New Zealand: Entomological Society of New Zealand, 2013. Octavo, paperback, colour photographs.

An accessible beginner's guide to New Zealand's most domesticated and observed butterfly. This book, aimed at younger readers, is a response to the unique educational opportunity that the monarch offers. Many New Zealand children have had their first fascinating introduction to biology while observing the life cycle of the monarch in their own backyards: nurturing the larva by ensuring a good supply of milkweeds for it to feast upon, marvelling at the exquisite pupa it creates for its final stage of development and, if they are lucky, watching the fully-formed butterfly finally emerge. For this book author George Gibbs worked with the Entomological Society of New Zealand to revise his earlier book, The Monarch Butterfly (Reed 1994), and produce an up-to-date survey of what is known about this remarkable butterfly, examining in detail the life cycle of the monarch, discussing its special features, habits, behaviours and means of survival, and investigating how it came to New Zealand. With stunning photographs to illustrate the text, this is an accessible and visually appealing guide to a captivating creature.