There is no doubting the veracity of Lewington's paintings, each a true work of art.' Richard Jones, BBC WildlifeRichard Lewington has spent his life portraying the natural world, combining the art of entomological illustration with scientific accuracy to create images that express the full beauty and intricacies of the objects that he studies.The advantage of illustrations when it comes to species identification is that Richard studies a series of specimens both from museums and in the field and is able to define points of subtle difference to produce an idealised portrayal of each insect – essential when it comes to comparing similar species.Here, for the first time, his superbly detailed paintings of butterflies, moths and their caterpillars have been brought together into a single volume, providing a spectacular way to browse the remarkable diversity of Lepidoptera that Britain and Ireland have to offer.- Introduction by the artist explaining his illustration techniques: how he observes, measures, draws and finally paints the insects in their natural postures.- 4,400 colour artworks covering 2,240 species of butterflies and moths and their caterpillars.- 1,875 up-to-date distribution maps.- Checkboxes for personal record-keeping.