Insects, and their close relatives, the arachnids, centipedes, millipedes and woodlice, make ideal material for study by the recreational microscopist. Moreover for the entomologist, the addition of the use of the microscope to their tool kit adds a whole new dimension to their study, revealing in finest detail the appearance and structure of these tiny creatures. This book reveals the basics of insect microscopy, explaining what equipment is needed and how to get the best out of it. Topics covered include insects and their relatives; trapping insects for study; dissection, slide mounting publishing your work.

Did you know that for every human on earth, there are about one million ants? They are among the longest-lived insects with some ant queens passing the thirty-year mark as well as some of the strongest. Fans of both the city and countryside alike, ants decompose dead wood, turn over soil (in some places more than earthworms), and even help plant forests by distributing seeds. But while fewer than thirty of the nearly one thousand ant species living in North America are true pests, we cringe when we see them marching across our kitchen floors. No longer! In this witty, accessible, and beautifully illustrated guide, Eleanor Spicer Rice, Alex Wild, and Rob Dunn metamorphose creepy-crawly revulsion into myrmecological wonder. Emerging from Dunn's ambitious citizen science project Your Wild Life (an initiative based at North Carolina State University), Dr. Eleanor's Book of Common Ants of Chicago provides an eye-opening entomological overview of the natural history of Chicago's species most noted by project participants and even offers tips on keeping ant farms in your home. Exploring species from the hobbit ant to the tiny trapjaw ant, and featuring contributions from E. O. Wilson and Field Museum ant scientist Corrie Moreau as well as Wild's stunning photography, this guide will be a tremendous resource for teachers, students, and scientists alike. But more than this, it will transform the way Chicagoans perceive the environment around them by deepening their understanding of its littlest inhabitants, inspiring everyone to find their inner naturalist, get outside, and crawl across the dirt magnifying glass in hand.

This pocket-sized book is an essential guide to insects, providing comprehensive detail on around 240 of the most easily noticed British species selected from a range of orders and families. Each species is divided into simple sections covering general information followed by it's flight period, habitat and similar species. This easy-to-use book is as visually impressive as it is useful in the field, with many stunning full-page and double-page images supporting the authoritative text. The introduction covers the characteristics of an insect, where to find them as well as the conservation work in demand around the world.

One of the most eagerly anticipated insect guides for years... This is the most comprehensive field guide to micro-moths ever published in a single volume, and, for the first time, makes this fascinating and important group of insects accessible to the general naturalist. The guide covers 1,033 species, with more than 1,500 superbly detailed artworks and photographs. It also includes 900 specially commissioned maps. Written by a team of moth experts under the editorship of Phil Sterling, it provides coverage of all the micro-moth families found in Great Britain and Ireland, including the Channel Islands. Species descriptions include field characters, similar species, flight season, habitat, larval foodplants, status and distribution. The general introduction covers identifying, studying and finding micro-moths, including field techniques, and there is also a series of innovative keys to families and genera, as well as a comprehensive checklist incorporating the latest thinking on taxonomy.

A gorgeous tribute to the magic and mystique of dragonflies, with intimate photographs of their entire life cycle Almost without our noticing, dragonflies dart through our world, flying, seeing, hunting, mating. Their lives are as mysterious as their gossamer wings are beautiful. In this book Pieter van Dokkum reveals many of the dragonfly's secrets, capturing the stages of this striking insect's life cycle in unprecedented close-up photographs. He documents scenes of dragonfly activity seldom witnessed and rarely photographed. The book begins on a moonlit summer night, when an alien-looking larva crawls out of the water and transforms into a fully formed dragonfly. In the following chapters we witness dew-covered dragonflies sparkling in the morning sun, then a pair of mating dragonflies moving through the air in a twelve-legged, eight-winged dance. In the final chapter, one generation dies as the next prepares to leave the water and begin its own winged journey. Each stage is documented through van Dokkum's inquisitive lens and accompanied by information on various species of dragonflies and damselflies, their metamorphosis, and their ecological importance as insect predators.

Bees are vital for the future of the planet, for without their dedicated pollinating skills many crops would eventually fail. This delightfully illustrated book is a homage to bees, revealing many facets of their lives, including homes, flight patterns and defence. It also describes how to attract bees to your garden and, essentially, the art of talking to them! The lives of bees are interwoven with our own, but how much do you know about them? Which scents do bees prefer? How do bees transport pollen? How far can bees fly? Do specific colours attract bees? Do bees prefer native flowers? Then there is honey - a near-miraculous elixir that in earlier generations was an integral part of life as a sweetener and food preserver. It can be fermented with water and yeast to create mead, a drink that has been enjoyed for thousands of years. This book is dedicated to bees and to ensuring that they continue to live in harmony with humans in bee-friendly gardens. Click on the image to look inside:

This inside-the-hive view of a wild colony of honeybees offers close-up views of the queen, the cells, even bee eggs. Young readers are left with admiration for the remarkable lives of honeybees, whether in the hive or in the field. Full color.

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.

"An illustrated guide to holding, caring for and identifying caterpillars."

Creatures that can turn from a caterpillar into a butterfly or a moth fascinate everyone. But there are many other interesting things to observe in the world of the caterpillar before metamorphosis. As you watch, you'll see leaves disappear into their nearly invisible mouths. Notice the smooth motion of sets of prolegs that are one of the unique characteristics of caterpillars. With the help of this guide and its close-up photographs, readers will learn about the body parts of a caterpillar, their life cycles and how to help them by planting certain types of flowers that will attract the insects.

With helpful tips and tricks, this guide instructs the caterpillar hunter on how to find, identify, feed and care for these amazing insects. Ground rules for raising caterpillars are provided, as well as information about removing them from conservation areas. Identification information and photographs thoroughly describe the different kinds of caterpillars and warn the reader about the few dangerous caterpillars that should not be handled.

At the park, in the garden or on a walk, keep this tabbed booklet close at hand. Based on Jaret C. Daniels' best-selling butterfly field guides and featuring only Midwest species, Butterflies of the Midwest is organized by color for quick and easy identification. Narrow your choices by color, and view just a few butterflies at a time. The pocket-sized format is much easier to use than laminated foldouts, and the tear-resistant pages help to make the book durable in the field.

From ancient Egyptian deities to German automobiles, beetles have left an indelible mark on human cultures around the world. Comprising more than 350,000 species, beetles are among the most prolific animals on Earth, even if we rarely give them a second thought. In this book Adam Dodd explores the world of the beetle and its sometimes astounding and bizarre intersections with the world of the human being.Beetle relates this resilient insect's emergence from the 'Great Dying' extinction event some 250 million years ago, showing how it became a permanent fixture in the natural world, thriving in the inhabitation of niches. Inspiring early occult beliefs and religious myths, the beetle also finds its way into art, folklore, literature and science. Dodd uncovers the beetle's ongoing place in the aesthetic appreciation of nature, and shows how knowledge of beetle anatomy is assisting the development of cutting-edge cybernetics, blurring the boundary between science and fiction.Thoroughly illustrated, bursting with historical detail and accessibly written, this cultural and natural history of the beetle is sure to change the way readers think about their relationship with these ancient, enduringly captivating animals.

With their beautiful wing patterns and colours butterflies immediately catch our attention. Of all creatures, they exemplify metamorphosis with the creeping caterpillar transforming into a soaring butterfly. But they have also come to be creatures of science, revealing much to biologists about evolution and the ecological processes and historical accidents that have generated the diversity of life on Earth.In Butterflies leading expert Dick Vane-Wright provides a complete introduction to the biology, natural history and classification of this major group. Using examples from around the world and eye-catching photographs, he explores what it means to be a butterfly, from how the yellow birdwing finds a mate to why the African gaudy commodores produce adults of different colours.Fully revised and updated with new photographs and the latest reserach, this reformatted edition offers an overview of the biology and diversity of the major group of day-flying Lepidoptera.

A New York Times 2018 Holiday Gift Selection Honey bees get all the press, but the fascinating story of North America's native bees--an endangered species essential to our ecosystems and food supplies--is just as crucial. Through interviews with farmers, gardeners, scientists, and bee experts, Our Native Bees explores the importance of native bees and focuses on why they play a key role in gardening and agriculture. The people and stories are compelling: Paige Embry goes on a bee hunt with the world expert on the likely extinct Franklin's bumble bee, raises blue orchard bees in her refrigerator, and learns about an organization that turns the out-of-play areas in golf courses into pollinator habitats. Our Native Bees is a fascinating, must-read for fans of natural history and science and anyone curious about bees.

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.