by Paul Browning

From the author: The book is has been compiled over 16 years, and was completed in 2011. It has been designed as a field guide, and includes photos of all but four of the butterflies found on the peninsula; these four have been described with reference to similar species. Where necessary for identification, male, female and underside photos are included. The book illustrates 218 species and includes just over 1,000 photographs.

A Review by Peter Eeles - 22nd April 2012

Anyone visiting an unfamiliar region will know just how indispensible a field guide can be. Many readers will be familiar with the Collins Butterfly Guide by Tolman and Lewington, as well as Butterflies of Europe by Tristan Lafranchis, each of which covers the whole of Europe. This book, however, is much more focused - on the butterflies of the Iberian Peninsula, covering Spain and Portugal.

The book is packed with information and (quite excellent) photos, with many diagnostics highlighted to help distinguish between similar species (such as the grizzled skippers). Each species is described in terms of habitat, distribution, larval foodplant, identification, together with any other pertinent notes. Each of these sections is expanded where necessary, depending on the species in question. The flight period for each species is also shown. One minor niggle is that each species distribution, while being described in detail in terms of region names, is not also shown on a map. However, I can appreciate the space constraints imposed in any field guide.

I have to say that I really like this book and know that I will be putting it to good use the next time I visit Spain or Portugal. As such, it is highly recommended and suggest you get your copy of this limited edition publication while you can.

Ordering

This title is now, unfortunately, out of print.