Book Description

First published in the 1950s by the late James Borror and Dwight Moore DeLong, this classic text, INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF INSECTS 7TH EDITION, combines the study of insects with clear and current insect identification. In this new edition (available in a bundle with InfoTrac College Edition), Johnson and Triplehorn supply updated information on phylogeny using systematics while adding a greater emphasis on insect biology and evolution. This greater concentration on insect systematics necessitated many content changes including an added chapter for a newly described order, the Mantophasmatodea, as well as a new chapter reclassifying Order Homoptera (Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Hoppers Psyllids) into Order Hemiptera. Nearly every order has been modified, sometimes substantially, to reflect new discoveries and scientific hypotheses. Many new families have been added throughout the book, some reflecting revised classifications, but many are the result of the discovery of new groups within the United States and Canada, particularly from the New World tropics. These include the families Platystictidae (Odonata), Mackenziellidae (Collembola), Mantoididae (Mantodea), and Fauriellidae (Thysanoptera).The results of molecular analyses are beginning to substantively contribute to the development of a robust and predictive classification. Thus, the phylogeny of insects has changed drastically from the last edition due to the incorporation of molecular data. The most conspicuous of these changes, for example, is the recognition that the order Strepsiptera is most closely related to the true flies (Diptera), rather than to the Coleoptera. Since it was first published in the 1950s, this text has played an important role in understanding and preserving the diversity of the insect world. This title's long history, coupled with the authors' passion for currency and accuracy, make it once again the classic text and reference. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An Updated Version of a Great Classic
This is the book on insect taxonomy that most entomologists had as their text in introductory courses. The current (7th) edition is revised to fit recent changes in classification and certainly continues the standard set by Borror and DeLong many years ago. It was never intended to be a text in physiology, behavior or ecology. There are texts for these subjects available and just covering the systematic aspects of insects thoroughly is enough of a task.

My only quibbles have to do with some changes in arrangement of orders that I am not sure of (such as the union of Hemiptera and Homoptera, and Anoplura and Mallophaga - the latter was also true of the 6th ed.) and the fact that scorpion taxonomy was apparently not revised at all, despite numerous changes in the last several years.

However, that said, this edition is a continued improvement of a great classic of entomology. Among highlights are Jeremy Miller's and Darrell Ubick's excellent revision of the spider section and the new format for keys to the insects making them easier to use.

Without a doubt this will remain the best standard textbook on insect taxonomy available and I recommend it with only the minor reservations noted.

Exactly what I wanted!
I don't study Insects proffesionaly, I am simply curious about living things around me. I have several Field Guides that offer very little information about the Insect in question (which I suppose is all to be expected from a small book) and I wanted to know more. For instance how do the mouth parts work, what are the different body segments and what do they house or what is their function.Well here it is in "Black and White" litteraly... If you want pretty color pictures this is not the book for you. The figures in the book are however, very detailed, expertly drawn and all body parts are labled. So far every answer I have sought has been answered by this book.I believe that this book is well worth the high price tag. Remember this is only MY opinion, I could be wrong...

excellent book for keying families
I had to purchase this book for a class in my undergraduate work. However, as a graduate student, I use this book every semester. I am presently working in a lab and i.d many samples of insects. Some common, some not. I often reach for it to get to family so I can key to genus and species if I need to take the i.d. that far. The numbered keys are great! They reference forward and backward, which really helps if a mistake is made. Definitely a good one to have on the shelves.

A great book for pre-entomologist
It is the most appropriate book I have seen for graudate student who want to be an entomologist. It have a comprehensive knowledge on how to study the insects.

A good book for some purposes
This a good book for who seek for taxonomic keys to identify insects in the laboratory. Its large size make it difficult in the field. Some aspects are neglected, e.g. physiology and evolution. I think there are a lot of better books for these subjects. ... Read more

Book Description

Believe it or not, bees are one of the oldest species of domesticated animals. Archeologists have found evidence of beekeeping, or apiculture, in the Middle East dating back more than five thousand years. If you’ve ever tasted good clover honey, it’s not hard to understand why. But it’s not just for the honey that more than 125,000 people (and growing) in the United States, alone, keep hives. Anyone interested in nature can’t help but be fascinated by those buzzing yellow bundles of energy and the exotic world they inhabit, with all its weird rituals and incredible efficiency. Also, dedicated gardeners appreciate the extra bounty that pollinating bees bring to their fruits, flowers, and vegetable gardens.

In this easy-to-follow guide, Howland Blackiston, one of the nation’s most respected authorities on the subject, takes the mystery (and the sting) out of beekeeping. Taking a step-by-step approach to successful backyard beekeeping, he gets you up and running with all the information you need to:

• Build a hive
• Establish your first colony
• Inspect your hives with confidence
• Maintain healthy colonies
• Deal with pests and fix common problems
• Harvest and enjoy fresh homemade honey
• Bottle and market your honey

Howland Blackiston covers all the bases, from bee anatomy, society, and behavior, to identifying and healing common illnesses afflicting bees. He also offers inventive solutions to most common and many uncommon problems you’re likely to run into. Among other things, you’ll discover:

• Where to put your hive, basic equipment you’ll need, and how to assemble a hive
• The best and safest way to inspect and enjoy your bees
• Year-round tasks a beekeeper must perform to maintain a healthy colony
• How to recognize and deal with common problems with brood production and the precious queen
• How to harvest honey and decide what kind of honey you’d like to make
• Making products from beeswax and propolis

For both fun and profit, beekeeping has become a booming enterprise. A real honey of a book, Beekeeping For Dummies gets you on the road to enjoying this ancient, highly-rewarding, and oh-so-tasty hobby. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A good read for the new or beginning beekeeper
I would highly recommend this book to the new or beginning beekeeper. It is a very good read and is not nearly as dry or flowerly as several of the books out there on the subject. It does an excellent job of walking you thru the basics of setting up a bee hive and what to look for once your bee hive is populated. It lost a star in my veiw because it does not cover well everything that an experienced beekeeper needs to know and, if you are really a "dummy" beekeeping is not for you.

Simple, Educational and Entertaining ....PERFECT!
I have been contimplating starting bees as a hobby. I ordered the book and couldn't put it down. The author shares his facination with bees and gives straight forward help on all the questions you have. He even addresses things like fear of bees and how to "sell" your neighbors. I loved it! I ordered a hive, equipment, and bees yesterday and I can't wait until they arrive.

Good for Dummies
Keep in mind this book has a "dummies" slant. It's a great beginner book and I own a copy. I recommend it. Lots of conversational plain english, funny cartoons, photographs, etc. But, buy another book as well to round out your knowledge. For example, Howland doesn't explain *why* you need an inner cover... just says it's part of the hive. He only provides *one* technique for queen introduction (a good one), when there are several others. Then he perpetuates the myth that you should scrape a bee's stinger away rather than pinch it away (Discover magazine, et. al., now dispute this), and when discussing *moving* a hive, he leaves out the "3 mile rule" and the "1 foot per day" approach, etc. He suggests using motor oil moats to prevent ants (works great), but doesn't mention that vegetable oil works great also, without being as noxious. Like I say, great book, buy it, but get some others too.

The Best for Beginners
Being a complete dummie about Bees I was looking for the basics in a how-to book. I have not always been pleased with previous "For Dummies" books but this one is good. It is complete with advice for what you need to start, what is really necessary and what is optional, and how to decide. I am up and running with my bees and owe a lot to this book. When I went to the supplier I knew enough to make educated decisions on what to buy. I bought two other books and they were a waste of time.

A Golden Start
A well-written practical book for the novice beekeeper and for those whishing to recheck their habits, good or bad. It is an easy book to read, the tips are practical, informed and work. I still have not yet found the courage to not use gloves! I would recommend this informative book to all who wish to enter the wonderful world of bee keeping. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There are about 100,000 kinds of insects in North America, so obviously they can't have a field guide in the same way the 650 species of birds do: something both portable and complete. The National Audubon Society has produced a remarkably useful compromise. This guide has photographs and descriptions of 550 insect species and 60 kinds of spiders. Most of the families of arthropods on the continent are covered, as are all of the most common species. It's a very useful resource for any North American naturalist, and the best choice for an adult who is not an expert entomologist. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Generally and Excellent Book
Even if I am not actually "in the field" I love to read the descriptions and see the photos of the insects and spiders in this book. You learn something new every time you pick it up. The photographs are very clear, often capturing an image of a difficult-to-photograph insect (some of them only 1/32" in size). The thumbnails make it easy to get yourself in the right general area by body type, then you move through the section to identify the specific insect/spider in question. The text descriptions of the spiders is, for me, the most interesting part of this book, and you'll come to appreciate arachnids like never before.

My only criticism of this book is that the editors decided to spend relatively less time on some of the insects that you are more likely to actually see (just two examples that come to mind are millipedes and centipedes), while spending a lot of time on insects that are very unlikely to be witnessed by most amateurs (for example, there is extensive coverage of mites and fleas). Of couse, no one would expect Audubon to be able to cover every angle of the insect world, and no matter what choice Audubon makes they will please some people and displease others. In future editions, however, I would love to see the same coverage of the rare insects with some expansion.

For educational purposes, however, this book is terrific. Children could definitely use it to begin to appreciate the diversity and importance of the insect world. Reading about very tiny insects -- even if they never actually see them -- will reinforce for children the idea that the world is full of life, even in places they can't see. Every description in this book should ignite a child's -- or an adult's -- imagination of what else is out there...

Valuable reference and field guide for the amateur
The Audubon Society has put together a helpful field guide to the insects and spiders of North America. The book contains just over 700 photographs of insects and spiders in the front section of the book divided into 22 more or less taxonomic divisions. There is section of descriptive information nearly 600 pages long in the back of the book. The format of the book is such that it can fit into a back pocket or jacket pocket without a lot of bother.

The reference material is helpful in identifying insects/spiders, but I have one significant criticism about the book...why in the world didn't the editors include the scientific names along with the common names of these animals by the photographs in the front section? If one wants to use this book as an aid in scientific identification it becomes an exercise in page flipping -- though those engaged in serious taxonomic identification will doubtless use taxonomic keys for that purpose. Still, for the advanced amateur collector, the page flipping can get annoying.

The photographs are of generally good quality, though no photograph is the equal of a quality illustration.

While 700 photos sounds like a lot, that number is nowhere near the number of photographs it would take to do a comprehensive field guide to insects and spiders of North America. Still, this guide provides good introduction to the diversity of North American insects and spiders. This book will get you in the ballpark when you try to identifying these animals, but you'll have to use other reference materials if you are serious about taxonomy.

A helpful book, though it has a few flaws. You might consider using this book and the Peterson Field Guide to Insects together -- the latter book relies on illustations, and it includes a form of taxonomic keys that are not that hard to use.

4 stars -- well worth the price.

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College (IN)

Outstanding guide for macro photographers
Getting into macro photography, I was discovering all kinds of weird insects, and had no idea what they were. I knew that to be as professional as possible, I needed to be able to identify my tiny subjects as well as know their habits, preferred envirnonment and so on...

I like the way this book is organized. You have a table of contents of sorts that lists bug shapes. They are organized by similiar shape, and color.

Not ment to be read from cover to cover, this book is excellent for throwing into my camera bag for to be a field reference.

I have had this book for years
I first got this book when I started college, for horticulture, while the study only became a hobby in my later years, this book has been with me the whole time.
Every time I see a new bug or insect in my habitat, I run to the house and bring out this book. 80% of the time I can ID it by only using the plates. 15% of the rest I can figure it out by the description pages and the last 5% I usually have enough information to go look on the Internet to find out exactly what I am looking at. I think that it must say something to say I have had this book for 19 years and still use it every summer. And yes it is the same book- I looked at the screen shots Amizon.com so nicely provides and the contents and index is identical. And so are the pages I saw including the page #'s
This is a very good book to get you on the road to entomology and as a reference after that, one you too will keep a long time!

Too General Too much is missing
If you really want to ID insects in your yard or garden, I dont think that this is the book to use. It is way to general containing insects from desert, the south and the north, it omits many families and includes many exotics that are unique but not likely to be found. A more regional focus would help and a more complete key would also help. It just seems that they tried to do to much with the pages they had. As far as an alternative, I am still looking for a better key/field book. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers an in-depth treatment of insect biology and classification, covering all insect orders and providing keys to over four hundred families of insects. This second edition is enhanced by new chapters on population biology, insects and microbes, and methods for developing an insect collection. It is illustrated with numerous line drawings and photographs, including color plates. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Well worth it!
This book is on my "short list" of essential references. Species are covered in clear, concise descriptions. This well organized volume makes hunting for similar species as easy as turning a page. The photos? I can't say enough about the clear, photos that make insect identification a good deal easier!

While an excellent book for the landscape professional, scientist, or advanced gardener, beginners might be a bit overwhelmed by the technical language and scientific names.

This is a much needed and fabulous manual.
When trying to identify a particular problem with growing trees or shrubs knowing what kinds of insects are possible culprits is a major step. This book gives us, in color photos and descriptions, most of the common larvae that can be found feeding on the particular plants. Even Entomology texts often refuse to deal with larvae of insects, keeping only the adults in the keys and descriptions (even though the adults are often not pests!). This guide will be a welcome addition to any plant clinic, grower, or Entomology professor or student's bookshelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile have revised and expanded their clear and comprehensive guide to cover changes in beekeeping. They discuss the crisis created by the parasitic bee mites. In less than a decade, for example, Varroa mites have saturated the North American honeybee population with disastrous results, devastating both managed and wild populations. The new edition of The Beekeeper's Handbook covers mite detection and control as well as the selection and testing of bees that may have some tolerance to mites.

Serves as a comprehensive well-illustrated introduction for beginners and a valuable reference for the experienced beekeeper.

Outlines options for each operation within beekeeping, listing advantages and disadvantages of each alternative.

Provides easy-to-follow directions and diagrams.

Includes glossary and updated bibliography suggesting more detailed information on the topics discussed. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best Beekeeping book I've seen!
I have most of the "standard" beekeeping books in my library, but this book is the best! The most logical and complete book I have seen yet, and very well illustrated. Logically written and yet interesting just to sit down and read. But it also does a great job of covering details of beekeeping and answering both basic and more complex questions of the hobby. Highly recommended!

A wonderful informative book for any level of beekeeper
I found the authors style to be easy to read, the technical terms were explained in detail and multiple approaches to various beekeeping situations discussed. The discussion on bee biology was interesing and the step by step instructions were easy to follow and well written. The section on colony disease management is excellent. Of the two dozen or so books I ahve on beekeeping - this is the one I would most reccomend for the technical information

Excellent Beginner's Book
As a beginning beekeeper, I found this book to very well written and an excellent jumping off point. The way almost all steps and facets of beekeeping are given advantages vs. disadvantages in this book was also extremely helpful and thought provoking.

Beginner's textbook used by our club
"The Beekeeper's Handbook" is the textbook used by the Montgomery County Beekeepers Association for its beginners short course. The book has up-to-date information on mites, which was a big reason for selecting it. We also like the the way the book discusses several alterative approaches to most beekeeping situations. The book is well illustrated with drawings(no photographs). The physical construction of the book is good enough to take some abuse in the field.

Get "The Beekeeper's Handbook" if you are a beginning to intermediate level beekeeper.

W.G. Miller Montgomery County (MD) Beekeepers Association EAS Master Beekeeper ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This is a nice book
This is just a nice book. It has some fascinating information about the structure, biology, and life history of spiders. It has some very nice pictures, especially of jumping spiders which the authors seem to have a special affinity for. It is NOT a field guide, and it's not meant to be, it's a very nice introduction to the fascinating world of the spider.

Spiders of the World
This book is geared to someone looking for information on the general habits of spiders.It has a great section on web building and habitats. This book does contains some pictures , but not for the purpose of classification of specific spiders. ... Read more

Book Description

Arnett and Thomas offer the most sweeping text availableon the subject of North American beetles. Each section is presented in the same concise format, and the organization of the information is bt family. The editors have chosen the most respected of specialists to contribute the entries. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (8)

A Good Beginner's Introduction to Non-Insect Arthropods
I was introduced to the early "Golden Guides" in the 1950s. My very first book on insects was in this series and I wore out numerous copies of the various titles. Of these I have always especially admired H. W. and Lorna Levi's "Spiders and Their Kin." This little guide had (and to a large degree still has) the most complete systematic treatment of any of the taxa covered in the "Golden Guide" series. Few books were available on these fascinating creatures when this work was originally published and "Spiders and Their Kin" was a considerable improvement. The drawings of spider eye arrangements were especially helpful for identification.

Unfortunately time does not stand still and the reprinted version of this book is somewhat behind in its treatment of spider families. There has been some attempt by St. Martin's Press to revise the classification (the sac spiders are shown to belong to several families), but some of the other families have also undergone major changes (e.g. "Ctenizidae" is now at least three families) and "brown spiders" (a name I really do not like- I prefer "violin spiders" as more descriptive) are now members of the Sicariidae. Neither of the last two changes made it into the revised book, either because they occurred after the corrected copy was submitted or because they were overlooked. The current revision does include the statement that urocteids and oecobiids have been united under the Oecobiidae - as it turns out, having a cribellum is a primitive trait and does not indicate relationships very well- but mistakenly indicates that the "oecobiids" are larger than "urocteids". It also still has the two "families" on different pages, so the revision did not include a rearrangement of the figures. In the scorpions there have been major taxonomic changes as well, but most of these were not noted (again several are probably just too recent to have been included). However, Hadrurus is correctly placed in the Iuridae, instead of the Vaejovidae.

Because of these major developments I cannot recommend this book as an up to date guide to currently recognized spider families, but it still is a good starting place for those (especially young people) who would like to know more about arachnids, millipedes, centipedes, and land crustaceans. Fortunately many, if not most, of the families (e. g. Theraphosidae, Oonopidae, Salticidae, Linyphiidae, Selenopidae, Theridiidae, Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, Lycosidae) are still valid as described in the original edition of the book.

A good little field guide
Upon first reading, it is unfortunate that "Spiders and Their Kin" shows but a select few species from among the Arachnid pantheon, but it has been a great read and a great reference over the ten-plus years since I first purchased an earlier edition.

Used as a sole reference, the book is lacking in many crucial details, but there are more specialized books available to those who find that the information within these pages is less than desired.

True, it will not go in-depth with regard to each individual species, and may not show one in particular, but it's a handier starting point for arachnid identification than its larger brethren and, that, I think, is the purpose for which it is intended to be used.

The bottom line: if you know little to nothing about arachnids at this time, or you just need a field guide to get you started on making identifications, go ahead and buy Levi's little gem. If you feel like you need to learn all that can be learned about an individual species of spider or need more specialized/more advanced field guides, then this is probably not the book for you.

Good Starter book
I think this is a good starter book for identfying spiders that are more common. There are a couple of pages on webs that I found interesting. In the front it gives a great visual on how the Arthropod group is broken out and how different spider types break out within that - all helps when trying to do the id. There are so many different amazing spiders - this can only scrath the surface but is a really good place to start. I just like taking pictures and having a general idea of what I'm looking at so for me it works...I will be checking out other books too though like "How to Know Spiders" if there is one in that "How to Know" series.

this is a little kids book
I bought this book because I was expecting to ID the brown recluse which has several variations. This book had one poorly drawn picture and 1 sentence about the Brown Recluse. I was disappointed to say the least. This is one of those little field guides for kids.
This would be a good field guide for someone about 8 years old.

Gross but interesting, even to an Arachnophobe
Last week I woke up when a spider bit me on my forehead. It was a shallow, burning pain rather like someone had injected a weak solution of hydrochloric acid under my skin. About a third of my forehead was flushed red when I first looked in a mirror, but the redness subsided within a few hours, leaving a dime-sized lump that is still visible a week later.

I used "Spiders and Their Kin" to tentatively identify the mangled remains of the spider as a small Brown Recluse ('Loxosceles reclusa'). Just in case I needed to go see my doctor, I put the spider into a baggie and froze it. Luckily, my forehead didn't dissolve---according to the Levis, "In severe cases...the wound grows deeper and does not heal for several months."

At any rate, "Spiders and Their Kin" is a handy book to have around. I bought a copy for my sister when she found what she thought was a Black Widow in her garage, and I also got a copy for myself in order to identify the gigantic black and yellow spider that was hanging head-down in my Japanese Spiraea (it was---or maybe I should say, she was a Black and Yellow Argiope ('A. aurantia').

When I first bought this book, just looking at the cover made me itch. However, it is filled with fascinating little tidbits about Arachnids and their kin. I used to think that Hairy Mygalomorphs were the ugliest spiders on Earth (most especially the ones with ten inch leg spans), but now my vote goes to the Pirate Spiders ('Mimetidae'). Luckily, they are small spiders (4 - 6 mm), so you would have to use a magnifying glass to get the full impact of one of these hairy little dudes.

It is really rather impolite of me to make fun of 'Mimetidae,' since they help beautify my backyard by eating other spiders. According to the authors:

"Pirate Spiders invade webs of other spiders. The slow-moving Pirate Spider bites the web owner, which is quickly paralyzed and sucked dry through the legs, one after another."

Sounds like someone dining on crab legs.

The only fault I can find with "Spiders and Their Kin" is that it doesn't go into enough detail on the individual species and subspecies of Arachnids. And that's not a fair criticism to make, since Golden Nature Guides are meant to be used for quick identification, not detailed research.

Now, I've got to work up my courage, venture outside, and try to identify that big brown spider that has built her web from the house electrical line down to the clematis beside the porch door. Her abdomen is wider than it is long, she has striped legs, and she only comes out after dark...

By the way, "Spiders and their Kin" has a useful chapter on 'Collecting Spiders.' If you're an arachnophobe like I am, learning more about these critters might be the quickest way to cure yourself. ... Read more

Book Description

Detailed descriptions of insect orders, families, and many individual species are illustrated with 1,300 drawings and 142 superb color paintings.Illustrations - which use the unique Peterson Identification System to distinguish one insect from another - include size lines to show the actual length of each insect.A helpful glossary explains the technical terms of insect anatomy. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This reprint of the 1970 field guide remains one of the best
The guide aims to cover insects in America north of Mexico to family level. Few families are illustrated by more than a single figure of an adult and, while generally a single sex is shown, exceptions are made for some insects, for example in the color plates of damselflies. Where the sexes are very distinct (e.g. tussock moths or butterflies) it would have been helpful to show figures of both sexes. The book is predominantly one designed for identification and while it provides excellent coverage and a wonderful selection of figures, it rarely includes keys to help the novice zero on a particular family. The endpapers provide a quick and helpful guide to the principal insect orders, but once that level is reached, the reader must hunt out the descriptions of each suborder and/or superfamily to determine the appropriate group. The significant criteria that distinguish these suborders/superfamilies would be much easier to learn and compare were their descriptions put together on the same page rather than scattered through the section waiting to be discovered by searching the text or looking up the appropriate page by using the index. There is good chapter on collection methods and a brief introduction to insect structure and growth. Deficiences include the following - The book was originally published in 1970: however, the publisher has not taken the opportunity to update the original bibliography in any of the reprints. Nor have resources like Entomological organizations been listed. While the worldwide web makes it easier to access this new information, it would have been helpful to see the experts' recommendations.

Tougher to use for the casual amateur, but a good book!
Most amateur naturalists tend to expect page after page of photographs or drawings when they purchase a field guide. That is not what you will get in this book.

The authors, Borrer and White, have developed a sort of mini-entomology book for use in the field. The first part of the book contains helpful hints and instructions on how to collect and preserve insects. That section is followed by about 15 pages on the biology and taxonomy of this huge group. Understanding this information is essential if one is put together a useful insect collection. It also helps the insect watcher better understand what they are seeing in the ecology and body plans of these animals. Those sections are followed by over 300 pages of information that will help the determined insect watcher/collecter figure out the kind of animal they are looking at.

You should be advised that this book will NOT help you identify insects to the level of genus and species. The taxonomic information in this book targets primarily the family level (the level above the genus level).

Some reviewers have commented that the lack of color illustrations renders this book nearly useless. You need to understand that, for the serious collector, there are characteristics much more important in figuring out what they are looking at than color. The book is loaded with the kinds of information used by professional entomologists to identify the animals they study.

You should also be reminded that there are thousands of insect species, and many regional variations of those species, so no single field guide could ever hope to provide a comprehensive treatment of the group.

If you want/need a bounty of color photos to supplement your study, I recommend that you use this book along with a field guide like those available from the Audubon Society (E.g., The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders, which has over 700 photos of these animals).

The Peterson guide relies on illustrations rather than photos (illustrations are, I believe, far superior to photographs for identification work). There are both color and B/W illustrations in the book. There are also many helpful line drawings of body parts important to helping you ID insects.

I give this book 4 stars only because it tends to be a bit tougher for the casual amateur to use, but recommend it highly for the advanced amateur, as well as for general reference for the professional.

Well worth the price -- but not a child's book.

Good luck!

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College

In-depth is an insufficient description for this book.
Most who use this book have the same general complaint -- no color. Color, however, can be one of the most useless characteristics in identifying insects (especially if there are multiple color morphs).

Since this is not a guide which was designed to identify every insect species within a given range (which is impossible within the scope of a single tome), it does its job well...and that job is to help narrow the possibilities of identifications for each individual insect. There are specialist books for more specific (excuse the pun) identifications. This book may be used to point toward the specialist books necessary for correct identifications and should be used in that fashion.

There is a lot to be learned from Richard E. White's book, and reading the book from cover to cover is recommended for every insectophile. That's why, in spite of the inability to correctly identify even every insect in my backyard, I give this book 5/5.

Extremely interesting book.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the lack of color photos or plates. I honestly read half the book when I first recieved it. I got it because I was worried that this creature I had found was a mutant or something (turned out it was a velvet ant). It does have quite a bit of information on the different animals that make up the order of insects. It does not though give detail into any peticualar family though. There are after all WAY to many insects out there to fit into just one book. Check out the other field guides for butterflies, moths, or whatever you are into. It can be a little technical for the layman (i.e. me) but will help get you started on your adventures in collecting and learning about insects.

Most Used Insect ID Book
I have used this book for years. It is great for quick and easy insect identification. Good for the entomologist as well as the layman. Few color illustrations (lots of B & W) but since insects are very rarely identified by color, this is practically irrelevant. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

A highly useful guide for the casual entomologist
This title is actually one of the earliest in a very successful list of Golden Guides. It quickly brings the reader up to speed on the subject of insects in general and proceeds to lure him onward with fascinating information about each of the referenced insects in turn. When I arrived in New England, after an early childhood of city dwelling, my forays into woods and field, guidebook in hand, were some of the most educational times of my young life. I still have my original, ragged, copy of "American Insects" and treasure it. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first guide to dragonflies and damselflies of the south-central United States. The book covers 263 species, representing more than half of the North American fauna. The area of coverage significantly overlaps with other regions of the country making this book a useful aid in identifying the dragonflies and damselflies in any part of the United States, Canada, or northeastern Mexico.

More photographs of damselflies in North America appear here than in any other previously published work. All 85 damselfly and 178 dragonfly species found in the region are distinguished by photographs, numerous line drawings, keys, and detailed descriptions to help with identifications. Features include:

• Discussions of habitats, zoogeography, and seasonality
• Details on dragonfly and damselfly life history and conservation
• An introduction on studying and photographing dragonflies and damselflies
• An entire section devoted to the external anatomy of dragonflies and damselflies
• Species accounts organized by family into sections on size, regional and general distribution, flight season, identification, similar species, habitat and biology and ecology
• Range maps for each species, as well as an extensive bibliography and a list of resources for further study

Reviews (2)

This one is a keeper (pun intended).
In the past year I have borrowed from the library all the books I could find about beekeeping . This is one I plan to add to my personal library.

Excellent, very informative, a must have reference
Cover the subject in detail for good managemen ... Read more

Book Description

In much of North America, crickets and katydids provide the soundtrack to summer nights, and grasshoppers frequent the fields and roadsides of midsummer days. Although insects from this group have long been the bane of those who make their living from the land, grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets are themselves crucial food sources for many species of birds, reptiles and amphibians, and other creatures.

Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States introduces readers to the biology, behavior, and ecological significance of one of the most obvious (abundant, large, and colorful) and important (ecologically and economically significant) insect groups in North America, the order Orthoptera. A simple, illustrated identification guide assists the reader in distinguishing among the various groups and narrows down the options to expedite identification. The book treats more than a third of the species found in the United States and Canada in brief, easy-to-understand sections that provide information on distribution, identification, ecology, and similar species. Distribution maps accompany each profile, and 206 species are pictured in color. Black-and-white drawings highlight distinguishing characteristics of some of the more difficult-to-identify species. Sonograms provide a graphic representation of the insects’ distinctive sounds, which may be heard on Thomas J. Walker’s website.

This is the first treatment of North American grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets to portray the insects in full color, and it will be the first time many amateur naturalists and students have the opportunity to see the amazing and colorful world of Orthoptera, because many are cryptically colored (their bright colors evident only in flight) or cryptic in behavior (nocturnal in their habits). John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, and Thomas J. Walker designed their book for amateur naturalists who wish to know the local fauna, for students who seek to identify insects as part of entomology and natural history courses, and for professional biologists who need to identify invertebrates. This invaluable field guide will be a useful supplement for laboratory and field activities and a reference for classrooms at every level. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is an accessible, informative, and highly illustrated book that offers a fresh view of butterflies in the East Coast states, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Appalachians. In addition to providing a wealth of facts and photos, the book is the first to furnish detailed and up-to-date photo-illustrated information on the host plants favored by particular species. With 234 full-page species accounts and accompanying range maps, plus more than 950 large-size color photos, it is an essential reference work for field observers, gardeners, educators, and conservation managers--or anyone interested in appreciating the lepidopteran world close at hand.

The introductory chapters detail the subtle ecology of the East Coast region, establishing a consistent ecological framework that enriches the individual species accounts. There is also an overview of current scientific literature and observational findings to help readers better interpret complex butterfly behaviors in the field, including seasonal movements, host plant and diapause strategies, defensive chemistry, and more.

The book is written by Rick Cech, a seasoned field observer who has spent years studying and photographing East Coast butterflies. His substantial first-hand experience with both the common and rare species in the region adds much depth and new insight to the commentary.

* 234 full-page species accounts and accompanying range maps
* 950 large-size color photos
* 215 photos of individual host plants and habitats
* 735 high-quality photos of butterflies and caterpillars
* Introductory chapters detailing the subtle ecology of the East Coast region
* An overview of current scientific literature and observational findings
* Descriptions of diapause and host plant strategies and defensive chemistry
* User-friendly with clear, concise text

... Read more

Book Description

Garden Insects of North America is the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the common insects and mites affecting yard and garden plants in North America. In a manner no previous book has come close to achieving, through full-color photos and concise, clear, scientifically accurate text, it describes the vast majority of species associated with shade trees and shrubs, turfgrass, flowers and ornamental plants, vegetables, and fruits--1,420 of them, including crickets, katydids, fruit flies, mealybugs, moths, maggots, borers, aphids, ants, bees, and many, many more. For particularly abundant bugs adept at damaging garden plants, management tips are also included. Covering all of the continental United States and Canada, this is the definitive one-volume resource for amateur gardeners, insect lovers, and professional entomologists alike.

To ease identification, the book is organized by plant area affected (e.g., foliage, flowers, stems) and within that, by taxa. Close to a third of the species are primarily leaf chewers, with about the same number of sap suckers. Multiple photos of various life stages and typical plant symptoms are included for key species. The text, on the facing page, provides basic information on host plants, characteristic damage caused to plants, distribution, life history, habits, and, where necessary, how to keep "pests" in check--in short, the essentials to better understanding, appreciating, and tolerating these creatures.

Whether managing, studying, or simply observing insects, identification is the first step--and this book is the key. With it in hand, the marvelous microcosm right outside the house finally comes fully into view.

* Describes more than 1,400 species--twice as many as in any other field guide
* Full-color photos for most species--more than five times the number in most comparable guides
* Up-to-date pest management tips
* Organized by plant area affected and by taxa for easy identification
* Covers the continental United States and Canada
* Provides species level treatment of all insects and mites important to gardens
* Illustrates all life stages of key garden insects and commonly associated plant injuries
* Concise, clear, scientifically accurate text
* Comprehensive and user-friendly

... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best Book on Insects for Home Gardners and Naturalists
"Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs" is simply a gem of a book. Illustrated with beautiful color photos, many by the author, this is the ultimate guide to every conceivable insect or other arthropod you might find in your backyard. It also tells you what to expect from each of these creatures (will it eat my rose bushes?)

I first bought a copy for the Arthropod Museum library and then, after using the book for a few days, ordered my own copy. It is well written and authoritative (Whitney Cranshaw is a respected entomologist at Colorado State University) and very well illustrated. Color plates of stinkbugs, scale insects, aphids, beneficial insects etc. give the reader a fantastic overview of the variety of arthropods they can find around their own homes. The price is also very good ($20.00 for a thick book with hundreds of color photos is remarkable today!) and I simply cannot see how anyone interested in gardening or backyard bug watching would not want a copy.

Highly recommended for anyone with a reason to know anything about the numerous six and eight-legged creatures beyond their back door. ... Read more