Product Review

The main purpose of this field guide is to enable the user to identify, to species, any skipper found within the borders of the state of Illinois. The authors also hope that the abundant references will encourage readers to sample more of the opportunities available to learn about skippers, and related topics. The skippers, classified in the superfamily Hesperioidea, and the "true butterflies" of the superfamily Papilionoidea are clearly related. There are significant differences in the anatomical characteristics - in the skippers' large head and hooked antennae, in their wing venation, and in their stout bodies with relatively short wings. The book is filled with color photos in the species accounts to aid in identification. This guide was a natural next step after our publication of Field Guide to Butterflies of Illinois and Field Guide to Silkmoths of Illinois.