Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest

Summer is a great time to see butterflies and now there is an excellent new field guide. Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest by Robert Michael Pyle and Caitlin C. LaBar is the perfect tool to guide you in identifying and learning about the more than 200 species that are native to Washington and Oregon. It “is intended for everyone who wishes to study, watch, collect, photograph, garden, or otherwise enjoy butterflies responsibly.”

This Timber Press Field Guide has a sturdy, rain-resistant cover designed for field use. The Miller Library copy is an important reference source and not available to check out, but you can use it to compare with your field notes. Alternatively, check out Pyle’s earlier (2002) The Butterflies of Cascadia. The major difference between two books is the quality of the photographs. The advent of digital photography and the special expertise that new co-author LaBar brings have produced stunning results.

Each description includes range maps (within Washington and Oregon), habitat, host plants, and when the species is “on the wing.” Carefully documented are the often significant differences between males and females, and between dorsal (with the wings open) and ventral (wings closed) views.

Pyle also writes poetry, and his pleasure in the subtleties of language is evident in the anecdotal section under each species. He describes unusual sightings, gives hints for distinguishing between similar species, and relishes quirks of nomenclature. If you are city bound this summer, he even identifies those species that thrive despite intense urban environments.

Published in the August 2018 Leaflet for Scholars, Volume 5 Issue 8.