Dispar
The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
ISSN 2056-9246

03 July 2014
© Peter Eeles
Citation: Eeles, P. (2014). A Review of: The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, 3rd edition (2014) [Online]. Available from http://www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=65 [Accessed March 29, 2024].

A Review of: The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, 3rd edition (2014)


Review by Peter Eeles

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by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington

From the publisher: The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland provides comprehensive coverage of all our resident and migratory butterflies, including the latest information on newly discovered species such as Cryptic Wood and the Geranium Bronze. The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland is widely considered not only the best butterfly book ever published but also one of the classic nature books. When first published in 1991 it won the Natural World Book of the Year Award and won plaudits from all quarters. Fully revised, considerably expanded and reset in 2010, it was judged that year's Guardian Nature Book of the Year. Now revised again to reflect the latest research findings, and with up-to-date distribution maps, this remarkable book is THE guide to the appearance, behaviour, life cycle and ecology of the butterflies of Britain and Ireland.

A Review by Peter Eeles - 3rd July 2014

2010 saw the long-awaited update to the classic work "The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland" by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington. Four years on, and this landmark publication has been brought bang up to date in this 3rd edition. So what's changed?

Aside from the new cover illustration, which shows off Lewington's renowned artistic skills to the full, the text has been updated to reflect recent changes. One of the most significant is the inclusion of the Cryptic Wood White (Leptidea juvernica) which replaces Réal's Wood White (Leptidea reali) after the latter was found to comprise two different species with, of the two species, only the Cryptic Wood White found in the British Isles.

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Each species has also had its distribution map updated, based on the latest information from the Biological Records Centre and Butterfly Conservation. For some species this represents a range expansion, possibly the result of global warming or simply increased monitoring. One notable example is the distribution map of the Long-tailed Blue which, following the 2013 invasion, shows sightings from most of the coast of southern England. The 2013 influx of the continental Swallowtail is also described. The Essex Skipper is also correctly shown as resident in Ireland.

In general, most of the species accounts seem to have been updated to a lesser or greater degree, with recent findings included as appropriate, such as the newly-discovered migration behaviour of the Painted Lady. The more substantial changes are in the descriptions of Glanville Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, High Brown Fritillary, Large Tortoiseshell, Small Tortoiseshell, Large Blue, Lulworth Skipper, Wood White and, as has already been mentioned, Cryptic Wood White, Long-tailed Blue and Painted Lady. The section on Further Reading has also been updated.

One of the other significant changes from 2010 is that the book is now available in both paperback and hardback, with the paperback price being lower than the 2010 hardback price - a bargain if ever there was one! For those that don't own the 2nd edition, then purchasing the 3rd edition is a no-brainer if you have any interest in butterflies at all! It is, quite simply, the best book on the butterflies of Britain and Ireland bar none. However, for those that already own the 2010 2nd edition, there is obviously a question that needs to be answered - do the changes in the 3rd edition warrant the purchase price? I personally like to have the most up-to-date information to hand so would definitely have bought the new edition if I'd not been sent a review copy.

Trying to characterise those that might not choose to "upgrade" from their 2nd edition reminds me of the "What have the Romans ever done for us?" Monty Python sketch! Don't bother getting the new edition if you don't mind the missing Cryptic Wood White species description. Oh - and the redundant Réal's Wood White description. And the out-of-date distribution maps. And the missing findings that have been made since 2010. If you really don't mind all of those things then, yes, stick with the 2nd edition. Time to upgrade?

How to Order

The book can be ordered from British Wildlife Publishing.