BUTTERFLIES OF CHINA

Descrizione

Butterflies of China, 2017, Wu & Hsu (editors), published by The Straits Publishing House. 4 volumes, cm 30x21 cm, Hardcover. The most exhaustive book ever published about Chinese butterflies. Over 2000 species of Chinese butterflies, male, female, upperside and underside, individual and geographical variations, are for the first time illustrated in superb colour plates. In addition the 4th volume shows over 2500 beautiful photos in nature of Chinese butterflies. Text in Chinese, scientific names in Latin. The text is very short, the value of the book are the colour plates that allow to know and to recognize all the Chinese butterfly species with their variations. 4 volumes vol. 1 checklist of Chinese butterflies, Papilionidae, Pieridae 470 pages, about 300 colour plates vol. 2 Nymphalidae 509 pages, about 310 colour plates vol. 3 Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae, Hesperidae 503 pages, about 190 colour plates vol. 4 photos in nature 595 pages, 520 colour plates 99% of the over 2000 Chinese species are illustrated in 700 superb colour plates. For every species the upperside and underside of several specimens is presented, in order to show the individual and geographical variations of that species. In the fourth volume thousands of photos of butterflies in their habitat are presented. The value of this book are not the few lines of text in the species account, but the superb iconography that allows to understand also the most difficult species-groups. Many Chinese lepidoptersts have contributed to the book under the supervision of the two editors. One of the editors, Prof. Hsu of the Taipei University, is a leading specialist of Oriental butterflies and the author of the Guide to the butterflies of Taiwan.