The conspicuous mourning cloak is one of over 500 species of butterflies and moths found in this region. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 70 familiar and unique species and includes information on their life cycle and features illustrations of conspicuous caterpillars and pupae. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike. Made in the USA.

Information on the biology of ants and various techniques for studying ants is included. An extensive chapter on ant identification forms the bulk of this handbook with keys to worker ants, queen ants and male ants accompanied by colour and b/w plates. A quick-check field key is also included for use in the field. This is a digital reprint of the 1996 first edition (ISBN 0-85546-305-8).

Texas' state insect -- the monarch butterfly -- is one of over 1700 species of butterflies and moths found in this region. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 70 familiar and unique species and includes information on their life cycle and features illustrations of common caterpillars and pupae. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike. Made in the USA.

This beautifully illustrated pocket field guide is packed with information on the marvellous variety of insects that inhabits Britain and the near Continent. It includes more than 180 species, including dragonflies, bees, wasps, beetles, bugs and flies, all of which are illustrated with superb full-colour artworks. A concise written account covering size, description, habitat, distribution, foodplants and habits appears on the same page as the illustrations for each species. The easy-to-follow layouts and superb artworks aid quick and accurate identification, and make this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet packed with essential information for the nature enthusiast. To protect it against the elements in the field, the book is wrapped in a durable plastic wallet. Also included is a fold-out insert with at-a-glance illustrations showing comparisons between similar species. Renowned natural history artists Sandra Doyle and Stuart Carter painted the illustrations.

Bugs can sometimes really...bug you. On the flip side, they pollinate crops, provide food for birds and other wildlife, produce honey and other useful things, and serve as bellwether indicators of our environment's health. That's to say nothing of aesthetic worth. Iridescent dragonflies weaving patterns of light as they patrol a lakeshore, a ghostly luna moth drifting through the dusk - encounters like these enrich our lives enormously. That's what ""Hey, Bug Doctor!"" is all about: appreciating that the difference between a pesky and a helpful bug often comes down to how, when, and where you find it. Few of us realize that better than entomologist Jim Howell, who is known to readers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution through his helpful, humorous columns on getting along with bugs. Gathered here are Howell's profiles of over sixty crawling and flying (and yes, biting and stinging) bugs commonly found in homes, gardens, and yards in Georgia and around the Southeast. Each illustrated profile describes the bug's appearance, diet, behavior, and impact on the natural and built environments. Like Howell's widely read newspaper columns, the profiles offer unusual facts, popular myths, and stories of real-life encounters. A single square yard of your lawn or garden can contain hundreds, even thousands, of bugs. Here is proven, practical guidance on those beautiful, ugly, harmless, toxic, and ultimately amazing creatures with which you share your home and yard.

The Pollinators Set offers three of our bestselling guides to nature's pollinators--Bats, Bees & Other Pollinators and Butterflies & Moths--attractively packaged in an acetate bag. These beautifully illustrated folding guides highlight many familiar and unique species. Laminated for durability, Pocket Naturalist Guides are lightweight, pocket-sized sources of portable information and ideal for field use by naturalists of all ages. Made in the USA.

"A ground-breaking identification guide ... the perfect marriage of artistic excellence, deep knowledge and, dare I say it, of scientists' genuine affection." BRETT WESTWOOD This brand new illustrated field guide covers all 47 species of ladybird occurring in the British Isles in a handy and easy-to-use format. Twenty-seven species are colourful and conspicuous and easily recognised as ladybirds; the remaining species are more challenging, but the clear illustrations and up-to-date text in this guide will help to break down the identification barriers. A useful introduction provides an overview of ladybird ecology, tips on studying and recording, and suggested sites for finding ladybirds. The main part of the book comprises detailed species texts, covering field characters, food, habitats, suggested survey methods, ranges, conservation statuses and distribution trends. An illustrated at-a-glance identification guide and helpful pointers for differentiating similar-looking species are also included. With 102 colour photographs and 47 distribution maps, combined with Richard Lewington's peerless artwork, this is the definitive guide to one of our most cherished and charismatic insect groups.

Fear and fascination set wasps apart from other insects. Despite their iconic form and distinctive colours, they are surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. Often portrayed in cartoon-like stereotypes bordering on sad parody, wasps have an unwelcome and undeserved reputation for aggressiveness bordering on vindictive spite. This mistrust is deep-seated in a human history that has awarded commercial and spiritual value to other insects, such as bees, but has failed to recognize any worth in wasps. Leading entomologist Richard Jones redresses the balance in this enlightening and entertaining guide to the natural and cultural history of these powerful carnivores. Jones delves into their complex nesting and colony behavior, their unique caste system and their major role at the centre of many food webs. Drawing on up-to-date scientific concepts and featuring many striking colour illustrations, Jones successfully shows exactly why wasps are worthy of greater understanding and appreciation.

British mosquitoes are often overlooked by entomologists in favour of their wilder, tropical cousins. This book brings together all of the current research and information on British mosquitoes, providing a comprehensive, accessible guide to the study and identification of British species. Chapters cover life histories, identification and habitat, accompanied by detailed illustrations. Detailed keys for the identification of eggs, larvae, pupae and adults form the centre of the book, which also includes practical guidance for studying mosquitoes, including where to find them and how to recognise them in all stages of their life cycle. This book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to broaden their knowledge of the British mosquito, from those with an amateur interest, to students and professionals seeking to publish research on the species. This is a reprint of the first edition published in 1990 (ISBN 0-85546-275-2).

Introduces readers to the roles of butterflies in world ecosystems, as well as threats to butterfly populations and conservation efforts. Eye-catching infographics, clear text, and a "That's Amazing!" feature make this book an engaging exploration of the importance of butterflies.

The second edition of the award-winning book The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia is a fully updated guide to all butterfly species on Australia's mainland and remote islands. Written by one of Australia's leading lepidopterists, the book is stunningly illustrated with colour photographs, many of which are new, of each of the 435 currently recognised species. There is also a distribution map and flight chart for each species on the Australian mainland, together with information on similar species, variation, behaviour, habitat, status and larval food plants.

Introduces readers to the roles of butterflies in world ecosystems, as well as threats to butterfly populations and conservation efforts. Eye-catching infographics, clear text, and a "That's Amazing!" feature make this book an engaging exploration of the importance of butterflies.

This ground-breaking identification guide to all the dragonflies and damselflies of Britain and Europe brings some of the top field experts in Odonata from across the continent together with Richard Lewington, widely accepted to be Europe's foremost illustrator of insects. The guide covers all of Europe, from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean basin, including western Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Azores, Canaries and Madeira. All 160 species are described, with detailed field descriptions, notes on similar species, information on behaviour, range and status, habitat and flight season. Where necessary, simple keys and tables of similar species are provided. Distribution maps indicate species' ranges. Each species is lavishly illustrated with artworks of males and females, immatures, colour varieties, detailed side views, and close-ups of important characters. Photographs and line drawings of key features are additional identification aids.

We are all fascinated by, and often wary of, the tiny animals that creep and crawl in our gardens or lurk in the dark corners of our homes, but how much do we really know about insects and their relatives? Nick Baker's Bug Book aims to encourage our understanding of all types of bugs by providing practical information and fun activities. Learn how to determine the sex of a spider, how to look after ants in a home-made formicarium and even how to rear your own dragonflies. Packed with details on essential equipment for bug watching and collecting, informative illustrations and close-up photography, this book is essential reading for budding entomologists of all ages.

A wonderful pairing with the Metamorphosis journal or a beautiful stand-alone gift, this notecard set includes 16 cards featuring 8 original compositions (with over 15 moths and butterflies), colored envelopes, and a gorgeous keepsake box. The backs of the cards list the common and scientific names of each butterfly and moth as well as the organic materials used to create each piece.

Bees are a fascinating and indispensable group of insects, but many species are in decline, and efforts to help determine distributions and changes in abundance have to date been compromised by a serious lack of identification resources. This eagerly anticipated new addition to the highly acclaimed British Wildlife Field Guides series will unravel the complexities of identification, and is designed to cater for people new to the bee world as well as to more experienced recorders who wish to identify every species accurately. It provides the latest information on the identification, ecology, status and distribution of all 275 species of bee in Britain, Ireland and the Channel Islands. - Written by Steven Falk, professional naturalist and conservationist with over forty years' experience of working with bees - Illustrated with over 1,000 colour and black & white artworks by Richard Lewington, one of Europe's leading insect artists - Stunning photographs of living insects as seen in the wild - 234 up-to-date distribution maps - Comprehensive introduction to bee classification, ecology, field techniques and recording, a full glossary, and information on how to separate the sexes and distinguish bees from other insects - Introductions to families and genera, describing key characters and life histories - Detailed species descriptions covering field and microscopic characters, similar species, variants, flight season, habitat, flowers visited, nesting habits, status & distribution, and parasites & associates - A series of innovative illustrated keys to genera and species, designed to guide the user step by step through the identification process

Cricket song is a sound of the Australian bush. Even in cities, the rasping calls signify Australia's remarkable cricket biodiversity. Crickets are notable for a variety of reasons. When their population booms, some of these species become agricultural pests and destroy crop pastures. Some introduced species are of biosecurity concern. Other crickets are important food sources for native birds, reptiles and mammals, as well as domestic pets. Soon you might even put them in your cake or stir-fry, as there is a rapidly growing industry for cricket products for human consumption. Featuring keys, distribution maps, illustrations and detailed colour photographs from CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection, A Guide to Crickets of Australia allows readers to reliably identify all 92 described genera and many species from the Grylloidea (true crickets) and Gryllotalpoidea (mole crickets and ant crickets) superfamilies. Natural history enthusiasts and professionals will find this an essential guide. Features Comprehensive account of all 92 genera and many species from the Grylloidea (true crickets) and Gryllotalpoidea (mole crickets and ant crickets) superfamilies. Keys, illustrations, detailed colour photographs and distribution maps to aid identification. Chapters on biology, morphology, collecting crickets and crickets as food.

We can see them fly gracefully from flower to flower with their multi-coloured wings: they are butterflies, the most admired and collected of insects; like bees, they are vital for plant pollination, which is why we have recently started protecting them as their numbers are significantly dwindling. Through this book you will get to know them better, explore their physiology, their defence and reproduction mechanisms and their most noteworthy features, and uncover the secrets behind the complicated patterns and amazing colours that characterize their appearance. We will also focus on the dangers that these wonderful insects face today due to pollution and human intervention that is putting at serious risk the life of a species that we need to protect at any cost, for example by following the instructions at the end of the book that explain how to set out your garden or balcony in order to attract - and help - these most heavenly insects.