Butterflies of the South Pacific
The South Pacific is a vast expanse of ocean over 50 million km² with tiny scattered islands and island groups. From Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji in the west, to the far-flung Marquesas and Austral Islands in French Polynesia in the east, this book surveys (and discovers) the butterfly inhabitants of these tropical islands. For completeness, Hawaii to the north where there are many fewer islands in an otherwise empty ocean is included. To the south and with a much larger land area, lies temperate New Zealand, with a further string of islands reaching into subantarctic waters. It is easy to misjudge butterflies as fragile flying insects: their distribution across a wild and expansive Pacific Ocean proves otherwise. Long ago they colonised by flight isolated and tiny atolls and they continue to claim new territory. Others came by land bridges when sea levels were lower, to mark out their distribution and perhaps establish new species. More recently, people have made their way into the South Pacific region; the final chapter considers the impacts of human migration and population growth, and identifies conservation issues.
Price:
NZ$ 49.95
hardback
240
9781877578045
View your shopping basket or Browse other items in SCIENCE & NATURE.