Butterfly Wings: Pictures in their Patterns

This book explains how the wing colours and patterns have evolved to protect all butterflies and moths against predation. Central to this explanation is the understanding that creatures which prey on insects see colours and objects in a different way to us. They see a wider variety of colours, including ultraviolet (to which are blind) and respond to subtle cues that we do not easily recognise. It shows that if we adjust our perceptions and look for these cues, we can identify features of a range of dangerous animals – snakes, spiders, hornets, bats teeth, claws, and eyes of hawks and owls – that can trigger alarm in any prospective predator. In Butterfly Wings, the author has updated his own exciting theories with more scientific evidence and amazing examples of mimicry, adding more information about British species and those you can see in Butterfly Houses.