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Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range: A Photographic Guide to 100 Species
Nearly everyone loves butterflies. We watch them because they're exquisitely beautiful, but they also have magical life cycles and intricate relationships among their host ecosystems. Are you overwhelmed by the array of possibilities in field guides that cover a broad geographic range?
This user-friendly book focuses on 100 frequently seen species in the Colorado Front Range. Easily identify butterflies using over 120 striking color photos of individuals in their natural setting, and clear descriptions of both males and females. Each entry also includes that species’ habitat and life cycle, the caterpillar’s host plants, and look-alike butterflies. The introduction includes tips on where to find butterflies, how to get close to them, and what we can do to attract them to our gardens and preserve their sensitive habitats.
This second edition features an attractive new cover, the newest scientific and common names, new photographs that better portray the diagnostic characteristics of certain butterflies, and all new coverage of twenty additional species. Several of these new species occur primarily in the oak woodlands of the southern Front Range. Other habitats covered include grasslands, wetlands, conifer forests, aspen groves, mountain meadows, and the alpine tundra. The month-by-month occurrence chart--which reveals when and where to look for your favorite butterflies--has been improved using observations made in the years since the first edition. The fully indexed publication includes an updated foreword by nationally recognized butterfly expert Robert Michael Pyle.
This field guide makes an excellent resource for nature enthusiasts learning about these eye-catching insects.
This user-friendly book focuses on 100 frequently seen species in the Colorado Front Range. Easily identify butterflies using over 120 striking color photos of individuals in their natural setting, and clear descriptions of both males and females. Each entry also includes that species’ habitat and life cycle, the caterpillar’s host plants, and look-alike butterflies. The introduction includes tips on where to find butterflies, how to get close to them, and what we can do to attract them to our gardens and preserve their sensitive habitats.
This second edition features an attractive new cover, the newest scientific and common names, new photographs that better portray the diagnostic characteristics of certain butterflies, and all new coverage of twenty additional species. Several of these new species occur primarily in the oak woodlands of the southern Front Range. Other habitats covered include grasslands, wetlands, conifer forests, aspen groves, mountain meadows, and the alpine tundra. The month-by-month occurrence chart--which reveals when and where to look for your favorite butterflies--has been improved using observations made in the years since the first edition. The fully indexed publication includes an updated foreword by nationally recognized butterfly expert Robert Michael Pyle.
This field guide makes an excellent resource for nature enthusiasts learning about these eye-catching insects.
140 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2019
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About the author
Janet R. Chu
2 books1 followerJanet Chu taught high school biology for 38 years and has conducted butterfly population studies on Boulder County open space for 15 years, documenting nearly 200 species. Since 1983 she has organized the annual Fourth of July butterfly count at the Cal-Wood Education Center in western Boulder County. As a volunteer, Jan has influenced many bird watchers, naturalists and beginners to observe butterflies and begin gardening with native plants, and has encouraged young people to become involved in the outdoors.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 22, 2025
I use the author website for identifications, and especially larval host plant info (I like butterfly gardening).
Since I use their website alot, and I like books, I figured I'd get the book to support them. Also, some pictures are missing on the website, so I thought the book might have more info. I didn't do a side-by-side compare, but I think there might be slightly more host plant and habitat (elevation) info in the book, but not much. There are pictures for every species, but only one picture per species. The website sometimes has multiple pictures per species. I was hoping for open-winged pics of every species, but I guess those are hard to get.
Since I use their website alot, and I like books, I figured I'd get the book to support them. Also, some pictures are missing on the website, so I thought the book might have more info. I didn't do a side-by-side compare, but I think there might be slightly more host plant and habitat (elevation) info in the book, but not much. There are pictures for every species, but only one picture per species. The website sometimes has multiple pictures per species. I was hoping for open-winged pics of every species, but I guess those are hard to get.
Displaying 1 of 1 review