The Butterflies of Minnesota

About the Book

If you are a bird watcher, (and one of every seven of us is), you already have the knowledge, equipment, and the opportunity to also observe butterflies. You know different seasons and different habitats have different species. You must be in the right place at the right time to see the particular species you are hunting. You may take photographs or may just use binoculars, but you probably compile a “Life List” of the species you find. This book is intended to help you and the amateur butterflier to find and identify the various species of Minnesota butterflies. It also is a journal for you to write in your observations of species found, dates, locations, weather conditions, habitat types, or any other interesting observations (a “Life List” with detail). Many People are enjoying the new activity of butterfly gardening, This is great. I strongly encourage it. But please don’t be deceived into thinking all butterflies will come. Many resident and migrant butterflies will be attracted to gardens, but some are so habitat specific they won’t cross a road and thus cannot be attracted. To see these, you must go hunt for them. I try to identify these for you in this book and help you find them if you are willing to hunt for them.

About the Author

JIM PATTERSON - Butterfly Hunter 1937 - 2008 I am not a scientist! I am a hunter of butterflies! When I was young, I collected butterflies as a casual hobby. When my children began arriving (5), I took them into the woods and meadows collecting as a family. I did the same when the grandchildren (14) came along. That was when I decided to give some direction to the collection and concentrate on finding out how many species flew in Minnesota and to learn all I could about them.