Thanks to its size and geographic position, Texas is home to nearly 30,000 species of insects, likely making its insect population the most diverse in the nation. Ranging from eastern and western to temperate and tropical species, this vast array of insects can be difficult to identify. In Common Insects of Texas and Surrounding States, John and Kendra Abbott have created the state's most comprehensive field guide to help readers recognize and understand these fascinating creatures. Containing 1,300 species and more than 2,700 photographs, this guide offers a wealth of information about the characteristics and behaviors of Texas's insects. Each chapter introduces an order with a discussion of general natural history and a description of other qualities helpful in distinguishing its various species, while every species' entry provides a state map showing where it is most likely to be found, a key displaying its seasonal distribution, information about its habitat, and corresponding photos. Featuring colored tabs for quick reference, a glossary, and information about other arthropods, this guide is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to identify and learn more about the many insects of Texas.

The poems of Inmates stage encounters with insects at sites and moments of their refuge, torpor, hatching or fighting, of traversing a floor in the night or climbing a wall, of their death and decay - all in and around the house of the writer, with whom they are sharing time, as fellow inmates. There is an urgency to these poems, emerging from the instant of their writing, and the close attention Borodale brings to his observation of the natural world results in poems of real intensity. Inmates is an attempt to co-exist with the natural world - examining it, intimately, at the edge of language itself, where the human voice begins to break apart.

When the first birds appeared on earth about 150 million years ago, the insects were here to greet them. Inevitably the two groups came to exploit each other, and as the eons passed, they became increasingly enmeshed in a complex web of interrelationships--birds eating bugs, blood-sucking insects feeding on birds, parasitic insects infesting birds, and birds struggling to rid themselves of the parasites. In "The Birder's Bug Book "Gilbert Waldbauer, a veteran entomologist and an accomplished birdwatcher, describes these and many other interactions between birds and insects. A beguiling blend of anecdote, ornithology, and entomology, rendered in the engaging style that has won over scientists and amateur naturalists alike, this book is an excellent introduction to the intricate interplay of insects and birds.

With the birds and the bees it's not so much sex as mutual exploitation. Most birds feed mainly on insects, taking them from the air, from vegetation, and from deep within wood. The insects fight back by camouflaging themselves or by mimicking insects that birds find unpalatable. Many insects suck blood from birds or infest them, lodging in their feathers and nests. The birds fight back by preening, by taking dust or water baths to discourage lice and other bugs, and even by rubbing themselves with ants, whose formic acid repels many insects.

As entertaining as it is informative, "The Birder's Bug Book "will appeal to all those interested in birds, bugs, and natural history. Profusely illustrated with drawings and color photographs, this book offers a cornucopia of facts about the life history and behavior of insects and birds.

A fantastic first book on butterflies and moths, this is the perfect companion for bug hunters ages 6 and up eager to understand how caterpillars become butterflies.

Nature Explorer Butterflies and Moths encourages little explorers to get outside and covers everything you need to know about these critters, including cocoons, wings, caterpillars, and eggs. Children can learn about butterflies and moths from all over the world, from their very own gardens to woodland, mountains, rainforest, desert, and even the Arctic.

With exciting activities, like how to make a butterfly kite, and plenty of fun facts, this beautiful book is a must for children curious about butterflies and moths.

A Naturalist's Guide to the Butterflies of the Philippines is an introductory photographic guide to 289 butterfly species commonly seen in the Philippines. High quality photographs from the Philippines' top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, wing size, larval foodplant, distribution and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers species and subspecies, butterfly observation, areas to visit, some butterfly facts, identification and taxonomy, and a glossary. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the butterflies of the Philippines with their current global status and endemicity.

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.

Enter the secret world of creepy crawlies with this handy pocket guide. Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Little Guide to Bugs offers a modern reference to identifying these glorious insects of all shapes and sizes. Featuring 40 of the most distinctive bugs from around the world, this book is the perfect companion for anyone looking to reconnect with nature, whether that's when out walking or from the comfort of an armchair. Each bug has been exquisitely illustrated by printmaker Tom Frost and is accompanied by all-important information including their habitat, distribution and size, plus an interesting fact or fable. There is also an interactive spotter's guide, where you can check off and note the date of each time you spot a new insect. Reacquaint yourself with the familiar Bumble Bee and Earthworm, as well as discovering new species such as the Giant Mesquite Bug, Lily Moth and Picasso Bug. This informative guide is part of a new nature series designed to encourage creativity through exploring the outdoors.

As we follow the path of a giant water bug or peer over the wing of a gypsy moth, we glimpse our world anew, at once shrunk and magnified. Owing to their size alone, insects' experience of the world is radically different from ours. Air to them is as viscous as water to us. The predicament of size, along with the dizzying diversity of insects and their status as arguably the most successful organisms on earth, have inspired passion and eloquence in some of the world's most innovative scientists. A World of Insects showcases classic works on insect behavior, physiology, and ecology published over half a century by Harvard University Press. James Costa, Vincent Dethier, Thomas Eisner, Lee Goff, Bernd Heinrich, Bert Hoelldobler, Kenneth Roeder, Andrew Ross, Thomas Seeley, Karl von Frisch, Gilbert Waldbauer, E. O. Wilson, and Mark Winston-each writer, in his unique voice, paints a close-up portrait of the ways insects explore their environment, outmaneuver their enemies, mate, and care for kin. Selected by two world-class entomologists, these essays offer compelling descriptions of insect cooperation and warfare, the search for ancient insect DNA in amber, and the energy economics of hot-blooded insects. They also discuss the impact-for good and ill-of insects on our food supply, their role in crime scene investigation, and the popular fascination with pheromones, killer bees, and fire ants. Each entry begins with commentary on the authors, their topics, and the latest research in the field.

Ever since men first hunted for honeycomb in rocks and daubed pictures of it on cave walls, the honeybee has been seen as one of the wonders of nature: social, industrious, beautiful, terrifying. No other creature has inspired in humans an identification so passionate, persistent or fantastical. In this gem of a book, award-winning writer Bee Wilson explores the magical world of the honeybee. From the hive to honey, from beekeepers to honeymooners, via Aristotle, Shakespeare, Napoleon and Sherlock Holmes, here is a book that delights and surprises at every turn. And there is even a recipe or two.

Each creature in the garden has something special to offer, but what about a slug? Slow, slimy and greedy, Herbert wishes he could weave shimmering webs like spiders, or create wonderful underground worlds like ants. But when his lonely night-time wanderings through the garden take him up into the treetops, he and the other creatures are astonished at the beauty he has created. Spotting spreads plus helpful hints on how to look after the creatures in your own garden add to this garden-inspired tale.

This photographic identification guide to the 280 butterfly species most commonly seen in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High-quality photographs from the area's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, vegetation, habitats, behaviour, opportunities for naturalists and the main sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is a classification of butterflies found in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, from their superfamilies down to the level of genera to give an understanding of the relationships of butterflies

A beautifully illustrated and thoroughly engaging cultural history of beekeeping - packed with anecdote, humour and enriching historical detail. The perfect gift. "A charming look at the history of beekeeping, from myth and folklore to our practical relationship with bees" Gardens Illustrated "An entertaining collation of bee trivia across the millennia" Daily Telegraph * Sweden's Gardening Book of the Year 2019 * Shortlisted for the August Prize 2019 * Winner of the Swedish Book Design Award for 2019 Beekeeper and garden historian Lotte Moeller explores the activities inside and outside the hive while charting the bees' natural order and habits. With a light touch she uses her encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject to shed light on humanity's understanding of bees and bee lore from antiquity to the present. A humorous debunking of the myths that have held for centuries is matched by a wry exploration of how and when they were replaced by fact. In her travels Moeller encounters a trigger-happy Californian beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, warring beekeepers on the Danish island of Laeso, and Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast queen now popular throughout Europe and beyond, as well a host of others as passionate as she about the complex world of apiculture both past and present. Translated from the Swedish by Frank Perry

This engaging and easy-to-use natural history guidebook provides a thorough overview of native and honey bee biology and offers tools for identifying the most common bees of California and the Western United States. Full-color illustrations introduce readers to more than 30 genera of native bees, noting each one's needs and habits and placing them in their wider context. The author highlights beesOCO ties to our own lives, the food we eat, and the habitat we provide, and suggests ways to support bees in our own backyards.
In addition to helping readers understand and distinguish among major groups of bees, this guide reveals how bees are an essential part of healthy ecosystem and how many plants, including important crop plants, depend on the pollination they provide. As growing evidence points to declining bee populations, this book offers critical information about the bond between plants and pollinators, and between humans and nature. Thoroughly researched and full of new insights into the ancient process of pollination, " Field Guide to the Common Bees of California; Including Bees of the Western United States" is invaluable for the window it opens onto the biodiversity, adaptive range, and complexity of invertebrate communities.
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They appeared on earth 400 million years ago, long before the first reptile, bird, or mammal. They make up about 75 percent of the 1.2 million currently known species of animals. As many as 30,000 of them coexist and interact in one square yard of the top inch of a forest's soil. The unparalleled success of insects is the story told in this highly entertaining book. How do these often tiny but indefatigable creatures do it? Gilbert Waldbauer pursues this question from hot springs and Himalayan slopes to roadsides and forests, scrutinizing insect life in its many manifestations. Insects through the Seasons will educate and charm the expert, the passionate amateur, and the merely curious about our most populous and tenacious neighbors.

'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.

A completely up-to-date introduction to the most common group of bees in Britain. Bees, for most people, mean honey or bumble bees, but in fact these social species make up only a small proportion of the species that live in Britain. Open your eyes to the so-called ‘solitary’ bees, and discover a wonderfully diverse population – miners, leafcutters, carpenters and masons – many of which can be found in your own back garden. Solitary bees come in a variety of colours and sizes, with some as large as bumblebees and some only a few millimetres long, and many are key pollinators for our crops and wildflowers. This comprehensive book will tell the story of how these bees live, reproduce and thrive: discover the numerous strategies used by male bees to find females and persuade them to mate; follow the females as they build their nests – or in the case of ‘cuckoo’ species, sneak into the nests of their neighbours – and watch as the new generation appears. Explore the interactions between flowering plants and their bee visitors, asking what the plants get from the relationship, as well as how the bees select the plants they visit, and the ingenuity required to extract pollen, nectar and other rewards. Finally, learn places where bees flourish and what can be done to encourage them and ensure they continue to pollinate our flowers and crops. Drawing on all the latest research as well as the authors’ own observations in the field, this timely New Naturalist gives a wonderful insight into the complicated lives of solitary bees, and the complexity of the behaviour and ecology of this remarkable group of insects.

What happens when one making animal meets another? Gossamer Days explores the strange web of spider-human relationships. Artist and writer Eleanor Morgan has spent a decade working with spiders and their silk. Her explorations have led her in search of one of the world?s largest web weaving spiders, from the rooftops of Oxford University to a garage in Sussex. Her weaving and drawing with spider silk drew her to research the lost history of Europe?s attempt to create a spider silk weaving industry. Here, she details her findings from a life unusually spent.