This field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of South Africa covers all species known to occur in the region. A detailed introduction covers behaviour, life cycles, biology and breeding; and the species entries focus on identifi cation and distribution. Colour plates feature scans of the actual insects – males and females where possible – as well as close ups and side views; and diagnostic labels help ensure accurate ID. Additional photographs show species in their specific habitat and illustrate key behaviour.

Beautifully presented and authoritative, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in South Africa’s insect life, and to nature lovers in general.

The shieldbug is an amazing and beautiful species, rich with diversity in shape, form, size, life history, ecology, physiology and behaviour. But they are not commonly known, outside of specialist circles. Richard Jones’ groundbreaking New Naturalist volume on shieldbugs encourages those enthusiasts who would otherwise be put off by the, to date, rather technical literature that has dominated the field, providing a comprehensive natural history of this fascinating and beautiful group of insects.

An eagerly anticipated addition to the New Naturalist series. The shieldbug is an amazing and beautiful species, rich with diversity in shape, form, size, life history, ecology, physiology and behaviour. But they are not commonly known, outside of specialist circles. Richard Jones’ groundbreaking New Naturalist volume on shieldbugs encourages those enthusiasts who would otherwise be put off by the, to date, rather technical literature that has dominated the field, providing a comprehensive natural history of this fascinating and beautiful group of insects.

'Read this book, then look and wonder' Sunday Times We have to learn to live as part of nature, not apart from it. And the first step is to start looking after the insects, the little creatures that make our shared world go round. Insects are essential for life as we know it - without them, our world would look vastly different. Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research and a lifetime's study, Dave Goulson reveals the long decline of insect populations that has taken place in recent decades and its potential consequences. Eye-opening and inspiring, Silent Earth asks for profound change at every level and a passionate argument or us to love, respect and care for our six-legged friends. 'Compelling - Silent Earth is a wake-up call' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding 'Enlightening, urgent and funny, Goulson's book is a timely call for action' New Statesman

Packed with beautiful scenes showing butterflies of the world flitting among flowers. Simply brush water over the black and white designs to watch the butterflies burst into a rainbow of colours.

'The definitive go-to wildlife guide for all 16 million British gardens.' - Mike Dilger Even the smallest garden can be an important haven for wildlife, and this authoritative guide enables everyone to explore this wealth on their back doorstep. It covers all the main animal groups - including pond life - likely to be found in a garden in Great Britain and Ireland. Detailed descriptions and information on life history, behaviour and occurrence are provided for more than 500 species, as well as practical information on creating a pond for wildlife, making nestboxes and feeding birds. Richard Lewington, acknowledged as one of the finest natural history artists in Europe, has teamed up with his brother Ian, one of our most respected bird artists, to provide nearly 1,000 superbly detailed colour artworks to complement the text. Presented in an accessible, easy-to-use format, this fully updated and expanded edition covers everything from blue tits to bumblebees and hedgehogs to hawkmoths.

More than 3 million readers rely on Stokes Guides

Whether you want to identify the dragonflies that colorfully hover above your flower garden or want to know more about their incredible flying abilities, you'll find everything you need in this easy-to-use guide. The Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies is factually, visually, and organizationally superior to any other beginner's guide and is the first national guide to North American species. Special features include:

• Coverage of the 100 most common species

• User-friendly color tab index for quick reference

• Brilliant full-color photographs of each species and innovative range maps

• Tips on where to look for dragonflies, including fields, ponds, and backyards, and observe their dazzling speeds (up to 60 miles per hour!)

• Details about their predatory feats, exciting chases and captures, and territoriality

• Information on habitat, life cycle, population trend, migratory patterns, food preferences, and much more

Look for the complete list of Stokes guides inside this book.

Visit the Stokes Web site at www.StokesBooks.com

Britain is home to some forty species of dragonfly, and public interest in their plight is high right now thanks to their primeval beauty, aerobatic grace and a growing realisation of their importance for water eco-systems. In 'The Dragonfly Diaries', Ruary Mackenzie Dodds shares his quirky fascination for these remarkable creatures over the 25 years he has been photographing and working with them. Combining fascinating description of the lives of dragonflies, with a diary chronicling the ups and downs of establishing Britain's first public dragonfly sanctuary, 'The Dragonfly Diaries' is a must for nature buffs and for anyone who wants to be inspired by the resolve and dedication of a man on a mission to save these critically important insects.

Butterflies and moths captivate nature enthusiasts with their beauty and variety, but in addition to being attractive they are also of huge biological importance. This superb book, in a sumptuous new edition, covers the lifecycle of these creatures, with information on anatomy, feeding, flight and breeding. It then profiles some of the world’s best-loved and intriguing butterflies, moths and skippers, with a geographically-split directory of detailed entries, each containing useful identification summaries and quick-reference panels on distribution, habitat, food and wingspan. The book is illustrated with more than 750 exquisite artworks and photographs detailing characteristic features, wing patterns, genders, seasonal variations and caterpillars. With expert and accessible text, it is the essential companion for butterfly and moth enthusiasts.

A must-read for anyone with an adventurous spirit, a yen to whittle and chop, and a desire to get out into nature and play with sticks! These 50 achievable ideas for making and playing with sticks - all with beautiful step-by-step illustrations - make a great gift. The next title in Pavilion's best-selling outdoor adventure series, 50 Things to Do with a Stick will introduce you to the joy of making something out of almost nothing. With a few gathered twigs and sticks, start with simple ideas such as making plant markers or tent pegs and work up to constructing a lantern or woven basket. Working with wood is common to nearly every culture - it's nature's most adaptable raw material, malleable yet strong, and biodegradable. Until the 1960s woodworking was taught widely in schools, but since then has been in decline, robbing generations of the satisfaction of making useful things by hand. Richard Skrein begins by guiding you in choosing sticks and tools. Four chapters with evocative illustrations take you step by step through projects to use at home; to make music and decorative objects with; to play with; and to use out and about - the perfect accompaniments to a camping trip (2020 and 2021 saw unprecedented campsite bookings in the UK, and this trend is set to continue). This is the perfect book for anyone wishing to be more self-sufficient. Find your inner explorer with these battery-free, no-emission ideas! Chapters include: Home Sticks: cutlery, coat hooks, brooms, candlesticks Stick Craft: jewellery, weaving, mobiles, picture frames Stick Play: catapults, musical sticks, magic wands, story sticks Camp Sticks: lanterns, ladders, stools, stick bread! Word count: 15,000 words

'Go on, have a flutter! Take a few tips from the new book by biologist Dave Goulson and it's a safe bet that beautiful butterflies will start gathering in your garden' Daily Mail From the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Sting In The Tale comes this practical guide to creating a paradise for pollinators. There are twenty six different species of bumblebees to be found in the UK, of around 250 species worldwide. Bumblebees are among the most important of our insects; these superb pollinators ensure that wildflowers set seed and reappear each year, and that our vegetable and fruit crops give us bountiful harvests. With the decline in the populations of our wild bees, these beloved creatures need looking after more than ever. Gardening for Bumblebees shows you how you can provide a refuge for bumblebees to feed, breed and thrive. No matter how large or small your space is, Dave Goulson shows you how you can make a pollinator-friendly haven. In this book you will learn the best trees, shrubs and flowers for pollinators, how to create the perfect nest and breeding site, and the best ways to control pests. Gardening For Bumblebees will encourage and inspire gardeners and allotmenters alike to make their patch more bee friendly. Praise for Dave Goulson 'Ideal for filling the garden with a happy hum' Tiffany Daneff, Country Life 'Goulson reminds himself that he 'began studying bumblebees not because they are important pollinators but because they are fascinating, because they behave in interesting and mysterious ways, and because they are rather loveable' Hannah Rosefield, Literary Review

Create a flourishing wildlife haven for your local wild birds! What if we told you that you can make a difference to your local birdlife from the comfort of your own home? You can help to reverse the decline in bird numbers by creating a haven in which they will thrive! It's a win-win! No need to be an expert gardener already, or even to break the bank! Many of the most beneficial features can be installed easily and cheaply, and many you can build yourself or upcycle to be eco-friendly. So what are you waiting for? Dive straight in to discover: -Stunning full-colour illustrations and photographs of over 50 local bird species -Practical advice on choosing and installing bird feeders, baths, ponds and boxes -Budget-conscious tips to make a difference to local birdlife This all-encompassing bird book shows you exactly how to optimise our outdoor space for birds, providing the food and nesting spaces they need to survive. Discover the best plants to grow food and shelter, which bird feeders, feed and nest boxes to buy and how to make them all predator-proof, as well as how to encourage diversity in an eco-friendly manner whilst protecting a broad range of bird species. Provide the best shelter, feeding and nesting opportunities for them and readers can reap the rewards as they sing and entertain! In fact, recent studies suggest people who can hear birdsong from their homes are proven to have better mental health than those who can't. 82% of gardeners in the UK wish to attract more wildlife to their gardens, so why not join the journey today and encourage a flurry of feathered friends to your garden! From Jays to Jackdaws, Swallows to Sparrowhawks, you can see them all with the top tips and tricks featured in this all-encompassing british bird book. The ideal bird-watcher gift for those looking to encourage their local wildlife and discover top tips on how to attract birds to their gardens. So whether you're a keen gardener looking for a new project, or you're simply looking to be kind to the environment by encouraging local diversity, this brilliant bird spotting book is calling your name!

Take a close-up look into a world you've never noticed. Bugs are usually so small that we hardly notice them, let alone think of them as living beings. But call upon the magnifying glass, and a shapeless jumble of legs, wings, and antennae suddenly starts staring back at us. About 80 percent of the Earth's animals are insects. While there are millions of different species, we rarely see many of them . . . until now. Thanks to the photography of John Hallmen, who took a camera and magnified these magnificent creatures one hundred times, we can see what we've never been able to see before. Bugs Up Close takes readers on a journey into a world rarely seen, with incredible photographs of such insects as: Crane flies Yellow meadow ants Black fungus beetles Treehoppers And many more! The diversity of this insect civilization is striking and unknown to most. An insect we may never have thought twice about now looks like a creature from outer space. Fascinating and somewhat monstrous details such as compound eyes, antennae, and sharp mouth parts are visible, and with text by Lars-Ake Janzon, Bugs Up Close is an amazing close look into the strange and beautiful world of insects.

Learn how to: * Attract particular species by choosing the right foods, plants, trees, water sources, and nesting materials * Create a garden, region by region, that will be an oasis for birds and butterflies * Instantly recognize, and attract, those birds you are most likely to see-including the top birds found nationally as well as in Eastern and Western locations * Identify species by field marks, plumage, and more * Make your yard the hummingbird capital of the neighborhood * Fend off predators and other uninvited backyard guests

Great for developing colouring technique.

This thoroughly researched, highly informative, and enjoyable book includes a short history of butterfly collecting in Britain and of the equipment used.Brief biographies of 101 deceased Lepidopterists, generously laced with anecdotes and quotations, and many contemporary monochrome portraits; accounts of selected species of historical interest; and an appraisal of the effect of collecting and of current conservation policies. Appendixes

Famed for its industriousness and its urge to conquer, this race practises farming and uses chemical weapons. Humans? No, ants! Joachim Offenberg, a myrmecophile researcher at Aarhus University, shares fascinating facts about these tiny creatures - so stealthy and stalwart they even endured a ruthless onslaught from his Uncle Preben, who thinks these cannibals, slave drivers and invaders of our homes and gardens deserve no better. But why not domesticate ants and join forces with one fourth of the planet's animal biomass? Prepare to befriend a formidable foe.

Your quick guide to identifying insects and bugs Get the perfect guide to insects and bugs of North America! Keep this tabbed booklet close at hand at home, at the park, on your camping trip, and for any outdoors adventure. Based on noted entomologist Jaret C. Daniels’ popular Backyard Bugs guide and featuring 136 of the most common and important bugs to know, the booklet is organized by where the bugs are generally found—such as at lights or on flowers—and then by type for quick and easy identification. Narrow your choices by location and appearance, and view just a few species at a time. The easy-to-use format means you’ll quickly find what you need to know about ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies, spiders, wasps, and more. Plus, the quick guide is much easier to use than laminated foldouts, and the tear-resistant pages help to make the book durable in the field.

Intrepid international explorer, biologist, and photographer Mark W. Moffett, "the Indiana Jones of entomology," takes us around the globe on a strange and colorful journey in search of the hidden world of ants. In tales from Nigeria, Indonesia, the Amazon, Australia, California, and elsewhere, Moffett recounts his entomological exploits and provides fascinating details on how ants live and how they dominate their ecosystems through strikingly human behaviors, yet at a different scale and a faster tempo. Moffett's spectacular close-up photographs shrink us down to size, so that we can observe ants in familiar roles; warriors, builders, big-game hunters, and slave owners. We find them creating marketplaces and assembly lines and dealing with issues we think of as uniquely human--including hygiene, recycling, and warfare. "Adventures among Ants" introduces some of the world's most awe-inspiring species and offers a startling new perspective on the limits of our own perception.
- Ants are world-class road builders, handling traffic problems on thoroughfares that dwarf our highway systems in their complexity
- Ants with the largest societies often deploy complicated military tactics
- Some ants have evolved from hunter-gatherers into farmers, domesticating other insects and growing crops for food

A how-to book on an exhilarating outdoor activity and a unique meditation on the pleasures of the natural world Following the Wild Bees is a delightful foray into the pastime of bee hunting, an exhilarating outdoor activity that used to be practiced widely but which few people know about today. Weaving informative discussions of bee biology with colorful anecdotes, personal insights, and beautiful photos, Thomas Seeley describes the history and science behind this lost pastime and how anyone can do it. The bee hunter's reward is a thrilling encounter with nature that challenges mind and body while also giving insights into the remarkable behavior of honey bees living in the wild. Whether you're a bee enthusiast or just curious about the natural world, this book is the ideal companion for newcomers to bee hunting and a rare treat for armchair naturalists.