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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Wild animals > Insects & spiders
A Photographic Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of
Singapore is a fully comprehensive field guide to the 136 species
of dragonfly and damselfly found in Singapore. With stunning,
close-up photographs from the authors, each species is illustrated
with multiple variants. The general introduction provides a
comprehensive overview of dragonfly anatomy, feeding habits,
courtship and reproduction; also dragonfly research and
conservation in Singapore, plus the best places for dragonfly
watching in Singapore. Detailed coverage of every species includes
key features for field identification; telling apart similar
species; habitat and habits; presence in Singapore; etymology;
wider distribution; national and IUCN conservation statuses; and
larval features. Additionally, a QR code links to detailed larvae
images from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum website. The
final section gives a checklist of the country status and
conservation status of all of Singapore's odonates.
Which spider spits venom and sticky threads? Why don't Northerners
need to fear the Black Widow? These answers and more are found in
Spiders of the North Woods. The easy-to-follow format makes field
identification of 135 species simple and fun.
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Ants
(Paperback)
Gary J. Skinner, Geoffrey W. Allen; Illustrated by Geoffrey W. Allen
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R628
Discovery Miles 6 280
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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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).
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.
A lavishly illustrated introduction to the world's dragonflies and
damselflies Dragonflies and damselflies are often called
birdwatchers' insects. Large, brightly colored, active in the
daytime, and displaying complex and interesting behaviors, they
have existed since the days of the dinosaurs, and they continue to
flourish. Their ancestors were the biggest insects ever, and they
still impress us with their size, the largest bigger than a small
hummingbird. There are more than 6,000 odonate species known at
present, and you need only visit any wetland on a warm summer day
to be enthralled by their stunning colors and fascinating behavior.
In this lavishly illustrated natural history, leading dragonfly
expert Dennis Paulson offers a comprehensive, accessible, and
appealing introduction to the world's dragonflies and damselflies.
The book highlights the impressive skills and abilities of
dragonflies and damselflies-superb fliers that can glide, hover,
cruise, and capture prey on the wing. It also describes their
arsenal of tactics to avoid predators, and their amazing sex life,
including dazzling courtship displays, aerial mating, sperm
displacement, mate guarding, and male mimicry. Dragonflies and
Damselflies includes profiles of more than fifty of the most
interesting and beautiful species from around the world. Learn
about the Great Cascade Damsel, which breeds only at waterfalls,
the mesmerizing flight of Blue-winged Helicopters, and how the
larva of the Common Sanddragon can burrow into sand as efficiently
as a mole. Combining expert text and excellent color photographs,
this is a must-have guide to these remarkable insects. A lavishly
illustrated, comprehensive, and accessible natural history that
reveals the beauty and diversity of one of the world's oldest and
most popular insect groups Offers a complete guide to the
evolution, life cycles, biology, anatomy, behavior, and habitats of
dragonflies and damselflies Introduces the 39 families of
dragonflies and damselflies through exemplary species accounts
Features tips on field observation and lab research, and
information on threats and conservation
This basic beginner's field guide to the insects of North America
is part of the growing National Geographic Pocket Guide series.
This new guide provides spot-on descriptive information,
authoritative photography and illustrations, and key facts in a
handy, pleasant-to-hold, easy-to-reference volume. More robust than
any other beginning field guide on the market, this book includes
selected photography and newly commissioned art and graphics to
help identify each species. Beautifully designed and illustrated,
with logical organization and bulleted information, these pocket
guides are useful in the field or as an in-home reference.
Ever been tempted by the thought of trying juicy deep fried
mealworms, proteinrich cricket flower, or swapping your Walkers for
salt and vinegar flavoured grasshoppers? If so then you are not
alone! Over 2 billion people regularly eat insects as part of their
diet, and the world is home to around 1,900 edible insect species.
For adventurous foodies and daring dieters comes the newest way to
save the planet, eat more protein, and tickle taste buds. But this
isn't an insect cookbook. Instead it's an informative field guide:
exploring the origins of insect eating, offering tips on finding
edible bugs and serving up a few delicious ideas of how to eat them
once you've tracked them down! It includes a comprehensive list on
edible insects and where to find them, how to prepare them, their
versatile usage and nutritional value as well as a few recipes. A
bug-eating checklist covering all known edible bugs so readers can
mark off the ones they've eaten and seek out new delicacies
concludes the book. This is a perfect introduction to the weird,
wonderful, and adventurous side of entomophagy.
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Scorpion
(Paperback)
Louise M. Pryke
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R441
R361
Discovery Miles 3 610
Save R80 (18%)
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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From the dawn of civilization scorpions have captured the human
imagination. Yet the scorpion is a misunderstood animal with a bad
reputation that overshadows its many exceptional qualities. Older
than dinosaurs, these small arthropods have survived for hundreds
of millions of years with very few changes to their form,
populating every continent - with the exception of Antarctica.
Although humans and scorpions have coexisted for thousands of
years, the image of the scorpion retains a sense of danger and
mystery. This book explores the diverse cultural symbolism of
scorpions, from prehistoric times until today.
Visitors to tropical forests generally come to see the birds,
mammals, and plants. Aside from butterflies, however, insects
usually do not make it on the list of things to see. This is a
shame. Insects are everywhere, they are often as beautiful as the
showiest of birds, and they have a fascinating natural history.
With their beautifully illustrated guide to insects and other
arthropods, Paul E. Hanson and Kenji Nishida put the focus on
readily observable insects that one encounters while strolling
through a tropical forest in the Americas. It is a general belief
that insects in the tropics are larger and more colorful than
insects in temperate regions, but this simply reflects a greater
diversity of nearly all types of insects in the tropics. On a
single rainforest tree, for example, you will find more species of
ant than in all of England.Though written for those who have no
prior knowledge of insects, this book should also prove useful to
those who study them. In addition to descriptions of the principal
insect families, the reader will find a wealth of biological
information that serves as an introduction to the natural history
of insects and related classes. Sidebars on insect behavior and
ecological factors enhance the descriptive accounts. Kenji
Nishida's stunning photographs-many of which show insects in action
in their natural settings-add appeal to every page. A final chapter
provides a glimpse into the intriguing world of spiders, scorpions,
crabs, and other arthropods.
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Ants
(Paperback)
Allen Paul
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R262
Discovery Miles 2 620
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Invite a kaleidoscopic collection of butterflies into your home
with this beautifully designed book. The Butterfly Pavilion brings
to life more than 50 beautiful butterflies with gorgeous archival
illustrations. From the Malabar tree nymph to the tawny rajah,
these fascinating creatures can be found everywhere from the
tropical rainforest to your own back garden. The innovative paper
design allows you to press each illustration out of the page,
transforming your book into a work of art, the perfect gift for any
nature lover. Award-winning nature writer James Lowen is the
perfect guide to discovering and identifying these unique insects.
To see how your Paperscapes book transforms, check out the video
below (just above the reviews) or have a look at the Paperscapes
author page.
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So Below
(Paperback)
Lauren Ireland; Illustrated by Christopher Payne
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R430
R349
Discovery Miles 3 490
Save R81 (19%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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This practical pocket field guide, published in association with
the Wildlife Trusts, includes 150 butterfly and moth species from
Britain and the near Continent. Each species account contains
accurate artworks that show details to help readers differentiate
between male and female butterflies, moths and caterpillars of
varying species. A concise written account outlines further
essential information, such as size, description, habitat, flight
times, distribution, foodplants and habits. The easy-to-follow
layouts and illustrations aid quick identification, and make this
book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It
is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet filled with essential
information for nature enthusiasts.
This Naturalists' Handbook aims to attract more people to the study
of solitary wasps by describing the ecology, distribution and
natural history of these insects, including all relevant research
in one convenient volume. Contents include an overview of the
natural history of the solitary wasp, guidelines on identification,
and advice on techniques and approaches to study. Further reading,
a systematic checklist of genera and an alphabetical checklist of
species and their distributions are included. Detailed keys to the
identification of the species form the centre of the book and the
text is accompanied by clear illustrations throughout, making this
an invaluable practical guide for anyone seeking to broaden their
knowledge of these fascinating, diverse creatures. Smaller, gentler
and less intimidating than the black and yellow social wasps, the
solitary wasps are attractive because of their bright colours and
their fascinating behaviour. A female wasp will construct a nest,
excavating it from wood or sand or building it from mud. She
provisions the nest with prey, hunting down a suitable creature,
perhaps a caterpillar or a fly, which she will paralyse before
dragging it home to the nest. She lays her egg on the paralysed
prey, and the larva when it hatches feeds on the prey. On a sunny
day it is easy to observe the apparently purposeful behaviour of
female wasps as they prepare their nests and stock them with food
for the next generation. This book is a digital reprint of ISBN
0-85546-295-7 (1995). Naturalists' Handbooks encourage and enable
those interested in natural history to undertake field study, make
accurate identifications and to make original contributions to
research.
Insects boast incredible diversity, and this book treats an
important component of the western insect biota that has not been
summarized before - moths and their plant relationships. There are
about 8,000 named species of moths in our region, and although most
are unnoticed by the public, many attract attention when their
larvae create economic damage: eating holes in woolens, infesting
stored foods, boring into apples, damaging crops and garden plants,
or defoliating forests.In contrast to previous North American moth
books, this volume discusses and illustrates about 25 per cent of
the species in every family, including the tiny species, making
this the most comprehensive volume in its field. With this approach
it provides access to microlepidoptera study for biologists as well
as amateur collectors. About 2,500 species are described and
illustrated, including virtually all moths of economic importance,
summarizing their morphology, taxonomy, adult behavior, larval
biology, and life cycles.
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