I found so many good books while I was researching this topic, and it was such fun to learn and look at butterflies from all different angles. Here are all the books described in the “Books Worth Reading” section on pages 88 and 89.
Need some inspiration for making your yard butterfly friendly? This book from Doug Tallamy is just the beginning: anything this author writes is worth reading. If all of us made our yards friendly to wildlife, we could create the biggest Homegrown National Park.
Raising Butterflies and Moths in the Garden, by Brenda Dziedzic
This comprehensive look at the life cycles of butterflies and ways to attract them to your garden. Once you’ve identified your butterflies, caterpillars, or chrysalises, this book will help you understand just how to help caterpillars and butterflies thrive in your yard.
Garden Insects of South Carolina, by Merle Sheperd and Ed Farnworth
This book, published by the Lowcountry Biodiversity Instititute, has great information on beneficial insects and garden pests. It is available in the Dewees Nature Center and at most Charleston County Park Visitor Centers.
Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, by Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman
This is a great handbook and field guide for identifying butterflies in your yard.
Another great field guide, with clear range maps and side-by-side photos to aid in identification. This is one of the first field guides to focus on “netless” butterfly observation.
The Language of Butterflies: How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Other Obsessives Unlocked the Secrets of the World's Favorite Insect
This book led me down a serious rabbit hole: it’s a fascinating look at the history of the way people study and think about butterflies. AND it was my introduction to Maria Sybilla Merion, featured in the nest title.
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science
200 years before Darwin, at a time when women interested in caterpillars might be burned at the stake as witches, a young artist named Maria Sybilla Merian scientifically observed the metamorphoses of insects, upending long-held Aristotelian beliefs (like spontaneous generation of insects!) This book is beautifully illustrated with Merian’s art.
A Butterfly Called Hope, by Mary Alice Monroe
A childrens book by NYT Bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe with a sweet story of a girl raising a monarch and a lot of info about monarchs and migration.
How Insects Work: an Illustrated Guide to the Wonders of Form and Function, by Marianne Taylor
This graphic and photo-rich book is an explanation of the anatomy of insects and how different organs function, with a lot about metamorphosis.
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees, by Doug Tallamy
The author takes a seasonal look at the benefits oak trees provide the landscape and a strong argument for planting them to promote biodiversity. Read every one of his books!
Caterpillars of Eastern North America, by David Wagner
A comprehensive field guide to caterpillars, with good info about identification, photography, and care of caterpillars.