Familiar species, common plants, and natural phenomena are introduced in these beautifully illustrated guides to nature and the outdoors. Printed on laminated, water-resistant paper in a folded format, Pocket Naturalist Guides are highly durable for use in the field as each title provides a portable reference to a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, butterflies, and insects. Nature enthusiasts, from the ultimate beginner to the seasoned explorer, will relish the abundance of detailed information packed within these hand-held guides. Including information on the natural history, habitat, and distribution of beetles, this addition to the Pocket Naturalist Guides series beautifully showcases more than 120 of the most common insect species of the Coleoptera order. North American beetles, from the ladybug beetle and the giant stag beetle to the bombardier beetle and the harlequin bug, are included in this helpful reference.

"The Beekeeper's Bible" is as much an ultimate guide to the practical essentials of beekeeping as it is a beautiful almanac to be read from cover to cover. Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one's own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Fully illustrated with how-to photography and unique etchings, any backyard enthusiast or gardener can confidently dive into beekeeping with this book in hand (or daydream about harvesting their own honey while relaxing in the comfort of an armchair).
Praise for "The Beekeeper's Bible"
"Jones and Sweeney-Lynch explain the science and society of bees in clear, accessible language. And the recipes are admirably useful: honey scones, honey soap, honey hangover cures. 'Oh, stuff and fluff, ' as Pooh might say. Dip a paw into this richly satisfying volume and you won't have to do stoutness exercises."
-"The New York Times
""Lip-smackin' throughout, "The Beekeeper's Bible" is, at its heart, a glorious invitation into the depths of the honeybee hive." --"Chicago Tribune"
"An elegant, information-packed addition to the library of the most serious beekeeper." --"Better Homes & Gardens Country Gardens"

"An amazing compendium of information, lore, facts, tips, techniques, and benefits of having bees in your life--whether you choose to keep a hive yourself, enjoy the by-products, or just appreciate these wonderful creatures for all that they contribute to our human ecosystem."

--About.com

When renowned British geneticist J. B. S. Haldane was asked what could be inferred about God from a study of his works, Haldane replied, "An inordinate fondness for beetles." With 350,000 known species, and scientific estimates that millions more have yet to be identified, their abundance is indisputable as is their variety. They range from the delightful summer firefly to the one-hundred-gram Goliath beetle. Beetles offer a dazzling array of shapes, sizes, and colors that entice scientists and collectors across the globe.
"The Book of Beetles" celebrates the beauty and diversity of this marvelous insect. Six hundred significant beetle species are covered, with each entry featuring a distribution map, basic biology, conservation status, and information on cultural and economic significance. Full-color photos show the beetles both at their actual size and enlarged to show details, such as the sextet of spots that distinguish the six-spotted tiger beetle or the jagged ridges of the giant-jawed sawyer beetle. Based in the most up-to-date science and accessibly written, the descriptive text will appeal to researchers and armchair coleopterists alike.
The humble beetle continues to grow in popularity, taking center stage in biodiversity studies, sustainable agriculture programs, and even the dining rooms of adventurous and eco-conscious chefs. "The Book of Beetles" is certain to become the authoritative reference on these remarkably adaptable and beautiful creatures.

Throughout the Middle Ages, enormously popular bestiaries presented people with descriptions of rare and unusual animals, typically paired with a moral or religious lesson. The real and the imaginary blended seamlessly in these books at the time, the existence of a rhinoceros was as credible as a unicorn or dragon. Although audiences now scoff at the impossibility of mythological beasts, there remains an extraordinary willingness to suspend skepticism and believe wild stories about nature, particularly about insects and their relatives in the "Phylum Arthropoda."

In "The Earwig s Tail," entomologist May Berenbaum and illustrator Jay Hosler draw on the powerful cultural symbols of these antiquated books to create a beautiful and witty bestiary of the insect world. Berenbaum s compendium of tales is an alphabetical tour of modern myths that humorously illuminates aerodynamically unsound bees, ear-boring earwigs, and libido-enhancing Spanish flies. She tracks down the germ of scientific truth that inspires each insect urban legend and shares some wild biological lessons, which, because of the amazing nature of the insect world, can be more fantastic than even the mythic misperceptions.

We are told from the time we are children that insects and spiders are pests, when the truth is that most have little or no effect on us--although the few that do are often essential to our existence. Arthur Evans suggests we take a closer look at our slapped-at, stepped-on, and otherwise ignored cohabitants, who vastly outnumber us and whose worlds often occupy spaces that we didn't even know existed.

"What's Bugging You?" brings together fifty unforgettable stories from the celebrated nature writer and entomologist's popular "Richmond Times-Dispatch" column. Evans has scoured Virginia's wild places and returned with wondrous stories about the seventeen-year sleep of the periodical cicadas, moths that evade hungry bats by sensing echolocation signals, and the luminous language of light employed by fireflies. He also visits some not-so-wild places: the little mounds of upturned soil scattered along the margins of soccer fields are the dung beetle's calling card.

What does the world look like to a bug? Evans explores insect vision, which is both better, and worse, than that of humans (they are capable of detecting ultraviolet light, but many cannot see the color red), pausing to observe that it is its wide-set forward-looking eyes that imbue the praying mantis with "personality." He is willing to defend such oft-maligned creatures as the earwig, the tent caterpillar, and the cockroach--revealed here as a valuable scavenger, food source for other animals, and even a pollinator, that spends more time grooming itself than it does invading human space.

Evans's search for multilegged life takes him to an enchanting assortment of locations, ranging from gleaming sandy beaches preferred by a threatened tiger beetle to the shady, leaf-strewn forest floors where a centipede digs its brood chamber--to a busy country road where Evans must dodge constant foot and vehicular traffic to photograph a spider wasp as its claims its paralyzed prey. His forays also provide the reader with a unique window on the cycles of nature. What Evans refers to as the FBI--fungus, bacteria, insects--are the chief agents in decomposition and a vital part of regeneration. Evans also takes on many issues concerning humans' almost always destructive interaction with insect life, such as excessive mowing and clearing of wood that robs wildlife of its food and habitat, as well as harmful bug zappers that kill everything "but" mosquitoes.

The reader emerges from this book realizing that even seemingly mundane forms of insect and spider life present us with unexpected beauty and fascinating lifestyles.

The striking northern blue is one of over 180 species of butterflies and moths found in the diverse ecosystems of 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.

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.

Butterfly identification is now simple for everyone! This handy field guide focuses on 102 species of Florida butterflies, arranged by color. See a blue butterfly? Turn to the blue section. Perfect for backyard or field use, this book features full-color photos of each butterfly plus an illustration that points out key identification marks. You'll learn things you've always wondered about butterflies while easily identifying the ones that you see.

Increasingly the segmentation between birders, butterfly watchers, dragonfly watchers and photographers is reducing as interests overlap and there is a demand for books that cover the three popular groups. The emphasis for the 148 species of butterfly and 78 dragonflies featured in this second edition is on the commoner species, covering around 90 per cent of those that a visitor is likely to see. It is also an excellent book for residents to learn about the commoner butterflies and dragonflies before progressing to more advanced technical books. The guide is focussed on field use to help beginners and experts identify species and provides information on their distribution and habitats. As identification of butterflies and dragonflies require a different approach, the two sections are done as two mini photographic field guides with common introductory sections to wildlife watching in Sri Lanka. The book includes information on the key wildlife sites, general introductions to the biology of dragonflies and butterflies, up-to-date checklists with local status and useful references for people who wish to progress further with their study of these charismatic and photogenic animals.

Colony Collapse Disorder, ubiquitous pesticide use, industrial agriculture, habitat reduction--these are just a few of the issues causing unprecedented trauma in honeybee populations worldwide. In this artfully illustrated book, Heather Swan embarks on a narrative voyage to discover solutions to--and understand the sources of--the plight of honeybees. Through a lyrical combination of creative nonfiction and visual imagery, Where Honeybees Thrive tells the stories of the beekeepers, farmers, artists, entomologists, ecologists, and other advocates working to stem the damage and reverse course for this critical pollinator. Using her own quest for understanding as a starting point, Swan highlights the innovative projects and strategies these groups employ. Her mosaic approach to engaging with the environment not only reveals the incredibly complex political ecology in which bees live--which includes human and nonhuman actors alike--but also suggests ways of comprehending and tackling a host of other conflicts between postindustrial society and the natural world. Each chapter closes with an illustrative full-color gallery of bee-related artwork. A luminous journey from the worlds of honey producers, urban farmers, and mead makers of the United States to those of beekeepers of Sichuan, China, and researchers in southern Africa, Where Honeybees Thrive traces the global web of efforts to secure a sustainable future for honeybees--and ourselves.

Television's Nature Nut, John Acorn, teams up with nature illustrator Ian Sheldon to craft a witty and personable book about the myriad insects and arachnids found throughout the diverse habitats of Northern California.

Butterflies are delightful and rewarding insects to study. Many are familiar visitors to our garden, while others are rare sights. The Green Guide to Butterflies makes identifying them easy for beginners and amateur naturalists alike. Concise descriptions, accompanied by beautiful colour illustrations, include information on appearance, both of butterflies and caterpillars, habitats and distribution, the best time of year to see the butterflies and the foodplants they visit. A detailed introduction includes colour photographs and information on the life cycle of a butterfly, habitats, studying butterflies, and conservation issues.

With the second-highest number of butterfly species in the U.S. -- 313 -- Arizona boasts fantastic year-round butterfly watching. Arizona Butterflies & Moths offers beautiful detailed illustrations highlighting over 70 familiar species of butterflies and moths. Laminated for durability, this flexible folding guide is an ideal source of identification to these alluring creatures. Easy to fit in a jacket or back pocket, this compact guide will educate and delight the experienced and novice lepidopterist. 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).

Who knew modern civilization may be brought down, not by plagues or war, but by bees? Or, more correctly, by no bees? This book investigates the growing problem of bee mortality and offers practical measures we can all take to help. In ecological terms, bees play a critical role in the survival of many plant communities and continuation of life on this planet. No pollination, no seeds. No seeds, no future. Now that bees are facing unprecedented levels of die-off caused by a toxic mixture of environmental stresses, a community-based effort is needed to make gardens, fields and landscapes healthy sanctuaries for bees. Just as citizens banded together to produce Victory Gardens to offset the perilous food shortages of World Wars I and II, now a similarly vital level of collective effort is needed to make our gardens into lifesaving shelters for these essential creatures. Planning a bee-friendly space can provide a beautiful and bountiful selection of edible crops, native plants and fragrant ornamentals, as well as herbs that have medicinal properties for both pollinators and people. With the help of ten inspiring garden plans and planting guides, Weidenhammer shows how bee-friendly plants can be used in creative combinations for plots and pots of all sizes, and are easily grown by novices and seasoned gardeners alike. In the spirit of the history-making Victory Gardens, readers will learn how to pack optimum benefits into a limited space for the survival of hive and home, and backyard beekeepers will learn great planting strategies for making sure their honeybees are healthy and have ample food to overwinter. Victory Gardens for Bees is also buzzing with DIY projects that will provide nesting sites and essential supplies for precious pollinators. With plenty of photographs to help readers identify bees of all stripes, beekeeping tips and other interesting bee-phemera, this book is a must-have for anyone who wants to do their part to save bees.

The strangest and scariest monsters aren't always the biggest. Bugs profiles nature's tiniest terrors, drawn from regions and habitats as diverse as the rainforests of South America, the deep oceans and urban homes and gardens. From venomous spiders and scorpions to bloodthirsty leeches and hungry piranhas, the natural world's smallest creatures are also among the most bizarre and wonderful. The book is divided into eight sections covering lizards, snakes, amphibians, spiders, sea creatures, crustaceans and molluscs, bugs and beetles, and other insects. The huge range of animals covered provides a sense of the incredible diversity of living creatures. Each creature is illustrated with beautifully detailed, full-colour artworks. For easy reference, each entry includes a table of key information such as scientific name, features, habitats, distribution, diet and breeding. Full of facts and interesting snippets, the book is a valuable reference source as well as a fascinating read, revealing the spectacular world of some of nature's smallest - and most incredible - animals.

The perfect introduction to Lepidoptera in all their diversity. This handsome, well-illustrated guide features 514 butterflies from all continents, most of them photographed in their natural environment, sometimes with their caterpillars. The butterflies are organized by genus, species and subspecies, and described in authoritative text including personal observations in the wild. Each entry is cross-referenced to the index and glossary. The description of each butterfly includes detailed information on: * Natural history; * Habitat and distribution; * Form; * Behaviour; * Food and feeding; * Species variations and taxonomy; * Reproduction; * Survival. This beautiful book is a joy for the pictures alone, and it is also very informative and reveals the author's passion for this subject. This is a concise and attractive introduction to these fascinating insects and a useful resource for butterfly enthusiasts and naturalists of all ages.

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.