Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America by Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman

  • The only compact field guide to every butterfly found regularly in North America north of the Mexican border
  • More than 2,300 pictures of butterflies in natural poses, in digital images based on photographs
  • Most butterflies shown both from above and from below
  • Males and females are both illustrated if they look noticeably different, and regional variations are shown as well
  • Detailed range maps show where each species is common or rare
  • Lively, engaging text describes the habits and habitats of each butterfly
  • Illustrations, maps, and text are all visible at a glance, in facing-page format
  • Pictorial Table of Contents to guide users to the right section
Spring 2003 saw publication of the second Kaufman Field Guide, Butterflies of North America, covering every butterfly found from south Texas to the Arctic. Using the same method of illustration as Birds of North America, it features more than 2,300 pictures of butterflies in natural postures.

PictureClick the image to read a personal note from Kenn on butterflies
An innovation of this guide was the inclusion of an “actual size” silhouette on each page, to give a more realistic idea of how large or small each butterfly species will appear in life.  This graphic illustration is more easily understood than the measurements of wing length given in other guides.

As with other books in the series, the "Pictorial Table of Contents" will quickly lead to the right section of the book, even for someone who has never looked at butterflies before.  Color tabs help with navigating through the various sections. Everything about the design was intended to live up to the claim that the Kaufman Guides are “the most user-friendly guides ever published” in a particular subject.

In September 2006, a new printing of the field guide was published. This printing added four new color plates of butterflies that are rare visitors from Mexico to southern Texas or Arizona, reflecting the increased interest of butterfly watchers in searching for such rare strays from the tropics. This printing also updated the classification and scientific names of all the butterflies, to bring them into line with the latest nomenclature used by scientists.

Jim P. Brock began studying butterflies as a kid in California, and in the late 1970s he moved to Arizona, where he has made many discoveries about larval foodplants and butterfly life histories. He has studied butterflies and led tours for observers throughout North America and the American tropics. Jim is renowned for his ability to recognize butterflies in the field, even at a distance, and for his uncanny ability to spot caterpillars that are overlooked by everyone else. Among his other writing credits, he is coauthor of Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona and Caterpillars in the Field and Garden.

Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Originally published (2003) as Kaufman Focus Guide to Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.  ISBN: 978-0-618-76826-4