I am such a fan of Christopher Kline, what he has done at Butterfly Ridge in Rockbridge, Ohio and of the books he has been publishing. This review is for his most recent release, “The Moths of Butterfly Ridge: A Beginner’s Guide to Attracting and Identifying Moths in Ohio.”

I have reviewed many of Chris’ book in the past and this one is, to date, the largest. Since moving into the woods and using my moth light nightly, I have come to appreciate the nocturnal Lepidoptera of Rhode Island. Though there are a few guides out there to moths, this one stands out as one of my favorites.

There is a nice introduction to moths in the beginning. Everything is geared for the hobbyist or person with an appreciation for nature. The only thing scientific about this book is the Latin names for each species. When it comes to these books, the less is more format goes a long way.

First off, for each species listed, the most important information is given per species. Scientific and common names are listed as well as a list of caterpillar host plants and a description of the species as well, helping in identification.

One of the most important aspects of the book, besides the photographs, is a timeline for each species showing not only what months of the year they can be found, but also what months during the year Chris has seen them at Butterfly Ridge. This information is so important. If you can narrow down their normal flight times, finding them will be much easier.

There are over five hundred species represented in this book with almost six hundred photographs. This is quite the feat when you think about the moths being nocturnal and can usually only be seen at night. The photographs are wonderful, making identification very easy. In some cases arrows are also used on the pictures to point out identifying marks that will help even more in figuring out what you may be looking at.

This is another great book that is a perfect addition to my entomological library. To order your own copy, you can click on the image below. While there check out the rest of his site and offerings of other great books!

~David Albaugh