Simon & Schuster's Guide to Insects (Fireside Book) Review

Simon and Schuster's Guide to Insects (Fireside Book)

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(More customer reviews)It would be impossible for any single book to be a total guide (and I have many!), but this book has EXCELLENT photographs - which is especially helpful with hemiptera (true bugs), since there is a shortage of identifying guides for them. I not only found photos of insects that I (and my county ag agent) had been unable to identify, this book is wonderfully keyed to indicate whether insects are beneficials, pests, neutral, etc. This "at a glance" keying (by color, symbols and single alpha's) is very helpful for gardeners since most books do not give good information on what insects eat (a predator can develop into a pest as an adult, and vice versa), etc., but rather only provide physical identification information. Organic gardeners can frequently find information only on the worst (most common) pests, and may live in areas where they have worst pests that are not indigenous elsewhere, or identification of the most common predators, that may not be universally common. The author give life histories and other valuable information frequently lacking in "identification" books. Scientific names are provided for the more serious reader - and to help in identifying similiar insects in more complete but poorly illustrated books. Because of the beautiful photos, it would be a good "beginner book" for a budding entomologist too! This book is a real bargain!

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Whether you are a novice or experienced collector, student, farmer, or weekend gardener, you will find Simon & Schuster's Guide to Insects a highly authoritative, startlingly beautiful field guide to 350 insect species commonly found throughout North America. The introduction to the text explains the anatomy and behaviors of these amazingly diverse creatures, as well as the easiest, most efficient manner in which to preserve and mount your insect collection. Each entry is stunningly complemented by one or more color photographs and contains information about the habitat, distribution, length, recognition marks, and other pertinent details concerning the particular species. A three-part visual key provides instantaneous identification of the insect's primary activity, its habitat, and its ecological significance. This is an indispensable reference tool for anyone fascinated by the insect world.