Authors Judy Burris and Wayne Richards, a
sister-brother team, tell how they created the
ultimate butterfly habitats in their own
backyards.  With cameras in hand, they set
out on a mission to record the lives of all the
butterflies that flocked to their gardens.  
Readers learn how they can create their own
butterfly havens with specific plants
suggested for each species of native butterfly,
most of which are found across North America.
Contents Page
Back Cover
Front Cover
The Life Cycles of Butterflies
From Egg to Maturity, a Visual Guide
to 23 Common Garden Butterflies
By: Judy Burris and Wayne Richards

150 pages with more than 400 color photographs
Available in paperback and hard cover editions

The perfect gift book for wildlife enthusiasts, school teachers, nature
photographers, flower gardeners, naturalists, curious kids, home-schooling
parents and butterfly lovers of any age!

For every person who has ever watched and
marveled at the magic as a butterfly emerges
from a chrysalis, this book is a treasure chest
of amazing butterfly transformations.  
Readers are invited to explore and experience
the life cycle stages of many common backyard
butterflies in this unique collection of
stunning full-color, up-close photography all
taken in a live garden setting. Photos by Judy
Burris and Wayne & Christina Richards.

Each beautiful butterfly is photographed as
an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and winged
adult.  Other detail shots highlight
caterpillar behavior, variations of adult
butterfly wing patterns on males and females,
and the color differences on the topside and
the underside of the wings.
Contact our publisher at their website
www.storey.com
Find our book online...
click on a box below
Red Admiral butterfly
























These caterpillars are named
for their long horns which
look scary, but are actually
flexible and harmless.  The
caterpillars we raised ate
walnut tree leaves for many
weeks.  They changed colors
with every molt (shedding) of
their skin.  They dig into the
dirt to spend the winter as a
pupa.  They do not spin a silk
cocoon. Many other moths
use cocoons to hide their pupa.
Booklist - "This tidy book offers the single best resource for photos of the
complete life cycles of butterflies."
Nancy Bent - American Library Association
The Washington Post - "The Life Cycles of Butterflies, by
Judy Burris and Wayne Richards is a well-written and
well-photographed text about how butterflies become
colorful, beneficial insects."
Discovery Channel Book Club - "...I love this magical book.  With
sequential images from start to maturity this rich visual guide helps you 'see'
one of nature's most wondrous creations -- it's the perfect book to read on
the front porch on a summer morning."  Carmile Zaino
St. Louis Post - "For middle-school children up through
adults, The Life Cycles of Butterflies is a serious book that
will satisfy the needs of students, gardeners, backyard
nature lovers, teachers and home-schoolers."
Seattle Post - "Though it's not billed as a children's book,
the dazzling, close-up photos and compelling writing make
this easily accessible to young readers, who will learn how
butterflies lay their highly varied eggs, how a caterpillar
grows, and on through the life cycle -- with colorful details
about specific species and the plants that attract them."
Houston Chronicle - "I think your book is a great help to gardeners at all
levels.  Everyone wants butterflies, but few want caterpillars, so they kill
the latter not knowing they're 'killing' the butterflies.  So your book helps
them learn which are absolutely hands-off.  It's a good book for kids too."   
Kathy Huber
All photographs on this site are copyright protected.  For permission to use any
photo, please contact Judy Burris at admin@butterflynature.com
New in the
garden !
Our book has won two national awards ~ Learning Magazine's
2007 Teachers' Choice Award for "Children's Books" &
"Product of Excellence for the Family"
Even though our book is not solely geared towards children, the
kids are crazy for it because it contains so many vibrant pictures.  
We are thrilled that our educational book appeals to every age group!
Beware !
Here is a caterpillar that you should
never touch with your bare hands.  
This is called a Saddleback
Caterpillar (Acharia stimulea) and
will become a small moth.  Instead of
having fleshy prolegs covered in tiny
hooks like other caterpillars, some
caterpillars like this one have
suckers that allow them to glide
across leaves instead of crawling, so
they are called "slug" caterpillars.  
These creatures also have many
stinging hairs that break off when
touched, releasing chemical
compounds that cause a very painful
skin irritation if you are unlucky
enough to come into contact with
them.  People will sometimes brush
against these insects as they are
eating leaves in bushes and trees.
These moths lay their eggs in clusters and
the young caterpillars eat together in groups
of 30-50.  Older caterpillars are solitary.  
This one is eating pin oak leaves.  Unlike the
harmless butterfly caterpillars, some moth
caterpillars have stinging hairs that may
cause serious allergic reactions in sensitive
people (especially those who are allergic to
bee stings, since some of the compounds in
the sting are the same).  So don't handle
hairy caterpillars if you are not sure if they
pose a risk.  These guys will hurt!
Here's a view of the
backside of a saddleback
caterpillar.  Looks like a
face with a furry mustache
doesn't it?
click on the award to visit
Butterfly & Nature Gifts
Many photos on
our site appear as
thumbnails. Click
on the images to
enlarge them on a
separate page.  
Dial-up users
beware, enlarging
the photos takes a
long time!
As we photograph new insect life cycles, we will post them to this site!
The life cycle of Citheronia regalis. The caterpillar is called the hickory horned devil
and the adult moth is the royal (or regal) walnut moth.  Click on images to enlarge them.
Reviews of our book
Caution !
San Antonio Express News - ". . . a remarkable visual
resource and guidebook for butterfly lovers of all ages."
Ethel Fried
. . . Just for Teachers . . .
Amazing handouts, lesson plans, class projects,
coloring pages, supplies, crafts and much more






Click on a logo
What's the difference between a butterfly and a moth?

Usually butterflies are active during the day and moths fly at night, but there are exceptions.
Butterflies have thread-like antennae with small knobs at the end.
Moth antennae look like little feathers, especially on the males, like this green luna moth.
Most butterflies have an exposed chrysalis, while many moths spin silk cocoons to hide theirs.
Moths often have very fuzzy, thick bodies and hairy legs.  Butterflies are more smooth.
Do you have a butterfly question?
Would you like to exchange kid-friendly site links?
Interested in gardening for butterflies?
Sneak a peek at our book...
click on the Garden Gate logo,
scroll down to the bottom of
their page, then click on the
right corner of our book to flip
through the pages.  Give it a
try!  It really looks cool.
Click on the logo to visit
the beautiful Butterfly
World site in Florida.
Christina     -     Wayne     -     Judy
Check out our new
photo album page
Click on a plaque to enlarge
Pipevine swallowtail butterfly caterpillars
eating their eggshells soon after hatching.
Pipevine swallowtail butterfly

Watch carefully as this black
swallowtail caterpillar sheds its final
skin and reveals the chrysalis that
has been developing underneath.  
Thanks to Justin and Valerie
Valleau for this wonderful time-lapse
photography!
Wow!
Luna Moth
Visit this amazing
butterfly
conservatory
in Ohio
Learn how to hand-raise your very own
butterflies!
See photos and step-by-step instructions....
click here

Insect life cycle photos:

Click here
Stream Cliff Herb Farm
Click here
Nature Photos
assorted butterflies
and garden pictures

click the butterfly

Check out our new
butterfly merchandise


Click Here
Beautiful photography
website by Janice

CLICK  HERE
A wonderful place to spend
an afternoon in Indiana
please sign our
visitor map
National Science Teachers Association - "Having this book in a
classroom or personal or school library would generate interest and further
awareness of nature".  Adah Stock
Click Here for the full review on their website
New   Review !
Scroll down to the bottom of this page to watch
Wayne's video