Dragonflies and damselflies are large-winged insects that are usually found in the vicinity of water. Impressive fliers -- they can fly forward, backward, glide and hover -- they feed on insects they capture on their wing. Despite their large size and prominent jaws, they are harmless to humans and do not bite. 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 naturalists of all ages. Made in the USA.

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.

Learn to Identify Tiger Beetles with This Field Guide We are all very lucky that tiger beetles aren't the size of German Shepherds! These ferocious, pint-sized predators are beautifully marked, and some are extremely colorful. They are fascinating to watch and easy to find. Join in the fun with Tiger Beetles of Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan by Mathew Brust with full-color photography by Mike Reese. All 21 species found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan are covered in detail, with loads of amazing natural history and the information you need to identify what you see. Inside You'll Find All 21 species of tiger beetles found in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan Innovative format that makes field identification a snap Fieldmark arrows that point out the best distinguishing characteristics The best habitats to look for tiger beetles More than 180 color photos and detailed range maps for all species Elytra comparison chart for easy IDs "Tiger beetling" has become very popular with naturalists across the country. Get in on the fun with this handy field guide that conveniently fits in your backpack or back pocket.

This book celebrates the bee in all its humble glory, and does so in a completely original way. It has long been a dream of art director Iris Rombouts to produce an art book that sheds new light on our familiar surroundings and our daily food in particular. And what better way to do that than with the bee, the most important creature to humans on earth? Not only is this small insect indispensible to our food chain - it pollinates over 80% of all flowering plants and 70 of the top human food crops - but it is also a source of inspiration for architects, writers, artists and even whole cities. This book celebrates the bee in all its humble glory, and does so in a completely original way. With a preface by author Jeroen Olyslaegers. We see the bee represented by old masters and contemporary artists, by insectobsessed Renaissance man Jan Fabre, by Joseph Beuys and his Honey Pump and by Tomas Libertiny with his beeswax sculptures. There is the ceramic piece of art 'The Wall' by Carla Arocha and Stephane Schraenen, with its repetitive structure that reminds of a honeycomb. Fashion, too, is represented: designer Harm Van Zwolle chose the bee as his muse, proving that the beekeeper s outfit can become a covetable piece of clothing. The book is as multi-faceted as the eye of the bee. It pays homage to Maurice Maeterlinck, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, who tells the most inspiring tales about the life and death of the bee. It explores the mythical powers of the Apis Mellifera, and invites passionate beekeepers from all over the world to share their vision and show that there is much more to the bee than honey. The book also explains how the beehive inspired architects Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright to create stunning buildings that will impress many generations to come. As readers, we explore the feather-light steel building 'The Hive' by Wolfgang Buttress, and travel to Manchester, the city that chose the bee as its symbol and has shown to be every bit as courageous and resilient as the insect itself. All these weird and wonderful stories are accompanied by the work of talented photographers such as Stephen Mattues, Diego Franssens, studioEAST, Mark Haddon, Stephen Goodenough, Joao Sousa, Filip Van Roe, Wout Hendrickx and Iris herself. With this book, Iris Rombouts has created a joyful, brilliant mix of stories, photography and art, with the bee as the well-deserved star of the show.

A friendly, accessible insight into the weird, but wonderful world of the bees you may find in your garden. From the common or garden bumblebees that nest in bird boxes, compost heaps and old mouse holes, making 'Winnie the Pooh' style honey pots to feed their babes, to the quirky wool carder bee; a solitary bee that combs the fluff from garden plants to line her brood cells and the amazing leaf-cutter bee that carves chunks out of plant foliage to seal its egg chambers. This book will reveal the secrets and fascinating lives of the bees that live and breed in your garden, from buzz pollination, to the bee robbers that cheat the plants and steal nectar by stealth. With a seasonal guide to explore what you are likely to see in your garden, great plants to grow to help them, plus other fascinating information on these secretive creatures, this book is designed to bring alive the world of garden bees before your very eyes.

'Brilliant, Fantastic and Significant' - Dr George McGavin Ants are seemingly everywhere, and this familiarity has led to some contemptuous and less than helpful stereotypes. In this compelling insight into the natural and cultural history of ants, Richard Jones helps to unravel some of the myths and misunderstanding surrounding their remarkable behaviours. Ant aggregations in large (often mind-bogglingly huge) nests are a complex mix of genetics, chemistry, geography and higher social interaction. Their forage trails - usually to aphid colonies but occasionally into the larder - are maintained by a wondrous alchemy of molecular scents and markers. Their social colony structure confused natural philosophers of old and still taxes the modern biologist today. Beginning the book with a straightforward look at ant morphology, Jones then explores the ant species found in the British Isles and parts of nearby mainland Europe, their foraging, nesting, navigating and battle instincts, how ants interact with the landscape, their evolution, and their place in our understanding of how life on earth works. Alongside this, he explores the complex relationship between humans and ants, and how ants went from being the subject of fables and moral storytelling to become popular research tools. Drawing on up-to-date science and featuring striking colour photographs throughout, this book presents a convincing case for why ants are worth our greater recognition and respect.

In recent years beekeepers have had to face tremendous challenges, from pests such as varroa and tracheal mites and from the mysterious but even more devastating phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Yet in backyards and on rooftops all over the world, bees are being raised successfully, even without antibiotics, miticides, or other chemical inputs.More and more organically minded beekeepers are now using top-bar hives, in which the shape of the interior resembles a hollow log. Long lasting and completely biodegradable, a topbar hive made of untreated wood allows bees to build comb naturally rather than simply filling prefabricated foundation frames in a typical box hive with added supers.

Top-bar hives yield slightly less honey but produce more beeswax than a typical Langstroth box hive. Regular hive inspection and the removal of old combs helps to keep bees healthier and naturally disease-free.

Top-Bar Beekeeping provides complete information on hive management and other aspects of using these innovative hives. All home and hobbyist beekeepers who have the time and interest in keeping bees intensively should consider the natural, low-stress methods outlined in this book. It will also appeal to home orchardists, gardeners, and permaculture practitioners who look to bees for pollination as well as honey or beeswax.

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.

This title offers everything you ever wanted to know about the biology, rearing and breeding of queen bees. Divided into three major chapters with many sub-sections, "Queen Bee" is a definitive guide to the biology and breeding of queen bees. It includes: Chapter One - Queen Bee Biology, Introduction, Castes, Anatomy & Lifecycle, Reproduction, Castes, Development, Egg Laying, Pheromones, and Diseases; Chapter Two - Queen Bee Rearing Equipment, Grafting & non-Grafting, Capture & Transport, Swarming & Nucleus Hives, and Nutrition; and, Chapter Three - Queen Bee Breeding, Genetics & Reprduction, Stock Selection & Improvement, Breeding Programmes, Instrumental Insemination, and Glossary.

If you want to do your bit to support local biodiversity, start your own wildlife pond in your back garden. Whether you are looking to do something to help the environment, building a feature pond as a family landscaping project, or attracting local wildlife to your garden; a wildlife pond is a perfect addition to your gardening efforts. Learn everything there is to know about wildlife ponds with: - Photographic and illustrative step-by-step guides on planning, creating, and maintaining your pond - A variety of pond types covered, including natural-style ponds, container ponds, and more traditional, formal-style ponds that still attract wildlife - What to expect throughout the seasons, the creatures that will visit, and the aquatic plants that will thrive - Tips on what to look out for in your pond, encouraging a natural eco-system, and how to maintain your newly built pond throughout the year Find out everything you'll need to know to create a natural sanctuary in your garden! This book shows you how to create a backyard pond without filters, pipes, and chemicals, and how to attract and support local species. RHS How to Create a Wildlife Pond provides easy-to-follow steps on how to dig your own pond line, advice on which pond plants to choose from, and how to make sure local wildlife can enjoy your pond safely. This book will also give you advice on how to take care of your newly built water feature so that you're able to enjoy the local animals, insects and birds for years to come. You can expect to see blackbirds bathing in your pond, hedgehogs using it as a water source, and bats flying over at night to catch insects. This wonderful book is filled with photographs and illustrations that will make planning and creating your own pond a therapeutic and fulfilling experience! Complete the Series: There are so many ways for you to enjoy your garden! If you're looking for tips on environmental changes and landscaping ideas, DK books have even more gardening guides and projects for you to explore. Discover RHS How to Garden the Low Carbon Way, or bring even more feathered friends to your garden with How to Attract Birds to Your Garden.

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.

Colin Dayan meditates on the connection between her personal and family history and her relationship with animals in this lyrical memoir about her upbringing in the South. Unraveling memories alongside family documents and photographs, Animal Quintet takes a raw look at racial tensions and relations in a region struggling to change while providing a disquieting picture of a childhood accessible only through accounts of the non-human, ranging from famed Southern war horses led by Civil War generals and doomed Spanish fighting bulls to the lowly possum hunted by generations of Southerners. Placing the reader in the mind's eye of a writer still grappling with her own mixed identity and unsettled past, the book is uniquely capable of transporting one's imagination across time and place, mirroring the natural behavior of remembrances with its feeling of dislocation and non-linear movement. Regional folk songs about old gray mares and possums hiding in trees intermingle with stories and confidences shared by the household's African-American nanny, enclosing the reader in a chorus composed of otherwise lost voices. Presented in a such a way that it simultaneously longs for the past and attempts to keep it at arm's length, Animal Quintet achieves a haunting, nostalgic quality rare to memoirs focused on ancestral and personal identity.

The invasive Harlequin ladybird is an eye-catching and beautiful species, but it can be very difficult to identify, with huge variation in colouration and pattern. This comprehensive photographic field guide is the first complete guide to identifying Harlequin ladybirds found in Britain and Ireland. It also covers all the other 25 conspicuous ladybird species that occur. Detailed, informative and beautifully illustrated with more than 350 remarkable colour photographs including ladybird developmental time sequences and numerous images of each ladybird species Ground-breaking quick key for Harlequin identification Includes a photographic guide to the larvae of all 26 species - the first of its kind Easy to follow comprehensive descriptions and explanations of ladybird lifecycles and habits This clear, user-friendly field guide is ideal for anyone interested in learning how to identify a Harlequin ladybird, from beginners to more experienced entomologists, students and professionals. This book is ideal for learning to recognise and understand this charismatic and significant beetle.

Global bee populations have been rapidly declining for years, and it's not just our honey supply that's at stake: bees' contribution to the pollination of various crops is essential to human survival. But even in industrial apiaries-the most common approach to facilitate the rebound of threatened bee populations-bees are in distress, hiving in synthetic and hostile environments. Enter idle beekeeping: the grassroots, low-intervention system of beekeeping that seeks to emulate the behavior and habitat of bees in the wild-and it only requires two active days of beekeeping per year. In The Idle Beekeeper, Bill Anderson calls upon his years of applied curiosity as an urban beekeeper to highlight the invaluable resources that these underappreciated insects provide and show how simple and rewarding beekeeping can be. In this entertaining, philosophical, and practical guide, Anderson teaches step-by-step how to build a hive system developed to allow maximum idleness, harvest honey and extract honeycomb, make mead and beeswax candles, and to closely observe and understand these most fascinating and productive of insects. Through his laissez-faire approach to maintaining a bee colony using the minimum-interference Warre hives-low-tech, low-maintenance, and bee-friendly hives that mimic the cavity of a tree, the bees' natural habitat-Anderson illustrates how little effort is actually required to raise and nurture a thriving bee community. In fact, his idle approach to beekeeping requires only two days of work per year-one day in the spring, and another in the fall. The Idle Beekeeper offers practical and philosophical advice for getting involved in conservation efforts, and Anderson's expertise will show just how easy it is to make an environmental impact. For anyone interested in keeping bees, The Idle Beekeeper is the definitive guide that teaches you everything you need to get started, even in a city, and without effort.

Choice Reviews, Outstanding Academic Title Techniques and systems for processing food scraps, manure, yard debris, paper, and more Turning waste into wealth sounds too good to be true, but many worm farmers are finding that vermicomposting is a reliable way to do just that. Vermicast-a biologically active, nutrient-rich mix of earthworm castings and decomposed organic matter-sells for $400 or more per cubic yard. Compare that to regular compost, sold at about $30 a cubic yard, and you'll see why vermicomposting has taken root in most countries and on every continent but Antarctica. Vermicomposting is also one of the best sustainable solutions for organic waste management. Vermicomposting manure and crop wastes on farms improves crop yields while reducing demand for off-farm inputs. Vermicast has higher nutrient levels and lower soluble salt content than regular compost, and it improves soil aeration, porosity, and water retention. Plus, vermicast suppresses plant diseases and insect attacks. Municipalities, businesses, community gardens, schools, and universities can set up vermicomposting operations to process food residuals and other waste materials. The Worm Farmer's Handbook details the ins and outs of vermicomposting for mid- to large-scale operations, including how to recycle organic materials ranging from food wastes and yard trimmings to manure and shredded office paper. Vermicomposting expert Rhonda Sherman shares what she has learned over twenty-five years working with commercial worm growers and researchers around the world. Her profiles of successful worm growers across the United States and from New Zealand to the Middle East and Europe describe their proven methods and systems. This book digs into all the details, including: Choosing the right production system Regulatory issues and developing a business and marketing plan Finding and managing feedstocks Pre-composting: why and how to do it Monitoring an active worm bed Harvesting, screening, testing, packaging, and storing vermicast Markets for earthworms and vermicast Food security: how vermicast benefits soils and plants Keys to success: avoiding common pitfalls From livestock farms and restaurants to colleges, military bases, and prisons, Sherman details why and how commercial-scale vermicomposting is a fast-growing, sustainable solution for organic waste management. The Worm Farmer's Handbook is the first and only authoritative how-to guide that goes beyond small-scale operations and demystifies the science and logistics of the fascinating process that is vermicomposting.

Fancy meeting a foot-long centipede or a spider the size of your dinner plate? Willing to let the world's weirdest and most fascinating minibeasts join you on your sofa?

Then allow Jess French to lead you head first through the unbelievable world of invertebrates and explore their incredible adaptations, from dancing scorpions and blood-sucking moths to zombie spiders and slime-shooting worms.

Marvel at how minibeasts have evolved to survive in almost every describable habitat. Discover the fascinating ways they find food, mate, fight, hide and collaborate in even the most extreme conditions! And pore over more than 250 breathtakingly detailed photographs of astonishing invertebrates.

With her unparalled zeal for minibeasts, Jess will enlighten you on the most fascinating and intense aspects of the minibeast world, revealing everything from cloaks made of corpses to mid-flight kamikaze mating.

Identify butterflies with this easy-to-use field guide, organized by color and featuring full-color photographs and helpful information! Butterflies are fascinating, beautiful, and a joy to behold. Now observing them is even better with the Butterflies of the Midwest Field Guide. This handy book by acclaimed author and professional entomologist Jaret C. Daniels makes field identification simple and informative. It features 198 species of butterflies (and common moths) organized by color for ease of use. Detailed photographs present the species as you’ll see them in nature, and a “compare” feature helps you to decide between look-alikes. Inside you’ll find: 198 species: Butterflies and common moths Simple color guide: See a butterfly with prominent blue? Go to the blue section Jaret’s Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning images The information is applicable to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. So grab the Butterflies of the Midwest Field Guide for your next hike, walk in the park, or visit to your garden—to help ensure that you positively identify the butterflies that you see.

A New York Times 2018 Holiday Gift Selection Honey bees get all the press, but the fascinating story of North America's native bees--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.