Bees pollinate plants, produce honey, and create marvellous social colonies. They also need our help. There is nothing quite like a bee, and nothing quite like The Bee Book. This essential guide to all things apiary takes you into the hive and reveals the remarkable lives of these essential pollinators, from their incredible influence on the evolution of flowers to the role of an individual worker bee within her colony. Bee species have existed for millions of years - but, as a result of pesticides and the climate crisis, their numbers are now threatened like never before. Discover how you can support bee populations where you live, with advice on creating bee hotels and nectar-rich wild gardens, or take the next step and try your hand at beekeeping. The Bee Book contains all the essential information you need to set up your own hive, establish your own colony, and care for your bees. It even includes ideas for making the most of the honey, beeswax, and propolis your hive will produce, including a honey and clay face mask, soothing cough drops, and luxurious body butter. Whether you're interested in bees, beekeeping, or simply wish to support local biodiversity, The Bee Book contains everything you need to know and more.

This book presents a readable account of butterfly behaviour, based on field observations, great photographs and the latest research. The main focus is on courtship and mating - including perching, searching and territorial behaviour - but to understand these subjects it is necessary to explain how mates are chosen and this requires sections on wing colours and patterns. A chapter on butterfly vision is also essential in terms of how butterflies see the world and each other. There have been exciting discoveries in all of these fields in recent years, including: butterfly vision (butterfly photoreceptors), wing patterns (molecular biology), wing colouration (structural colours and nano-architecture), mating strategies and female choice (ecology and behaviour).

In Butterfly Biology Systems Roger Dennis explores key topics and contentious issues in butterfly biology, specifically those in life history and behaviour. Uniquely, using a systems approach, the book focuses on the degree of integration and feedback between components and elements affecting each issue, as well as the links between different issues. The book comprises four sections. The first two sections introduce the reader to principles and approaches for investigating complex relationships, and provide a platform of knowledge on butterfly biology. The final two sections deal in turn with life history and behaviour, covering key issues affecting different stages of development from eggs to adults. The book is extensively illustrated with original diagrams and models, all of which have detailed legends, produced to enhance a broader understanding, and to provide templates for future research. It includes a detailed bibliography and glossary providing an essential gateway to the extensive literature on butterfly biology. Butterfly Biology Systems is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in insect ecology, evolution, behaviour and conservation. It will also be of great value to anyone interested in butterflies. Introduces a systems approach to butterfly biology Includes succinct reviews of the key interrelationships in butterfly life history and behaviour Illustrates more than 100 models to advance research into butterfly biology systems

Peterson
The best-selling field guides of all time
There are thousands of moth species in the northeast of North America, and while it might seem that they are all drab grays and browns, there is actually a startling variety. They come in a rainbow of colors, from brilliant oranges and pinks to soft greens and violets. There are moths with colorful leopardlike spots, and ones that look more like B-movie aliens; some that are as large as your hand, and others the size of a grain of rice.
With helpful tips on how to attract and identify moths, range maps and season graphs showing at a glance when and where to find each species, and clear photographs that use the unique Peterson arrow system for easy identification, this guide provides everything an amateur or experienced moth-watcher needs.
Sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute

A "New York Times "Notable Book
A stunningly original exploration of the ties that bind us to the beautiful, ancient, astoundingly accomplished, largely unknown, and unfathomably different species with whom we share the world.
For as long as humans have existed, insects have been our constant companions. Yet we hardly know them, not even the ones we're closest to: those that eat our food, share our beds, and live in our homes. Organizing his book alphabetically, Hugh Raffles weaves together brief vignettes, meditations, and extended essays, taking the reader on a mesmerizing exploration of history and science, anthropology and travel, economics, philosophy, and popular culture. "Insectopedia "shows us how insects have triggered our obsessions, stirred our passions, and beguiled our imaginations.

Turn your outdoor space into a sanctuary for nature and join the rewilding movement today! Introducing Wild Your Garden, a practical guide to rewilding your outdoor space, with advice, inspiration and step-by-step projects brought to you by Gardeners' World and Springwatch guests The Butterfly Brothers. We all have the potential to make the world a little greener, and Wild Your Garden shows you how to create a garden that can help boost local biodiversity. You don't need specialist knowledge or acres of land. If you have any outdoor space, you can make a difference to local wildlife, and reduce your carbon footprint, too! So what are you waiting for? Dive straight in to discover: -Practical illustrated step-by-step projects for all level of gardeners -Tips and advice to adjust to the principles of wild gardening -Inspiration for rewilding your garden space and encourage local biodiversity to thrive Whether you wish to transform a paved-over yard into a lush oasis, create refuges to welcome and support native species, or turn a high-maintenance lawn into a nectar-rich mini-meadow to attract bees and butterflies, this great gardening book has something for everyone to discover. The Butterfly Brothers are expert landscape gardeners specializing in wildlife-attracting projects of all sizes across the UK. Having worked closely with Chris Packham, Alan Titchmarsh and even Sir David Attenborough, they will show you how to easily support wildlife and reap all the benefits Mother Nature has to offer, no matter the shape and size of your garden. In fact, Alan Titchmark once said: "It's up to every single one of us to do our bit for wildlife, however small our gardens, and The Butterfly Brothers know just how that can be achieved." Did you know that the concept of rewilding is being increasingly seen as a viable tool in the fight against rising C02 emissions? So let's all work together to do our part for the planet! Whether it's plummeting pollinator numbers, building bird boxes or crafting a woodland wonderland, this gardening guide is jam-packed with top tips and tricks for wilding your garden and becoming one with nature! The ideal gardening gift for the nature lover in your life, those looking to take steps to reconnect with nature, or those who wish to protect local wildlife from the comfort of home!

'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

Identifying wildlife in Britain and Ireland is quick and easy with this complete practical field guide to the animals, plants, and fungi of the British Isles. The pocket-sized format means Pocket Nature Wildlife of Britain and Ireland is perfectly portable and ideal for slipping into your rucksack while rambling, or popping into the glove compartment for trips further afield. Packed with in-situ photography and text written by wildlife experts, this indispensable book covers everything from trees, wild flowers, and fungi to wild animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. The key features of this beautiful book to British and Irish wildlife includes: - Close-up photography shows key details and highlights distinguishing features, making it easy to identify species. - Each entry includes at-a-glance facts for quick reference. - Simple graphics provide information on scale and silhouette shape to aid quick identification. -Distribution maps provide a quick and easy guide to the best areas to spot each species This nature book is organized into groups that are easily understood and recognized by the complete novice. Coverage is comprehensive, with more than 1,000 species included. Each entry comprises a prominent photo of the subject for identification, supporting photos that show important details or variations, and a data panel to summarize key facts consistently. A simple text profile picks out the most useful details to aid accurate identification and provides interesting background information. Maps show you where you can expect to find a species, so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. From the Hummingbird Hawk-moth to the False Deathcap fungus, Pocket Nature Wildlife of Britain and Ireland is the ideal family guide to wildlife in the British Isles.

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.

A witty and informative account that busts the myths about Britain's most captivating butterfly species. When summer is at its zenith and the sallow foliage develops a bluish tinge, a giant butterfly – beautiful, bold and brazen – flies powerfully over the tree canopy. Females of this species, wary yet determined, haunt the sallow thickets, depositing their eggs, while the males establish treetop territories and descend to the woodland floor in search of indelicacies to feed upon. Mysterious, elusive and enthralling in equal measure, this is the butterfly that Victorian collectors yearned for above all others: His Imperial Majesty, the Purple Emperor. A wondrous enigma, the Purple Emperor is our most elusive and least-known butterfly – we glimpse it only through fissures in its treetop world, yet this giant insect has fascinated us for centuries and has even inspired its own 'Emperoring' language. Matthew Oates became captivated by the Purple Emperor following his first sighting as a boy. He has studied it assiduously ever since, devoting his life to trying to unravel the Emperor's secrets. His Imperial Majesty takes us on a journey, beginning with a dalliance into the bizarre history of our engagement with the butterfly, with daring doings and gross eccentricities from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Subsequent chapters explore all aspects of this remarkable butterfly's life cycle, including behaviour, habitat preferences, life history and conservation, all relayed in Matthew's unique, informative and witty style. Not so long ago, our knowledge of the Emperor was largely based on a blend of mythology and assumption. This book dispels the fabrications and reveals all about the Purple Emperor – the king of British butterflies.

Streit's father was a watchmaker who also kept bees, and it was in early childhood that Jakob developed a passion for the honeybee. This exquisite reader for Steiner-Waldorf schools factually and scientifically allows one to enter into the magic and mysterious world of the bees. It offers a useful transition from Class 4 to Class 5, moving from the Animal and the Human Being lesson block, to the Botany block. It is also recommended for Class 3. Along with another of Jacob Streit's books, Little Bee Sunbeam, it is one of two books recommended for the sexuality curriculum in the Waldorf school.

Eco-friendly gardening is fast catching on. Butterflies are visible signs of a healthy garden, and, with their whimsical flight patterns and glorious colours, they are among the most alluring of our aerial visitors. Gardening for butterflies shows how to attract these beautiful insects, giving step-by-step instructions for planning and planting a garden that will cater for the greatest number and diversity of butterflies. Using a Durban garden as a case study, it includes a recommended layout and plant lists for this area, as well as for other regions around the country. The book showcases 95 garden butterflies and moths, showing their full life cycle, including pupa, eggs and caterpillar. Stunning photography and point-form text ensure accurate identification of each stage in the cycle, and an interesting introduction discusses such topics as the extraordinary process of metamorphosis and the curious habits of these mercurial insects. Whether you’re tempted to undertake a full-scale transformation of your garden to attract butterflies, make smaller adjustments to it, or if you simply want to identify those insects already visiting your space, this book will amaze and enchant you.

"If you're looking for a dose of wonder in your reading life, I recommend this beautiful book about the magic of fig trees."-Book Riot Over millions of years, fig trees have shaped our world, influenced our evolution, nourished our bodies and fed our imaginations. And as author and ecologist Mike Shanahan proclaims, "The best could be yet to come." Gods, Wasps and Stranglers weaves together the mythology, history and ecology of one of the world's most fascinating-and diverse-groups of plants, from their starring role in every major religion to their potential to restore rainforests, halt the loss of rare and endangered species and even limit climate change. In this lively and joyous book, Shanahan recounts the epic journeys of tiny fig wasps, whose eighty-million-year-old relationship with fig trees has helped them sustain more species of birds and mammals than any other trees; the curious habits of fig-dependent rhinoceros hornbills; figs' connection to Krishna and Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad; and even their importance to Kenya's struggle for independence. Ultimately, Gods, Wasps and Stranglers is a story about humanity's relationship with nature, one that is as relevant to our future as it is to our past.

This introduction to the diverse yet little-known world of spiders is packed with concise, accurate information. With full-color pictures and readable text, this guide identifies representative species and describes:

· Their characteristics and habits

· Growth, courtship, and enemies

· Where they are found

Spiders and Their Kin includes information on poisonous species and how to collect, preserve, and raise spiders.

Using clear text and detailed illustrations, Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press present accurate information in a handy format for the beginner to the expert. These guides focus on what your students are really going to see. They are easy to use: detailed, full-color illustrations, text, and maps are all in one place. They are easy to understand: accurate, accessible information is simplified without being misrepresented. They are authoritative, containing up-to-date information written experts and checked by specialists. And they are portable: handy and lightweight, designed to fit in a pocket and be carried anywhere.

A photographic identification guide to 150 species of garden insect most commonly found in Britain and North-West Europe. Packed with information, written with huge enthusiasm and illustrated with incredible close-up photos, this guide shines a spotlight on the insects in your garden. The introduction covers how to attract insects to your garden, the insect lover's year, a description of the parts of an insect and details of the insect orders described. For each species there is a keenly observed description to help you identify even the smallest creature, as well as one or two photographs labelled with distinguishing features. There are details of its life cycle from egg to adult, a calendar showing the time of year when the adult can be seen and star facts that give further proof of insects' fascinating lives.

Grab your coat and get ready for an outdoor adventure! This brilliant activity book is packed full of outside play ideas based on four of your favourite books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. With a wide range of activities created by nature play specialists Little Wild Things, this book is bursting with ideas to encourage children and adults to explore and celebrate nature together. Includes activities based on: Superworm, The Smeds and the Smoos, Zog and The Scarecrows' Wedding.

Given that insects vastly outnumber us (there are approximately 200 million insects for every human) it is no surprise that there is a rich body of verse on the creeping, scuttling, flitting, stinging things with which we share our planet. Many cultures have centuries-old traditions of insect poetry. In China,where noblewomen of the Tang dynasty kept crickets in gold cages-countless songs were written in praise of these 'insect musicians'. The haiku masters of Japan were similarly inspired, though spread their net wider to include less prepossessing bugs such as houseflies, fleas and mosquitoes. In the West, poems about insects date back to the ancient Greeks, and insects feature frequently in European literature from the 16th century onwards. The poets collected here range from Donne, Marvell, Keats and Wordsworth; Emily Dickinson, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Christina Rossetti, to Elizabeth Bishop, Mary Oliver, Ted Hughes, Paul Muldoon and Alice Oswald. In translation there is verse by - amongst others - Meleager and Tu Fu, Ivan Turgenev, Victor Hugo, Paul Valery, Pablo Neruda, Antonio Machado and Xi Chuan. Bees, butterflies and beetles, cockroaches and caterpillars, fireflies and dragonflies, ladybirds and glowworms--the miniature creatures that adorn these pages are as varied as the poetic talents that celebrate them.

All animals must eat. But who eats who, and why, or why not? Because insects outnumber and collectively outweigh all other animals combined, they comprise the largest amount of animal food available for potential consumption. How do they avoid being eaten? From masterful disguises to physical and chemical lures and traps, predatory insects have devised ingenious and bizarre methods of finding food. Equally ingenious are the means of hiding, mimicry, escape, and defense waged by prospective prey in order to stay alive. This absorbing book demonstrates that the relationship between the eaten and the eater is a central - perhaps the central - aspect of what goes on in the community of organisms. By explaining the many ways in which insects avoid becoming a meal for a predator, and the ways in which predators evade their defensive strategies, Gilbert Waldbauer conveys an essential understanding of the unrelenting co-evolutionary forces at work in the world around us.

Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised has been developed in collaboration with Wandle Learning Trust and Little Sutton Primary School. It comprises classroom resources to support the SSP programme and a range of phonic readers that together provide a consistent and highly effective approach to teaching phonics. Explore all the different ways we can communicate with each other in this photographic non-fiction book. Pages 14 and 15 contain an “I Spy� feature with a specific phoneme focus, which uses visual support to help children embed phonic knowledge. Reading notes within the book provide practical support for reading with children, including a list of all the sounds and words that the book will cover.

Fear and fascination set wasps apart from other insects. Despite their iconic form and distinctive colours, they are surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. Often portrayed in cartoon-like stereotypes bordering on sad parody, wasps have an unwelcome and undeserved reputation for aggressiveness bordering on vindictive spite. This mistrust is deep-seated in a human history that has awarded commercial and spiritual value to other insects, such as bees, but has failed to recognize any worth in wasps. Leading entomologist Richard Jones redresses the balance in this enlightening and entertaining guide to the natural and cultural history of these powerful carnivores. Jones delves into their complex nesting and colony behavior, their unique caste system and their major role at the centre of many food webs. Drawing on up-to-date scientific concepts and featuring many striking colour illustrations, Jones successfully shows exactly why wasps are worthy of greater understanding and appreciation.