The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History - Meena Haribal

Gangtok, Sikkim, Natraj Publishers, 1992, 218 pp. in full color, 14 x 22 cm, hard cover and dust jacket, ISBN: 978-8185019116, good condition

Sikkim is one of the smallest states of India, with an area of 7299 sq. km., flanked between the two Himalayan kingdoms - Bhutan and Nepal. Due to the steepness and the geographical position almost all types of terrains from hot tropical forests to cold desert conditions are met within two hundred kilometres of its length. The bio-diversity is amazing. Of the 1400 species of butterflies found in the Indian sub-continent about 700 species have been recorded from Sikkim.

This book is a first ever easy-to-know pictorial guide for identification of butterflies of the Indian subcontinent, showing more than 600 coloured photographs of about 400 species of butterflies. The text includes diagnostic characters and little known ecology from literature, including the author's personal observations. An attempt is also made to compile the life histories of the butterflies described in the book, which are scattered in various journals and other scientific publications and are not easily retrievable. A chapter on how to study butterflies, meant particularly for beginners and amateurs is also included.