Recommendation for a good insect identification book.

[Toddy]

I bought two this Summer, and both are far too limited. Fine if all you want are moths and butterflies, but I want insects like beetles, from bright green or red to black and snozzle faced, and wee flies, and grubs and larvae and pupae. Bees would be brilliant too, woodwasps, etc., and the waterside ones as well.

I specificially want something UK, because you know ? I live here and this is where I spot insects and wonder what that one is. I'm sure something found in Greece or Italy is fascinating, but in a Scottish garden/woodland, there really isn't a preponderance of things that actually bite and sting. Scorpions don't do well in these airts, iimmc ?

I find myself reluctant to buy any more books without a decent heads up on them.

Does anyone have some thing really good ? useful ? and appropriate to here ?

cheers,
M

 

[Kepis]

Collins Complete Guide To British Insects, ive been using a copy for years and find it to be very good.

British Insects: A photographic guide to every common species (Collins Complete Guide): Amazon.co.uk: Chinery, Michael: 9780007298990: Books

Buy British Insects: A photographic guide to every common species (Collins Complete Guide) by Chinery, Michael (ISBN: 9780007298990) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Bit of a blurry photo, but a random page from this book, this one was True Flies, it also has bugs and beetles, aphids, caterpillars, butterflies and moths, damselflies, etc etc.

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[Kepis]

This one is better sized for a pocket or bag, but also very good i've found.

Insects of Britain and Europe: Amazon.co.uk: Bob Gibbons: 9780007810192: Books

Buy Insects of Britain and Europe Reprint by Bob Gibbons (ISBN: 9780007810192) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[Toddy]

This one is better sized for a pocket or bag, but also very good i've found.

Insects of Britain and Europe: Amazon.co.uk: Bob Gibbons: 9780007810192: Books

Buy Insects of Britain and Europe Reprint by Bob Gibbons (ISBN: 9780007810192) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

I bought that one, but it's half full of pretty fluttery things and seems to miss the insects I actually see.

 

[Broch]

I have quite a few but this one is by far the best. It's no pocket book, over 600 pages, 1653 species. This series of books is fantastic; I've just bought the Spiders one

It's worth bearing in mind though, there are nearly 25,000 insects in Britain - no book can come close to covering them all and a great many are unidentifiable unless you are prepared to examine genitalia under a microscope!

 

[Broch]

P.S. - it's a £20 book so if you ant me to photograph some more pages for you to get a feel for it let me know

 

[Toddy]

Thank you kindly but my book buying budget's fairly healthy.....and Christmas is coming

I had great hopes from the Gibbons one that @Kepis mentioned above, but it's just not giving me enough answers, which was a bit of a blight.