Roland Wauer
Grab your binoculars, close-focusing if you’ve got them, a notebook and a pencil and/or a field guide, and this book and go butterflying! This book tells you where to go and what to look for to find the hundreds of butterflies that can be found in Texas. The book’s chapters represent Texas’ major physiographical regions (as shown on page 6). Each chapter includes an overview map of the area, with the major destinations numbered, a short description of the region, a discussion on regional specialties (listed taxonomically), information on the nearest food, gas lodging and camping, and then the meat of the book, the site descriptions.
Each site description includes a map of the area, an introduction to the area and/or facility, lists habitats, directions and “Strategy for finding the most butterflies.” Strategies include where to go, what times of year are the most productive, and describes trails, gardens and other ‘worthwhile’ spots at the site. The specialty butterfly’s names are printed in bold text. The chapters end with a short description of “Additional Worthwhile Sites in the Region” and a preliminary checklist of the region’s butterfly checklist, including seasonal abundance. Black and white photos show you the habitat, several color plates feature butterflies. Even the index shouldn’t be overlooked, as it lists butterfly species, specific destinations like parks and nature centers, towns and even some nature lodges. Butterfly names follow the NABA checklist, other names used by other sources are included. Appendices provide plant names, references, regional checklist resources and a checklist of Texas Butterflies, including strays from Mexico.
From the publisher: Butterfly-watching may be the fastest growing outdoor activity in the country, appealing equally to those who simply enjoy these beautiful insects and to serious observers who keep life lists of species seen. The recent publication of many user-friendly field guides has made butterfly identification easier and has increased the popularity of the activity.
Ro Wauer traveled from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas to the northern Panhandle and from the Pineywoods in the east to the western Trans-Pecos region to find seventy-six of the best places in the state to watch butterflies. They include well-known sites, such as the NABA International Butterfly Garden in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, where you may be lucky enough to see a Ruby-spotted Swallowtail or a Red-bordered Pixie. But many sites are smaller, locally known areas, such as Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area, southeast of Dallas, where you may find a Little Glassywing, a Frosted Elfin, and even a rare Outis Skipper.
Ro selected sites that have butterflies not easily found elsewhere in Texas. Sometimes, these regional specialties are so rare that they are not typically found anywhere else in the United States. Sites near major metropolitan areas and tourist destinations have also been included, so that visitors with limited time can enjoy good butterfly-watching nearby.
The introduction to each of the ten regions in the state includes a description of its geography and a list of the regional specialties with the best places to find them. Each region has a checklist showing the species found at individual sites. A full checklist of the butterflies of Texas is included as an appendix.
Driving directions to the sites and instruction on how to find the most species while visiting them are at the heart of the book. Travelers will appreciate notes on the nearest food, gas, camping, and lodging. Maps of the sites and color photographs of representative species accompany the text.,P>
Finding Butterflies in Texas is an indispensable guide to all butterfly enthusiasts living and traveling in this immense, butterfly-rich state. It’s the next best thing to hiring a local guide."
Paper, viii + 327 pages, 6 x 9 inches, full-color photographs, maps, checklists, October 2006
And a review from the Tex-Butterfly Listserv:
Roland H. Wauer's "Finding Butterflies in Texas: A Guide to the Best Sites, ISBN 1-55566-366-4 has just been published, and once again Ro has given us another great resource. With a pair a binocs, a field guide, and this new book, butterfliers have all they need to locate the many species of butterflies that Texas has to offer.
The book divides Texas into its 10 habitat regions. Within each region, Ro starts by ranking the site that has the potential to produce the most species or specialties and continues through many sites to unproven locations, taking away a lot of guesswork for folks not familiar with a particular region.
Sites are described well, with great directions and maps. Specialties for each site are put in boldface, plus Ro gives a regional checklist for each of the 10 regions, and provides abundance status for each butterfly on the checklist.
Besides the great maps, the book has numerous black-and-white photos of the sites, and large, colored illustrations of several Texas butterflies.
Lastly, Ro provides a complete Texas butterfly checklist in the back of the book. Also, the book is well made and well bound.
Again, unless you are familiar with all the butterflying sites throughout Texas (and few, if any of us are), this is a must have, long-awaited resource for all of us that enjoy the butterflies. Jan and I very much recommend Ro Wauer's "Finding Butterflies in Texas: A Guide to the Best Sites". Thanks, Ro!
David T. Dauphin
Mission, TX
