Metamorphosis brings astonishing and exciting changes to a pair of caterpillar friends, who take pride in being the same--and different. Two caterpillar friends love what they have in common--lots of legs and a talent for chewing leaves into funny shapes. And when it's time to build cocoons, they hang theirs side by side. "Happy metamorphosis," says an older, more knowledgeable butterfly. And it is a happy metamorphosis indeed--for when the two emerge from their cocoons, they can fly! But so much else has changed--as one is now a moth, who flies by night, and the other is a butterfly, who flies by day. How will things work now? Fortunately some things never change--like true friends figuring out a way to be together, and happily flying into the sunset and sunrise.

Presents information on how to tell the difference between butterflies and moths, even though they are similar in many ways.

Photographs and text explore the behavior and life cycles of butterflies and moths, examining mating rituals, camouflage, habitat, and growth from pupa to larva to adult.

Walking a forest trail in Costa Rica, a visitor might be struck by the sight of an iridescent blue morpho butterfly fluttering ahead in the filtered daylight, or an enormous silk moth, as magnificently patterned and subtly colored as a Persian carpet, only emerging to fly at night. Elsewhere, vivid yellow and orange sulphur butterflies flock to puddles to sip the concentrated minerals. Such is the dazzling variety of the butterflies and moths unique to this region. Gathered by biologists Daniel Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs in the forests of northwestern Costa Rica, 100 tropical butterflies and moths represent the diversity in large-format photographs by Jeffrey Miller that document the dizzying variety of shapes, colors, and markings. The photographs are accompanied by species accounts and images of the corresponding caterpillar. The authors recount these insects' feats of mimicry and migration, lift the veil on their courtship, and show how the new technology of DNA barcoding is changing the picture of Lepidopteran biodiversity. The authors also tell the success story of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, where the long-term work of Janzen and Hallwachs, a team of caterpillar collectors, and the participation of neighboring farming communities has deepened understanding of Costa Rica's Lepidoptera and has brought about advances in restoration ecology of tropical habitats, biodiversity prospecting, biotechnology, and ecotourism development.

Includes science vocabulary, fun facts, and trivia about each type of animal.

Updated for 2020, this book describes and compares the physical characteristics, habitat, behavior, life cycle, diet, and reproduction of these amazing insects.

Beautiful in their simplicity, the lives of butterflies and moths have long fascinated scholars and children alike. Here is a rich and innovative look at their natural history. Stunning real-life photographs provide a unique eyewitness view of the behavior of these complex and vividly beautiful insects, their structure and life cycle, where they live and feed, and how they protect themselves. See a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, how silk mothsmake silk, a caterpillar eating its own eggshell, and butterflies that have become extinct. Learn how a caterpillar can frighten off predators, why some adultmoths never eat, which butterfly migrates the length of a subcontinent, and howto breed butterflies and moths, and much more! Discover in close-up the enchanting and secret life of butterflies and moths.

General information about butterfly gardening and prime butterfly locations in Arkansas complements an illustrated guide to 263 butterfly species, which includes detailed descriptions of each species and its life cycle, habitat, and behavior, as well as more than three hundred color photographs. Original.