The Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects (eBook)

Peter Barnard has enjoyed a lifetime's fascination with insects since early childhood. He carried out taxonomic research on several insect groups for over 30 years at London's Natural History Museum, where he edited the book Identifying British Insects and Arachnids (1999). In 2007 he was appointed Director of Science at the Royal Entomological Society, becoming the first full-time entomologist to be employed by the Society since its inception in 1833.

Preface vii

Foreword by Quentin D. Wheeler ix

Acknowledgements xi

1 General introduction 1

PART 1 ENTOGNATHA 17

2 Order Collembola: the springtails 19

3 Order Diplura: the two-tailed or two-pronged bristletails
25

4 Order Protura: the proturans 27

PART 2 INSECTA - 'APTERYGOTA' 29

5 Order Archaeognatha or Microcoryphia: the bristletails 31

6 Order Zygentoma: the silverfi sh and fi rebrats 33

PART 3 PALAEOPTERA 35

7 Order Ephemeroptera: the mayflies or upwing flies 37

8 Order Odonata: the dragonflies and damselflies 42

PART 4 POLYNEOPTERA 49

9 Order Dermaptera: the earwigs 51

10 Order Dictyoptera: the cockroaches, termites and mantids
54

11 Order Orthoptera: the grasshoppers, crickets and
bush-crickets 57

12 Order Phasmida: the stick-insects 64

13 Order Plecoptera: the stoneflies 67

PART 5 PARANEOPTERA 71

14 Order Hemiptera: the true bugs 73

15 Order Phthiraptera: the sucking and biting lice 106

16 Order Psocoptera: the booklice and barklice 112

17 Order Thysanoptera: the thrips 118

PART 6 ENDOPTERYGOTA 123

18 Order Coleoptera: the beetles 125

19 Order Diptera: the true flies 177

20 Order Hymenoptera: the ants, bees and wasps 226

21 Order Lepidoptera: the butterflies and moths 268

22 Order Mecoptera: the scorpionflies 308

23 Order Megaloptera: the alderflies 311

24 Order Neuroptera: the lacewings 313

25 Order Raphidioptera: the snakeflies 317

26 Order Siphonaptera: the fleas 319

27 Order Strepsiptera: the stylops 323

28 Order Trichoptera: the caddisflies or sedge flies 326

Index to taxa 337

"Anyone who wants to know more about British insects will need this major reference, as it refers to all the latest literature and includes websites of note at the end of many orders. This really is an excellent tome, either as a coffee table book or as an up-to-date reference book that does not cost the earth." (Reference Reviews, 1 December 2012)

"However, this is a very minor point and it is a magnifi cent work which, if nothing else, shows where the gaps in our knowledge are and, hopefully, will encourage future entomologists to fi ll them. The author is to be congratulated!." (British Ecological Society Bulletin, 1 March 2012)"Recommended. Only comprehensive entomology collections serving general readers and undergraduate students." (Choice, 1 March 2012)

"Celebrating the work of the Royal Entomological Society (RES) founded in 1833, and the wonderful diversity of the insects of the British Isles, this book is a key reference work for students and amateur entomologists, as well as a comprehensive information source for professionals." (Wildlife, 2012)

"British Insects is destined to become the standard reference and the starting point for any investigation of the British insect fauna. It will be an essential addition to the libraries of Universities, research centres, natural historians and academics ... These combine to form a wonderful package that should inspire a new generation of entomologists and natural historians. Sonia Copeland Bloom and the A.E.S. are to be congratulated on a winning formula. Every school in the UK should have a set." (Antenna Review, 2012)

"In this introduction to this book on insects, Peter Barnard makes a very good point about sharing of knowledge." (Science Spin, 1 January 2012)

"Generally, the book is very readable, beautifully illustrated and very informative for those who are not primarily interested in morphology, phylogeny and evolutionary history. It can be recommended to amateurs and to all those who want to make themselves familiar with the rich and exceptionally well-investigated fauna of the British Islands." (Journal Zoological Systematics & Evolutionary Research, 2011)

"These points are perhaps carping: the book is welcome, a fine achievement, and will assuredly be a classic in entomological publishing in Britain." (Journal Insect Conserv, 2011)

"This really is an excellent book. Printed to the highest standards with a huge collection of excellent
photographs, it can stand alone as a coffee table book, or as the most up-to-date reference book to
this broad taxa published. For such a lavish book, I would say (even for a poor student like myself)
that the price is certainly worth it. I can see this being at my right hand side for many years to come." (The Amateur Naturalist magazine, 2011)

"A thorough introduction to the insects of Britain!." (Guardian.co.uk, 30 October 2011)

"I have on my desk a copy of the newly published The Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects by Peter C. Barnard, and it will make your head spin as much as anything Stephen Hawking ever wrote. It takes you through all 558 families of British insect; as a comparison, there are only 153 families of mammals in the entire world. It is a master-word of completeness; it includes 6,600 genera and 24,000 species - of which only 55 have protected status.

As you look at insects you cease to see biodiversity as something weird or amusing or defined by collections. You understand that biodiversity is fundamental. It is nothing less than the way that life on earth works. Making more and more and more different kinds of things is the basic mechanism of life. You can reach this conclusion by turning to any page of this marvelous book."

Simon Barnes, Wild Notebook, (The Times, 8 October 2011)