100 Butterflies and Moths Belknap Press

067402334X

Moths, generally active at night, are often less colourful than butterflies. But there are exceptions. The brilliant colours of the Pseudodirphia menander (pictured) are not ones that attract attention from afar in its natural habitat — in the forest undercanopy many leaves have pink and red hues. Closer up, the red colour might act as a warning. 100 Butterflies and Moths (Belknap Press) presents portraits of some of the 10,000 species estimated to inhabit the Guanacaste conservation area in northwestern Costa Rica. The photographs, taken by Jeffery Miller, and the accompanying, informative descriptions could serve as a field guide for a visit to the Costa Rican forest or be equally appealing to the armchair naturalist.

Credit: J. C. MILLER, D. H JANZEN, W. HALLWACHS