Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America

Meticulously researched and illustrated with color photographs, Insects is a landmark reference book that is ideal for any naturalist or entomologist. To enhance exact identification of insects, the photographs in this encyclopedic reference were taken in the field -- and are not pinned specimens.

Insects enables readers to identify most insects quickly and accurately. The more than 50 pages of picture keys lead to the appropriate chapter and specific photos to confirm identification. The keys are surprisingly comprehensive and easy for non-specialists to use.

Insects features:

• Detailed chapters covering all insect orders and the insect families of eastern North America
• A brief examination of common families of related terrestrial arthropods
• 4,000 color photographs illustrating typical behaviors and key characteristics
• 28 picture keys for quick and accurate insect identification
• Three indexes -- common family names, photographs, general index
• Expert guidance on observing, collecting and photographing insects.

Almost 80 percent of all named animal species are insects and closely related arthropods. This book is required reading for anyone interested in entomology.

A comprehensive reference on insects featuring an easy identification guide using 28 picture keys, 4000 color photographs taken in the field, expert advice on observing insects and more. Details all insect orders and families of eastern North America.

Library Journal

This amazing six-pound volume, which offers more than 4000 excellent color photographs and concise, accurate information about every major insect family worldwide, is the fruit of Marshall's 20 years of teaching entomology at the University of Guelph and continually adding examples, details, and photos to his lectures. The 33 insect orders are grouped as 12 chapters, each with text followed by photo pages that have colored top margins, facilitating navigation among chapters. The photos, which account for 70 percent of the content in these 12 chapters, depict mostly eastern North American insects, though other continents are represented, too. Common and scientific names appear side by side in photo captions. Text and captions emphasize insect diversity and natural history and are well laced with interesting facts and examples rarely found in standard texts, e.g., Southeast Asian blood-sucking moths and leaf-rolling weevils. Mundane or obscure, almost any insect group one can think of is here, from bed bug-hunting assassin bugs to phantom crane flies. Two final chapters cover the non-insect terrestrial arthropods (e.g., spiders, scorpions, centipedes) and give advice on insect observation, collection, and photography. The 27 easy-to-use visual keys permit identification of eastern North American insects to family and often to genus and species. The keys are illustrated by line drawings and cross-referenced to photos. Photo and subject indexes and a rather short reference list complete the volume. Bottom Line This book is simply bigger, prettier, and more comprehensive than any previous publication on insects and will be useful to amateur and professional alike. It belongs in every public and school library. Annette Aiello, Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst., Panama Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Steve Marshall is a professor of entomology at the University of Guelph, where he developed a major insect collection and carries out research on insect systematics and biodiversity. He has discovered hundreds of new species, several new genera and even two new subfamilies.