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

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

Reviews (6)

Gosh some of those dragonflies look like Apache helicopters!
Two things that the other reviewers might not have covered:
1. It only contains dragonflies from North America.
*sarcasm on*
This is truuuly indispensable to someone living in Australia.
*sarcasm off*
2. The size. It is a lot smaller than I expected at only 4.5 x 7".
3. If you're more interested in general dragonfly facts, get the other book "Dragonflies of the world" instead, for it contains fascinating information on dragonfly flight behaviour, larval stages, camoflage, temperature regulation, etc.

It is what it says it is. Good value!
This book will not make you an expert on dragonflies. It does give you sufficient information on them to help understand what you see when you view them in the field. And it helps you identify the most common ones in the USA and Canada.

A few pages in the front of the book give brief background information on dragonflies, and on equipment and strategies for observing them in the field. Then you go to page after page of species descriptions. Important identification information is given for each species, and at least one (sometimes more when appropriate) photo. The photos are usually of good quality both as photos and as identification aids.

A key in the inside cover of the book helps you pick out characteristics of a dragonfly you are observing, and the key then points you to the appropriate pages in the book using a color tab system.

I compared copies in hand of this book, and its chief competitor, DRAGONFLIES THROUGH BINOCULARS. I felt this book would be more useful in the field, so I ordered this one from Amazon.com, not the binoculars book. That's the best testimony I can give. I've since read and begun to use the book, and I am happy with my choice.

Only downside to this book is that it may tempt you to order one of the larger, more in-depth books on dragonflies, which are quite expensive!

Perfect for the newbie
Clear and beautiful photos with helpful information make it easy to ID dragonflies. If you want to use it as field guide or as picture book this is the one to have.

What is that funny looking bug?
Maybe I first noticed Dragonflies one of those summers I attended Girl Scout camp and I saw a pretty blue-winged insect shimmering over the lake where we went for our daily swim. Or maybe I saw my first fly when I sat on a creek bank waiting for the catfish to bite. I saw them so often when I was a child growing up in the rural South and Midwest, that I took them for granted. Not until the great Henry Mitchell, a local gardener and columnist with the Washington Post (and author of many books on gardening) wrote about his horse troughs and Dragonfiles did I sit up and say, "You mean there's more than one kind??"

Mr. Mitchell taught me that Dragonfiles can drown in deep water if they try to take a drink, and that Dragonflies, Damselflies and Butterflies all need shallow water. That's why you see them hovering over mud puddles and why every bird bath needs a shallow spot. In Mr. Mitchell's garden, the Dragonflies drank from the leaves on his water lillies. If you plant water lillies, you will see a Dragonfly or two or three.

The BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO DRAGONFLIES is destined to help me help my granddaughters develop an appreciation of Dragonfiles and Damselflies. According to authors Nikula, Sones, and Stokes, the major differences between the two are wing shapes, wing positions, eye positions, overall appearance and flight style. Some of the photos even depict Dragonflies that might be confused with Butterflies. We are going to learn about: 'Cruisers', 'Spiketails', 'Clubtails', 'Petaltails'
and a whole lot more. Seems that pretty neon blue insect I've seen hovering over the pond may be a 'Pond Damsel.'

Each of the illustrated "Identification" pages in DRAGONFLIES contains a photograph and text description of the fly and a map of Northern America depicting the range of the insect in question. Each map shows the entire country plus Canada. The pages of the book are color coded by family type so you can link the Dragonfly or Damselfly to it's family. Get this book and enjoy the summer fun.

A great guide
This handy little book should prove very useful to dragonfly and damselfly watchers. The pictures are large and show more detail than some of the larger, more extensive dragonfly guides. Though not as many species are covered as in, Dragonflies Through Binoculars, this guide is better in several ways. To begin with, it does make identification easier because the pictures are better. It is also lighter and easier to carry in the field. Finally, damselflies are covered in this book in addition to dragonflies. With all these added bonuses, I would recommend this book to long time dragonfly/damselfly watchers and beginners alike. ... Read more

Book Description

This lavishly illustrated guide will enable you to identify the caterpillars of nearly 700 butterflies and moths found east of the Mississippi. The more than 1,200 color photographs and two dozen line drawings include numerous exceptionally striking images. The giant silk moths, tiger moths, and many other species covered include forest pests, common garden guests, economically important species, and of course, the Mescal Worm and Mexican Jumping Bean caterpillars. Full-page species accounts cover almost 400 species, with up to six images per species including an image of the adult plus succinct text with information on distribution, seasonal activity, foodplants, and life history. These accounts are generously complemented with additional images of earlier instars, closely related species, noteworthy behaviors, and other intriguing aspects of caterpillar biology.

Many caterpillars are illustrated here for the first time. Dozens of new foodplant records are presented and erroneous records are corrected. The book provides considerable information on the distribution, biology, and taxonomy of caterpillars beyond that available in other popular works on Eastern butterflies and moths. The introductory chapter covers caterpillar structure, life cycles, rearing, natural enemies, photography, and conservation. The section titled "Caterpillar Projects" will be of special interest to educators.

Given the dearth of accessible guides on the identification and natural history of caterpillars, Caterpillars of Eastern North America is a must for entomologists and museum curators, forest managers, conservation biologists and others who seek a compact, easy-to-use guide to the caterpillars of this vast region.

• A compact guide to nearly 700 caterpillars east of the Mississippi, from forest pests to garden guests and economically important species
• 1,200 color photos and 24 line drawings enable easy identification
• Full-page species accounts with image of adult insect for almost 400 species, plus succinct text on distribution and other vital information
• Many caterpillars illustrated here for the first time
• Current information on distribution, biology, and taxonomy not found in other popular works
• A section geared toward educators, "Caterpillar Projects"
• An indispensable resource for all who seek an easy-to-use guide to the caterpillars of this vast region

Reviews (1)

Excelent source for aquatic entomologists
Excelent drawings together with a very good description of the natural history of the genera. An essencial resource for all aquatic entomologists, specially for trichopterologists. A work of art! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Source of Insect Facts
This book is the best source of insect trivia that I have ever seen! I have used it as a source for questions for the Entomological Society of America Linnaean Games for several years, while I served on one of the ESA branch Linnaean Games committees. It is simply great!

May Berenbaum has a very informal and humorous style that appeals to both the public and students. If, after reading her book, you still think insects are icky or uninteresting you are certainly made of stone. The number of little known facts in this book is simply huge. If you use just one book for reference on insects, Dr. Berenbaum's book would be a very good candidate. She treats everything from the invasion of the cotton boll weevil and the mysterious extinction of the Rocky Mountain locust to insects in movies and as human food.

If you do not like insects or are afraid of them, you really should read this book. It will go a long way toward desensitizing you and make you fascinated with insects instead.

I recommend this book highly to everybody from elementary school to retirement.

I Didn't Know That
So you've been asked to make a presentation on pest control to your local school,Elk Lodge , or Chamber of Commerce. You want to make a good knowledgeable presentation but where can you go to get good yet digestible information with a bit of humor? I recommend "Bugs In The System" from Perseus Publishing by May R. Berenbaum. This book time and time again has proved an invaluable resource for many projects. May Berenbaum is head of the Entomology Department at the University of Illinois so the scientific aspects are quite sound. What makes this book unique is the portrayal of various insects and their march through time along with us. Classification or "A Rose-chaffer by any other name...." is the first chapter which is then followed by sex , bugs and rock and roll. Each chapter is scientifically accurate but is written with the intelligent general populace in mind. The book is further enlivened with insect quotes , such as "More courtship lives in carrion flies than Romeo" William Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet and interesting as well as humorous photos. As the book progresses the chapters on Parasites and Hosts as well as History of Pest Control offer a real sense of purpose and perspective to our mission in the management of those insects which society has deemed pests. On insects such as mosquitoes a wonderful historical perspective is given on these vectors effect on history and disease. On the other hand we are reminded of the majesty and importance of insects throughout the book especially in the final chapters , Appreciating Insects and Equal Time. Upon concluding the book one truly gains some insight into the various systems that make up our environment as well as the evolution of knowledge in the field of Entomology and Pest Control. The book is excellently laid out in terms of progression from biology to human interaction to pest potential finally concluding with a sound and ecologically balanced view. Each chapter carries plenty of references and the appendix is an excellent key to insect orders. As a resource as well as a requirement I heartily recommend this book.

Fantastic bug book w/ bit of humor
This book was so good! It provided me with everything I wanted to know about the insect world. It also included some humor (i.e. Reproduction chaper intitled "Sex, Bugs, and Rock & Roll). I recommend this to everyone who wants to know about how precious insects are to our life. ... Read more

Book Description

The Insects takes a detailed look at how insects function as animals. This textbook brings together basic anatomy and physiology and relates them to behavior. Coverage emphasizes the roles of different functional systems in the context of the whole organism using studies of many different species as examples. Unlike other texts, The Insects does not dwell on classification, opting instead to take an in-depth look at physiology, providing any biologist with a better basic understanding of how insects work. A long-awaited update of a well established standard text and respected reference work for students and researchers in zoology, entomology and physiology, this fourth edition has been rewritten throughout, while retaining the successful structure of the earlier editions. Illustrations have been augmented with electron micrographs, and expanded reference sections will make this volume a valuable addition to all biologists' bookshelves. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A solid text
This is a solid text on the structure and physiology of insects. It has been used in two of my graduate level entomology classes, and none of the instructors have said "I wish Chapman had done ... differently".

Good text for advanced students
Chapman's book is a comprehensive and well-written entomology text. Not only does he cover all the basic topics in entomology, he does so in depth. This text may be too detailed and overwhelming for begining entomology students but is great for more advanced students. The one problem I have with this book is that Chapman often uses jargon without defining or explaining it, leaving the reader to look it up or remain confused.

Illinois Physiology Class Recommends Chapman's Text
The following comments were written by graduate and undergraduate members of an advanced class in insect physiology taught Spring Semester 2000.

Chapman's book is interesting and covers a variety of topics. It is interesting for learning about how much insects differ between orders. Chapman gives many examples of different phenomena in insects. As a student, though, all the examples and different phenomena make studying from the book difficult and overwhelming. It is useful as a reference, a book to read to clarify topics discussed in lecture. But it is very specific with the examples.

Chapman's textbook is comprehensive. It covers all aspects of insect physiology. It has full and updated literature citations for each chapter, which is very helpful for further reading. The language is simple and precise. But it is a little bit conservative and has slight coverage of some hot topics. The coverage favors insect structure and morphology.

For me as a student the Chapman text was very helpful, because it is clearly structured and it covers nearly all important fields of insect physiology and structure. The new edition is very up-to-date and gives good examples from recent investigations. It is a bit too focused on research conducted in the US, but this probably reflects the fact that most of the important research is conducted there. The illustrations are very clear and helpful.

I used this textbook in an advanced insect physiology class. To be perfectly honest, this book was a minor part of the class for me. I skimmed through it, used it for references, and as a sort of entomology handbook. From my perspective, it was a very complete source of information. At times it was a bit heavy on detail, but the information I needed was all there and clearly stated.

This book is not one that is useful to read from front to back. It is an excellent reference book that should be owned by all entomologists. Three or more specific examples are given for each topic instead of a generic example for all insects. This is useful because it gives you the range of known physiology of insects that can be compared to the reader's "insect of choice."

Chapman gives all the details an entomologist needs to know about insects. It may be a bit confusing due to the vast number of insects, but it is a good resource to own and keep. Chapman is very thorough.

One of the strengths of Chapman's new edition of Insects, Structure and Function is the wealth of examples. Every section of the book has examples from just about all of the orders of insects, although grasshoppers seem to rule disproportionately. A weakness with all of these wonderful examples is the cumbersome way Chapman places a list of them at the beginning of a section. He intends them to be as authoritative fleet of representatives who give some scale and scope to the subject being presented. They unfortunately end up as a heavy flotilla that diverts the reader's attention from the information sought. There are places in the book where subjects that are usually treated together or that work as a whole system are poorly integrated. Digestion and nutrition are so separately treated (they are in different chapters) that the reader finds herself having to cross reference from section to section to make cogent sense of what nutrients have to do with digestion. Strangely, when Chapman presents the great variety of insect form and function one has a sense of cacophony. Instead of giving us a unity, or even the illusion of unity, of how form and function interact we are presented with vignettes of research. But these vignettes do not provide us with the pretty and easy to get to views that we find on the Internet. We find ourselves lost somewhere in a tome that is more intent on directing our attention to variation than to presenting us with direct descriptions. But then again, how do you argue with the only author in English who has been brave enough to try to make a synthetic analysis of the most diverse group of animals on earth?

AN ESSENTIAL BOOK !!!!!!!!!
If you have Wiggleswort's Insect Physilology, Borror's Introduction to Entonology and Chapman's Insects Structure and Function, you have the best basic Entomology sources. Yes, is a little expensive but, It is not the life expensive too?. Buy it !!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Book Description

The parasitic Hymenoptera are a highly successful and importantgroup of insects comprising probably over a million species. Despitethe vast amount of research that has been carried out on the groupover the last 100 years or so, there are still many unexplainedaspects of their biology. In recent years interest in the parasiticHymenoptera has grown as a result of the increasing demand forbiological methods for pest control and their possible use as naturalenemies. Parasitic wasps are also tremendously important in researchon pollution dynamics and on host-parasite interactions. In this unique volume Donald Quicke provides an up-to-date review ofthe biology of parasitic wasps which focuses primarily on genetics,developmental biology, physiology, anatomy and molecular biology,though many aspects of behaviour and ecology are also covered.Attention is drawn to the importance of both life history strategy anphylogeny to many features of parasitic wasp biology, and exciting newareas of research are highlighted. Parasitic Wasps provides anextensive guide to the relevant literature. The book will prove invaluable to researchers working on this groupand to those with broader interests in entomology, physiology,behaviour, ecology and pest control. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a beautiful coffee table book
This book has great photography and discription of various insects, however. this is a large book so you can't take it outdoors to try to identify a certain insect. It is a very good reference book

FABulous book
Wonderful photos and quite interesting text...and here I thought this was going to be a hokey little book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ants are monsters..
Hundreds of analytical pictures of ants. Perfect reference for texture and form. All electron microscope imagry, very clear b\w.. If you know of comparable refrence material on anything let me know!! ... Read more

Book Description

Based on nearly 40 years of teaching, this book thoroughly describes the principles and fundamentals of insect physiology. Readers will quickly understand the terminology needed to navigate the voluminous, scattered literature in the field. With approximately 1500 references and more than 240 figures and tables, Insect Physiology and Biochemistry is useful as a core text for upper division and graduate students, as well as a valuable reference for scientists who work with insects in genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and behavior. ... Read more

Book Description

Numbering more than nine thousand described species, ants rank among the most abundant and widespread of insect groups—the collective weight of ants in tropical forests and grasslands may constitute as much as 10 to 15 percent of the animal biomass. Written by thirty leading ant biologists, this comprehensive book describes procedures for surveying the diversity of ground-dwelling ants. It introduces a standardized protocol for collecting ant samples in any part of the world and for conducting repeated sampling over time, which enables researchers to analyze global and long-term patterns. Covering aspects of ant ecology and taxonomy, species identification, specimen preparation, and sources of sampling equipment, this book provides the necessary foundation for readers from a wide range of backgrounds. ... Read more

Book Description

In northern temperate regions, the fungus Heterobasidion annosum is the main cause of disease-related economic losses in coniferous trees. This book, the first devoted to this fungus, provides a comprehensive survey of all aspects of the research. ... Read more

Book Description

An enormous amount of research in spider biology in recent years has resulted in significant new insights into this diverse group of organisms. The response to this outpouring is an updated edition of this widely regarded classic. First published in 1979, this was the first textbook on spiders since 1930; the new edition contains all the information gathered since that time, including the entire world literature on spiders up to 1994. The author has completely updated and revised chapters on ecology, phylogeny and systematics to reflect current knowledge. Over 200 illustrations are included as well as an extensive reference section. The only modern textbook available on the subject, this will prove an invaluable resource for professionals, students, and researchers in zoology, entomology, ecology and physiology. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

great book
This is a super book on spiders. Its technical but still understandable. I don't have a science background so I was hoping it wouldn't be too tough to read and its not. It has pictures and it goes through everything you'd like to know about spiders from how they weave webs to how the webs are structured to how they reproduce etc etc. I was interested because I see all these beautiful webs in my gardens and I wanted to learn more about spiders. This gave me justt the depth I was looking for without expecting me to have a pHd in the subject. I really liked this book

The Best Book on Spiders Without a Shadow of a Doubt
One of the few factorial books I have ever been able to read without dropping off after a couple of pages. A really great book eases you gently into the web of facts without getting snared (sorry!). If you love spiders this is your book, if you don't you may change your mind or at least gain a huge amount of admiration for the little beasties! Wonderfully written with clear diagrams and great photos I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

Comprehensive review of 50 year's research on arachnids
This review covers concisely a half-century of research in spider anatomy, development, behavior, and the complete biological profile. It contains a great number of photographs, drawings, and electron micrographs, illustrating precisely what is known about spiders at the publication date of 1996. There is not another reference that comes close to summarizing this knowledge in one place.

Elegant and beautiful
I came to this book after reading every spider field guide, "popular science" title and Internet site I could find, all of which I also found wanting. Foelix's book has all the information I wanted, presented with the calm majesty that only the very best professors can manage. It's truly a college course in itself, always challenging and never condescending.

An excellent overview of spiders' anatomy and behavior.
"Biology of Spiders" is an excellently-written, detailed look at the anatomy, physiology, taxonomy, and behavior of spiders. Very well organized, with many helpful photographs and diagrams, this book is very helpful to anyone wanting to know about these arachnids ... Read more

Book Description

Peterson First Guides are the first books the beginning naturalist needs.Condensed versions of the famous Peterson Field Guides, the First Guides focus on the animals, plants, and other natural things you are most likely to see.They make it fun to get into the field and easy to progress to the full-fledged Peterson Guides. ... Read more

Book Description

In most terrestrial and aquatic habitats, the vast majority of animals transmitting and receiving communicative signals are arthropods. This book presents the story of how this important group of animals use pheromones, sound, vibration, and light for sexual and social communication. Because of their small to minute body size most arthropods have problems sending and receiving acoustic and optical information, each of which have their own severe constraints. Because of these restraints they have developed chemical signaling which is not similarly limited by scale. Presenting the latest theoretical and experimental findings from studies of signaling, it suggests that close parallels between arthropods and vertebrates reflect a very limited number of solutions to problems in behavior that are available within the confines of physical laws. ... 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

Amazon.com

For as long as humans have been telling stories about animals, ants have played the role of hard-working, slavish, mindless drudge, the kind of creature that busily prepares for the future without resting or reflecting. But at least one species, writes Stanford University professor Deborah Gordon in this engaging study, slips free of our stereotypes. The harvester ant, an abundant denizen of the Southwestern deserts, seems to live in a society that is based on something like mutual aid, far from the six-legged dictatorships of fable--and, indeed, far from the human models that storytellers and ethologists alike have imposed on ant congregations. Gordon wonders, "If the ants don't work like a miniature human society, how does a group of rather inept little creatures create a colony that gets things done?" She proposes a number of answers in her wide-ranging book, one of which is this: ants get things done by accident, by experimenting with and constantly testing their surroundings to see what there is to eat, and who else is trying to get at it. Gordon writes with good humor about the daily work of studying insects in the intense heat of the desert, noting, "Over the years I have evolved a costume that includes a long-sleeved shirt, a cap with a kind of curtain around its lower edge, and the largest sunglasses I can find. I look rather like an insect myself." Readers approaching her book will find that they learn a lot about ants in the process--and also a lot about how field scientists get things done themselves. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Antz For Real
I used to collect ants when I was younger, putting them into fishbowls filled with dirt to watch them build their nests. I think the various behaviors they exhibit are fascinating and I find it quite enjoyable to read Ms. Gordon's book. She's obviously not a novelist, but her writing style is easy to read, to the point, and displays a sense of humor and good-naturedness. I agree with the earlier reviews- this is a lot easier and more interesting to read than a dry textbook, yet it is an excellent source of information about the particular types of ants she studied. If you've never given much thought to these little creatures, reading this book will give you an appreciation of what an amazing world exists within an ant colony and its environs.

You should read this book if...
I'm a bit surprised by some of the negative comments about this book, because they seem to have missed its point. This isn't a formal presentation of the author's research. It therefore lacks many details, does not review the full range of other relevant literature, and it has not been honed by a committee of reviewers. What it DOES do is to give the reader who doesn't know anything about ants a very readable narrative account of how one might go about finding out something about them. This book is as much about how to apply the scientific method to the messy world of animal behavior as it is about ants in particular. Gordon's account of how to do that seems to have been mistaken by some as self indulgence. If you're looking for a detailed account of ants, you should see Holldobler and Wilson's 700+ page "The Ants." If you want an introduction to what's interesting about ants and how people go about studying them, Gordon's book is a great read.

A whole world opens before your eyes
I LOVE this book. What a rare peek over the shoulder of a true scientist with an inquisitive mind and appreciation for the art and beauty of science, applied to these tiny but incredibly interesting creatures. Within the same nest reside 5 or more ant types based on function. In that nest, some live up to 20 years while others "don't live long enough to EVER eat." I will never look at ants the same. Thank you for an insightful and wonderful story that makes life worth living.

All Work and No Play....
A book that reads like a thesis is never any fun. Ants at Work takes an interesting premise(Ant colonies are not run with any central organization but on a series of interactions within the society) and then proceeds to suck all the life out of it! Filled with graphs and the mind-numbing detail about how the experiments were laid out, Gordon describes a process that was as painful to read as it was to perform. The science seems valid and for that I commend the author, but where's the wit to lighten the burden of all this research. With few illustrations to break up the monotony, this book will be a bore for all but the most studious of entomologists.

full of promise, but ultimately dull
The subject matter is fascinating, but I found this (rather slim) book very dry and dull. As another reviewer noted, it's not really a book about ants or ant society in general; it's the story of Prof. Gordon's research into one particular *kind* of ant, told in the first person.

A brief web search turned up more interesting information in a minute or two than I found in the whole of the book; Sorry, but don't waste your money. ... Read more