THE IRISH BUTTERFLY BOOK

A new book on Ireland’s butterflies is available now.

A review of the book is available in The Irish Times.

Please note the correct contact email for the author:

jesmondmharding@gmail.com

The Irish Times review is here:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/another-life-what-to-do-if-you-disturb-a-butterfly-s-winter-slumber-1.4759961

The often mysterious behaviour of Ireland’s butterflies is explored in this book.

Why do some female Speckled Woods flaunt themselves at males, while other female Speckled Woods behave so evasively? Can Brimstone butterflies forecast the weather? How do male Small Coppers react to persistent attacks from larger males? Why do Small Tortoiseshells enter hibernation in mid-summer in areas as far apart as Dublin and Donegal, months before they hibernate in other places nearby?

How does the male Green-veined White react when he faces a highly competitive mating environment? Do social caterpillars cannibalise? Why do male Brown Hairstreaks ignore females after 11 am? Why do we never see Painted Ladies leave Ireland during autumn?  Why do some male butterflies check caterpillar foodplants? Is the warming climate making life easier or harder for Ireland’s butterflies?

The culmination of over 25 years of study and thousands of records, THE IRISH BUTTERFLY BOOK  documents the full life cycle of every Irish butterfly from egg to adult butterfly and includes over 400 original colour photographs. There are one or more photos for each life stage of every species making this book the first of its kind.

Among the contents of this book are:

· Butterfly ecology

· Gardening advice

· Butterfly life cycles and behaviour

· A site guide detailing the best places in Ireland to see butterflies

THE IRISH BUTTERFLY BOOK also has its own YouTube channel (linked to within the book) where you can enjoy film footage of Ireland’s butterflies.

Beautifully presented and designed, with a large font size and accessible text, this book is a great addition to the Irish wildlife bibliography.

“It’s a book full of knowledge, from Harding’s own painstaking observation and also new lepidopteral research. Most people are content just to have a name for a butterfly, but his essays on each species open up fresh worlds of interest, observation and mystery.” Michael Viney, Irish Times Review, January 2022.

Available directly from the author. ISBN 978-0-9560546-1-6. Softback. Full-colour printing, 328 pages. €35 inclusive of postage within Ireland.

Contact: jesmondmharding@gmail.com.

Book Sample Pages

Text and photographs © J. Harding