Dispar
The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
ISSN 2056-9246
The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
ISSN 2056-9246
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by Jason Sargerson
From the publisher:
Switzerland has a Mediterranean climate in the valleys in the south and west and a Champagne climate in the mountains in the centre and east. This allows butterfly populations to thrive and proliferate. It has a first class integrated transport system that enables access to every region of Switzerland. Butterfly habitats across Switzerland can be visited very easily by public transport.
This 36-page booklet is a very concise guide to the butterflies of Switzerland, with photos from the author and UK Butterflies' very own Guy Padfield! I wasn't too sure about the A4 format at first, but have decided that I really like this, simply because it allows you to see so much information on one page. I've no doubt that readers will be able to locate the butterflies they've seen very quickly as a result.
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Following an introduction and a listing of common species that may turn up anywhere, the guide is organised into a number of sections, each focused on a particular type of habitat. These sections are wetland, lowland, rocky steppe, mountain and high mountain. In each section there is a listing of species that might be encountered, each species having a corresponding photo as well as a brief description that provides suggestions of localities where the butterfly may be seen, flight times, and any other relevant information that might help the reader find their quarry.
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The guide contains additional sections on a variety of topics. One section contains information on the "Ringlets" which are sometimes difficult to identify in a country where so many different species fly. There are also links and pointers to items such as books, websites, maps and the Swiss recording scheme.
To reiterate, I think this guide's strength is its brevity, which may sound contradictory, but if you're planning on visiting Switzerland in search of butterflies, or want a guide that will allow you to quickly identify species that you've seen, then this guide is for you.
Visitors can order the publication directly from Jason. Simply send a £10 cheque (payable to J Sargerson) for delivery within the UK, or £12 for delivery within the rest of Europe, to: Jason Sargerson, 17 Muirfield Park, Westbourne Avenue, Hull, HU5 3JF (Email: jason@sargerson.freeserve.co.uk). Alternatively, order via Charaxes Publications.