Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States - by John L Capinera & Ralph Scott & Thomas J Walker

About the Book

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...

Book Synopsis

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: Singing Insects of North America.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.

Review Quotes

Often heard, seldom seen, katydids and crickets and their calls epitomize summertime. Also familiar are grasshoppers, flashing their often colorful hind wings in sudden flight. Yet most lay people know little about these abundant insects or how to identify them. Most existing publications are regional or technical; authored by Capinera and Thomas J. Walker, two University of Florida entomologists, and Ralph D. Scott, a Montana-based biologist and scientific illustrator, this first field guide to U.S. and Canadian orthoptera introduces 206 of the most common species (more than a third of the total), each with an excellent color painting by Scott. It explains classification, morphology (illustrated), biology, sound production, and collection and preservation, and presents pictorial keys to families and subfamilies. Species accounts include common name, scientific name, distribution, map, description, ecology, and similar species comparisons. By connecting us to the natural world, field guides play a crucial role in the environmental movement. This splendid guide fills a gap in that effort and is recommended to amateurs and professionals alike. (Starred Review)

To study any living creature usefully, one must be able to identify it. Moreover, to the amateur naturalist, the ability to recognize and identify is an important part of the pleasure of observing the living world. John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, and Thomas J. Walker have here produced a first-class example of a field guide, worthy of a place on the shelf of any North American naturalist.

About the Author

John L. Capinera is Professor and Chairman of the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida. His many publications include Grasshoppers of Florida and Handbook of Vegetable Pests. Ralph D. Scott, who resides in Billings, Montana, is a professional scientific illustrator and biologist. He most recently illustrated Heralds of Spring in Texas. Thomas J. Walker is Professor Emeritus in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida.