Jay Cossey's Photographs from Nature

Jay’s Books

Southern Ontario Butterflies and their Natural History is a regional beginner’s guide for southern Ontario, but it also applies to virtually anywhere in the lower Great Lakes region—and beyond. In fact, nearly half of the species included in this guide can also be found as far away as California!

 

I set out to create a simple but detailed guide to help people get to know the butterflies in their own backyard. I wanted a digestible guide for the people who were unlikely to buy a comprehensive butterfly field guide. Rather than include hundreds of species—many of which are rare or highly unlikely, mixed in with very similar-looking common butterflies—my concept was to limit this guide to about 30 of the most likely suspects for the region. My hope is that once people learn more about butterflies, they might become interested in buying a more exhaustive field guide at some point.

 

Familiar Butterflies of Indiana and their Natural History is my second regional butterfly guide. Similar to my first book, this guide includes the butterflies most likely to be encountered in the state of Indiana. Nearly all of the species covered are also found in neighbouring states like Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and others. Butterflies know no borders.

 

Both guides include images of butterfly eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises—plus caterpillar hostplants, so you can encourage more butterflies to call your house their home. These books make the perfect addition to every nature lover’s library. And make a great gift for nature lovers who have everything.

 

Even if you don’t live in the targeted regions, lots of these butterflies can be found wherever you are in North America. Both books include a great deal of basic butterfly information—including the difference between butterflies and moths. Unlike most butterfly guides, I also included thumbnails of often-seen moths and moth caterpillars that are easy to confuse with butterflies.

 

Both guides were written for a middle school and up level, for students and teachers, parents and home schoolers. This is not intended to underestimate younger children—they never cease to amaze! I’ve included a detailed Glossary to explain common entomological terms. An interesting read on its own.

 

Keep a copy by your back door next to the bird guides. You could become your neighbourhood expert!

 

Order your copy by emailing me at Jay@PhotographsFromNature.com. Books are $25 each, shipping included within North America. (Canadian funds for shipping within Canada, and American funds for shipping in mainland USA)

 

If you want to purchase copies for resale, please email me at the address above. Enjoy the butterflies!

 

Dr. Paul Opler, the highly-esteemed butterfly expert and author of both Peterson’s Guides to butterflies:

A Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies and A Field Guide to Western Butterflies, offered the following unsolicited review

"This is an exquisite gem, with matchless close-up images and high quality scientific text.

Well-written for the layperson!"

DID YOU KNOW?

• Our region is home to a carnivorous butterfly (Ontario/Indiana)
• Adult butterflies can not grow in size
• Butterflies do not emerge from a cocoon
• Adult Mourning Cloak butterflies can live up to 1 whole year
• Some butterfly species overwinter as an egg, others as a caterpillar, some as a chrysalis and still others as a fully grown adult butterfly.
  Each species has its own overwintering survival strategy.
• Monarchs are not our only migratory butterfly

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Only the butterflies found in your region (Ontario/Indiana)
• Detailed butterfly species accounts
• Caterpillar hostplant information
• Caterpillar, egg, and chrysalis photographs
• Butterfly, caterpillar and chrysalis anatomy
• Extensive Glossary of butterfly buzz-words
• Conspicuous Moth & Moth Caterpillar galleries