It never ceases to amaze me the wonderful things you can find on Etsy. Being a tarantula enthusiast, it is one topic I find myself searching quite often. Recently I came across artist Laura Airey Le and her Etsy store GrayGhostCreations. The first thing that drew me to her store was her tarantula art prints; then I found her “The Old World Tarantula Coloring Book.”
I am noticing a pattern on Amazon. Tarantula books written by people who have little knowledge on tarantulas. I covered this type of thing before in 2018 with my review of the horrible book “Goliath Birdeater: Goliath Birdeaters As Pets” by Adam Burton. Now I have found another one. The title? “Pink Toe Tarantula: The Complete Guide On Everything You Need To Know About Pink Toe Tarantula” by Jackson James. The first indication of a problem is the title. First off, I think “everything you need to know” would take more than ten pages. Second, the last word should be plural. Third, just look at the cover.
It’s been awhile since a new book came out on tarantulas and “The Tarantula Gallery: Image Reference & Species Accounts” is one not to be missed! I had not seen anything on this book until I did a recent, random search on Amazon and it came up. When it comes to tarantula books I am a completist so ordered it right away.
When I became aware of this book, I became excited immediately. Birdwing butterflies have always been my favorite type of Lepidoptera, both for their amazing colors and their size. Though I am a fan of both D’Abrera’s book “Birdwing Butterflies of the World” and the series of books “A Monograph of the Birdwing Butterflies” by J. Haugum and A.M. Low, it seemed, sight-unseen, that this release would be the ultimate guide to these incredible insects.
Continue reading BUGGY BOOK REVIEW: “Outstanding Birdwing Butterflies” by Gilles Deslisle and Jean-Pierre Sclavo
For me, seeing butterflies in my yard, or out on a hike is a thrill, especially if there is a lot of them. Growing up, butterfly populations were much higher than they are today, which just adds to the thrill when you see something you haven’t seen in awhile. It’s nice to know that they’re still there.
I first became aware of the book “The Last Butterflies: A Scientist’s Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature” thanks to a piece on NPR. Being a lover of Lepidoptera, I thought this would be an interesting book as it dealt with declining numbers in the butterfly world, a subject that has been on my mind a lot. I wasn’t sure what to expect as some of these books can be over-scientific, making it difficult to read. I am happy to report that this book is written so that everyone can enjoy it.
Continue reading BUGGY BOOK REVIEW: “The Last Butterflies” by Nick Haddad
For as long as I can remember I have had an interest in butterflies. In fact, one of my fondest memories as a child during the 1970’s was raising monarch butterflies every summer with my mother’s help. She would drive me to places where milkweed was growing and would help me find the tiny eggs and caterpillars, which we would bring home, raise and then release the adults. We would raise hundreds each summer. What is truly sad is that today, finding eggs and caterpillars seem to be almost impossible as monarch populations are on the decline.
Growing up I was not much of a fan of spiders. On the one hand I thought they were kind of cool looking. On the other, they could be so fast and could bite! I think as a child I just felt it was safer to collect butterflies and moths. As I got older though my appreciation for these eight-legged invertebrates grew and now, I am a huge fan of arachnids. Though their speed and ability to bite makes me hesitant to hold them, I have a huge respect for them, especially with how beneficial they are to the world around us.
Continue reading BUGGY BOOK REVIEW: “Common Spiders of North America” by Richard A. Bradley
I have been on the search for the ultimate butterfly gardening guide for awhile now and with this one concentrating on the use of native plants, thought I would add it to my library. Up until recently I hadn’t taken into consideration the importance of using native species so wanted to learn more.
Continue reading BUGGY BOOK REVIEW: “Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants” by Christopher Kline
If you are a regular reader of my blogs then you know that I absolutely love books on insects and arachnids, especially when it comes to butterflies and moths. Forty-five years ago began my interest in Lepidoptera and the passion has lasted until now. I started out as a collector and now any new collecting I do is in the form of photos. Any work with actual specimens is in conservation and raising these beautiful creatures.
davethebugguy.org 