Winner of the 2013 National Outdoor Book Award for best Nature Guidebook.This book is the first field guide to Indiana's butterflies and their close relatives, the skippers. All species and subspecies recorded from the state are shown. An illustrated "Quick Key" narrows the identification process to several similar species. Photographs with arrows pointing to "field marks" then highlight the differences between those species and allow easy identification, even for people just beginning their study of butterflies. Text, range map, and abundance graph are opposite the photographs for easy reference. Also included are photographs of eggs, larvae, or chrysalises of many species. Numerous plants important to butterflies, either as larval hosts or as nectar sources, are also depicted. Fully illustrated chapters describing Indiana's natural regions, how to find butterflies, watching and photographing butterflies, butterfly biology and behavior, butterfly habitats, and butterfly conservation, are also included. "This unique effort is the most complete guide to butterfly watching I've ever seen--with visual identification keys that a true novice can follow, supplemented with accurate status updates, distribution maps and abundance and seasonal graphs. If these were all it included, it would be an admirable accomplishment--but there are another 150 pages devoted to butterfly life history, conservation, gardening, photography, watching and more. This is the complete guide to the appreciation of Indiana's butterflies."--John Shuey, Director of Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy, Indiana Chapter "[T]his is unquestionably the finest local butterfly field guide ever produced. . . . I would suggest this field guide to everyone who has an interest in North American butterflies. Although it treats only the fauna of Indiana, its significance extends well beyond the boundaries of that state. If I were to write my dream field guide, it would surely resemble Butterflies of Indiana."--News of the Lepidopterists' Society Winner of the 2013 National Outdoor Book Award in the Nature Guidebook category.--National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA) Foundation "My excitement about our state’s butterflies jumped several notches after reading the superbly illustrated Butterflies of Indiana: A Field Guide. It is a must-have book for anyone interested in these jewels of the insect world." ―Michael A. Homoya, author of Wildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide My excitement about our state's butterflies jumped several notches after reading the superbly illustrated Butterflies of Indiana: A Field Guide. It is a must-have book for anyone interested in these jewels of the insect world. -- Michael A. Homoya This field guide to Indiana's rich butterfly fauna covers all 149 species of butterflies and their close relatives, the skippers. Over 500 color photographs illustrate the undersides and uppersides of most species and highlight the variations found among them, both seasonally and between males and females. For beginners and experts, Butterflies of Indiana also offers an introduction to the natural history of butterflies. The simple and intuitive design of this guide and its wealth of features will make it a faithful companion for butterfly watchers, collectors, gardeners, birders, and naturalists. Jeffrey E. Belth has been photographing butterflies in Indiana for over 25 years. Butterflies of Indiana A Field Guide By Jeffrey E. Belth Indiana University Press Copyright © 2013 Jeffrey E. Belth All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-253-00955-5 Contents Quick Key, The Plates, Swallowtails, Whites and Sulphurs, Gossamer-wings and Metalmarks, Brushfoots, Spread-wing Skippers, Grass Skippers, Moths, Immature Stages, Larval Hosts and Nectar Sources, The Basics, Introduction, Why Butterflies?, What are Butterflies and Skippers?, Families of Butterflies and Skippers, Body Parts of Butterflies and Skippers, How to Identify Butterflies and Skippers, The First Question, The Second Question, Additional Questions, Using the Quick Key Boxes, Using the Plates: Butterflies and Skippers, The Species Descriptions, Using the Plates: Moths, Immature Stages, and Larval Hosts and Nectar Sources, Beyond the Basics, Indiana and Its Butterflies, Overview, The Geologic Foundation, Natural Regions, Natural Communities, Where, When, and How to Look for Butterflies, Where to Look, When to Look, How to Look, The Life of a Butterfly, The First Three Stages, The Final Stage: The Adult, Wing Patterns, Butterfly Behavior, Daily Activities, Seasonal Activities, Activities with Butterflies, Watching Butterflies, Collecting Butterflies, Photographing Butterflies, Keeping Records, Butterfly Conservation, How We Reduce Butterfly Populations, The Importance of Butterflies, Improving Habitat for Butterflies, What You Can Do in Your Yard, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Appendixes, Appendix A: Checklist