Butterflies
Butterflies come in every colour of the rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black and white. But their vibrant wings aren't just beautiful, they give each butterfly a special power too.
Over the years, butterflies' wings have brightened, dulled and transformed as they adapt to their ever-changing environments, helping them survive and thrive through everything from the industrial revolution to the climate crisis.
Colours help butterflies camouflage and stay safe in their surroundings, making them disappear amongst vibrant flower petals and invisible against bronze tree trunks. Intricate patterns on their wings confuse and scare away predators, but they can attract the perfect mate too. And then there are some butterflies who are not in fact the colour the appear to be at all - instead they are iridescent and simply reflecting the light.
In this beautifully illustrated book, you'll discover hundreds of different coloured and patterned butterflies from around the world and what makes them so special. You'll also learn about butterfly life cycles, their sense of smell, taste and sight, flight and migration, as well as what butterflies mean to us and why they're important players in our ecosystem.
Jon Dunn is a natural history writer, photographer, and wildlife tour guide. His written work and photographs have been featured in a number of publications, including BBC Wildlife, Birding World, British Wildlife, Birdwatch, British Birds, The Shetland Times, The Wall Street Journal, La Reppublica, and The Sun. His book, Orchid Summer (Bloomsbury, 2018) was met with critical acclaim. When he's not writing or capturing beautiful creatures on camera, Jon spends much of his time traveling the world in search of memorable wildlife encounters. He lives in the Shetland Isles, Scotland.
Georgina Taylor (Illustrator)
Georgina Taylor captures stunning botanical and wildlife images through watercolour. Georgina is inspired by the natural world and her work draws influences from traditional medical and botanical illustrations. Georgina's many clients include LoveBaby, OwlintheMoss and True Keratin. Georgina is based in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.