Butterflies of Delmarva

The late Dr. Elton N. Woodbury had a fascination for butterflies ever since, as a preschooler, he and a friend encouraged the friend’s younger sister to sample a yellow sulphur butterfly—hoping to discover whether it tasted buttery. The toddler ran screaming to her mother, and despite being punished, young Elton developed his interest into a lifelong study. The result is a first-ever field guide to butterflies that occur naturally on the Delmarva Peninsula. All sixty-one adult butterfly species found in the area are included in the guide, which is beautifully illustrated with 132 photographs by the author. Differences in color or wing patterns between the sexes are also illustrated to aid in identification. The species accounts that form the bulk of the book include a description of the adult butterfly, the larva, and the egg, information on the food sources, habitat, and range of each butterfly. Anatomy, metamorphosis, habitats, enemies, longevity, mimicry, and migration of butterflies in general are investigated in a chapter on the natural history of the butterfly. Dr. Woodbury has shared his hints for photographing butterflies and attracting them to your garden, and his appreciation for the important place of these creatures in our environment.