Britain's Insects - by Paul D Brock (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The go-to photographic guide to Britain and Ireland's insects

Britain's Insects is an innovative, up-to-date, carefully designed and beautifully illustrated field guide to Britain and Ireland's twenty-five insect orders, concentrating on popular groups and species that can be identified in the field. Featuring superb photographs of live insects, the guide covers the key aspects of identification and provides information on status, distribution, seasonality, habitat, food plants and behaviour. It also offers insight into the life history of the various insect groups, many of which are truly amazing. This is the go-to guide for entomologists, naturalists, gardeners, wildlife photographers and anyone else interested in insects, whatever their level of knowledge.

• More than 2,600 stunning photographs, carefully selected to show key identification features
• Photo guides to every insect order, covering 316 families and almost 850 genera
• Covers 1,653 species, of which 1,476 are illustrated
• Designed to allow easy, accurate comparison of similar species
• Up-to-date distribution maps and charts summarizing adult seasonality
• QR codes that link to sound recordings of grasshoppers and crickets
• Information on photographing and recording insects to help conservation

Review Quotes

"

A game-changer of a book, a truly significant contribution to the study of our insects . . . . Anyone interested in insects will find Britain's Insects of value.

"---Dr S G Compton, Biologist

"

Another stunning edition to the WildGuides portfolio and for the beginner an essential purchase and an absolute bargain for the price. Highly recommended.

"---Roy Stewart, British Naturalists Association

"

Must-have . . . impressive Britain's Insects, which really will help you identify almost every insect you are ever likely to come across in the UK.

"---Stephen Moss, Stephen Moss's 2021 Round-up of Nature Books

"

Paul Brock is to be congratulated on navigating the maze of possibilities to arrive at a balanced compromise between detail and breadth. . . . An excellent introduction to our island's insects.

"---Peter Smithers, Antenna

"

This book is ideal for anyone interested in insects but not wanting to restrict themselves to a particular group. It has managed to pack in the information of several different guides. . . . Few people interested in insects wouldn't want to have a copy, and it would be especially useful for budding entomologists and fascinated children.

"---Rob Jaques, British Trust for Ornithology

"[An] engaging and must-have book. It really is one of those books th.at every time you dip in you feel as though you have learned something quite special."-- "Lapwing Magazine"

"[Brock's] new guide to Britain and Ireland's insects will surely become the definitive identification volume on the subject."---Eric Brown, News Shopper

"A comprehensive book packed with rich colour photos and infographics that explains all the main wasp families in detail . . . . A visit to the many wasp mimics and even a look at wasps in mythology and popular culture."---Paul Hetherington, The Buzz

"A fabulous resource."---Frances McKim, Pest Magazine

"A masterpiece field guide 'tome'. . . . A 'must have' for everyone with a general interest in insects and I'm sure it will sneak into the libraries of quite a few seasoned experts too!"---Jim Almond, Shropshire Birder blog

"A most wonderful book and must surely help to raise awareness towards protecting this precious insect biodiversity."-- "Bees for Development"

"A superb guide for everyone from the entomological generalist to the interested with an enquiring mind. . . . Invaluable."---Paul Hetherington, Atropos Magazine

"A truly outstanding addition to the general naturalist's library . . . . Conservation cannot be driven by ideas alone. It needs people on the ground with knowledge and passion, who see the hidden worlds around them and fight for what they love. Books like this are how such passions begin. . . . The book comes highly recommended by this reviewer. If I lost my copy, I would immediately go out and buy a new one."---Guy Padfield, Dispar: The Online Journal of Lepidoptera

"Beautiful to hold and to ponder . . . A glorious piece of political advocacy."---Mark Cocker, New Statesman

"Every UK household should have this to satisfy their own curiosity and make sure the kids get to love insects, as they are essential to like on earth."---Bo Beolens, Fat Birder

"For each species described though there is a species distribution map, a seasonality chart and a description of size, morphology, and habitat. Where known and relevant food plants are given as well as their conservation status and protection. Importantly, similar species to those included are given - many folks are keen to ID without careful attention and this highlights the need to exhibit caution with species level identifications. I like having the images next to the text . . . . A fabulous photographic guide for both beginners and 'experts' and a complete bargain."---Erica McAlister, Bulletin of the Dipterists Forum

"Indispensable."---John Badmin, British Journal of Entomology and Natural History

"It certainly is a very useful tool, and it has an excellent index. . . . All things to all people; it is crammed with snippets of information: life cycles, descriptions, maps, definitions, status, distribution, seasonality, habitat, food plants, behaviour, etc."---Mike Smith, Phasmid Study Group

"Just an amazing book. . . . The most amazing, and probably best, photographic guide there is to Britain's insects."---Kate MacRae, Wildlife Kate

"One of New Statesman's Books of the Year 2021"

"So cometh the hour, cometh the man. Paul Brock has possibly done more to change how we see, recognise, grasp, understand, and, therefore, care about insects than any one else in Britain. . . . What it does brilliantly . . . is to put at your disposal the most comprehensive single text yet produced for British insects, packed with key up-to-the-minute data and with 2,600 superb images of nearly 1500 species."---Mark Cocker, Through 360 Degrees

"This book has immediately winged its way onto my 'absolute favourites' book list. It's the only one I will need to take with me on holidays and insect-spotting trips and ganders in the countryside. It really is a superb book, and I must say, a tremendous achievement. Heartily recommended!"---Amanda Williams, Buzz About Bees

"This guide is a marvellous book for both beginners and 'experts' and a complete bargain."---Erica McAlister, Bulletin of the Amateur Entomological Society

"This is a delightful if demanding book, a major work in fact. . . . Britain's Insects will surely become an essential and everyday guide for entomologists, naturalists, gardeners, wildlife photographers and anyone else interested in insects, whatever their level of knowledge. Britain's Insects upholds the superb presentation and finish we have come to expect from the WildGuides series."---Phil Slade, Another Bird Blog

"This, the latest in the WILDGuides series, is a masterful exercise in clarity, clear design and will get you to the right identification of the species you are looking at. . . . A great achievement."---Mark Avery, Mark Avery blog

"Wild Guides have come out with another gem. This time, there are 1,653 insects for you to enjoy with 1,476 illustrated in full colour. lt covers dragonflies, butterflies, moths, bees, beetles and wasps with everything in between. . . . There is even a section on helping you take photos of the species found, hoping that you will be able to match the incredible photos in this book."---John Miles, Birdwatching Magazine

About the Author

Paul D. Brock is an entomologist and a scientific associate at the Natural History Museum, London. Most at home in the field, he spends much of his time watching and studying insects in great detail in order to learn more about them and to record their behaviour on camera. A renowned author of insect books and a widely published photographer, he is a world authority on stick-insects and leaf-insects, with a genus and several species named after him.