper. Many books about these beloved creatures focus exclusively on photos of butterflies, with little accompanying text and scant scientific value. However, in this book, Hoskins provides a scientifically rigorous introduction to butterflies that is suitable for both laypersons and professionals. Lepidopterists will benefit from the unique and extensive taxonomically based survey, while enthusiastic amateurs will learn more about butterfly biology without being overwhelmed by jargon. A unique global survey that touches on all butterfly families and subfamilies while celebrating their immense beauty and great diversity, Butterflies of the World is an essential reference and the best book of its kind.