100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica.

This collection of more than 100 full-color portraits of plant-eating machines that develop into moths and butterflies captures the beauty of these creatures up close. Each specimen was collected by the authors or by gusaneros, the resident caterpillar collectors of the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste in Costa Rica. From the nearly 9,500 species of caterpillars that make their home in the area, the authors, who are conservation biologists, selected 100 of the most colorful and distinctive for their gallery of full-page, finely detailed photos at the front of this book. At the back are pages, about one per species, describing each specimen and--in an unusual twist on butterfly books--a small rendering of each one's adult form. What results is an homage to some of nature's most fascinating creatures with some of the weirdest appearances. Harvard, 2006, 264 p., color plates, hardcover, $39.95.