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.

The Pocket Guide to the Insects of Costa Rica reveals the sheer number and diversity of insects and arthropods of the tropics. Every square meter of rainforest and cloud forest in Costa Rica offers up multitudes of gemlike tiny creatures with enough wonders to keep an entomologist busy for a lifetime. But given that Costa Rica is home to potentially more than 250,000 species-the majority of which have yet to be named-where to begin? This Pocket Guide helps orient those new to the insect world, featuring the species that one would most likely encounter on a walk through the forests of Costa Rica. Individual species accounts offer key physical characteristics, along with fascinating natural history information, while range maps offer further clues to help identify the insect that has just landed on your trail way. Finally, there are the stunning photos-a happy reminder of your time spent in the wilds of Costa Rica.