Smithsonian Handbooks: Insects (Smithsonian Handbooks) [Paperback]

George C. McGavin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0789493926 | ISBN-13: 978-0789493927 | Publication Date: October 1, 2002 | Edition: 1st

Packed with over 650 crystal--clear photographs and illustrations with precise annotation to make identification sure and simple. Authoritative text, crystal--clear photography, and a systematic approach make this handbook the most comprehensive recognition guide to the insects, spiders, and other terrestrial arthropods of the world. Packed with photographs and illustrations of more than 550 insects and other arthropods, it is designed to cut through the process of identification, enabling you to recognize insects easily. Photo--Encyclopedic Approach: Focusing on over 300 of the main insect families, the Smithsonian Handbook of Insects, Spiders and Other Terrestrial Arthropods tackles the incredible diversity of this class. All 29 orders of insect are examined, as well as a representative selection of spiders and other terrestrial arthropods from around the world. Identification Made Easy: Written for beginners and enthusiasts alike, each entry combines a concise description with annotated photographs and illustrations to highlight the insect's chief characteristics, including physical features, life cycle, habitat, and larval stages. In addition, there is an explanation of what an insect is and a practical photographic identification key to the main insect groups, which guides the reader to the correct entries.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Dorling Kindersly publishing is known for their beautiful and informative books, covering a huge range of topics, including science and nature. This DK insect handbook's lush photos and thorough information make it an excellent beginning resource for the insectophile. While not comprehensive enough to replace an entomology handbook, and not specific enough to be a perfect field guide, Insects rests comfortably in the handbook territory. Its sturdy binding and quick reference features make it a natural to take along on family outings. Each page is lavished with full-color photo layouts showing close-up detail of major insect and arachnid groups, and the accompanying text provides basic information on life cycles, ranges, special habits and features, and trivia. The author, George C. McGavin, is a respected entomologist specializing in insect ecology. For quick identification of major bugs and arachnids, as well as tips on how to observe terrestrial arthropods in nature, this handbook can't be beat. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

George C. McGavin, PhD., is a lecturer in Zoology at Oxford University and Assistant Curator of the Hope Entomological Collections at the Oxford University Museum. He has contributed many pieces to scientific journals, lectured widely, and has contributed extensively to the Oxford History of Natural History and The Encyclopedia of Insects. He specializes in the study of hemiptera, the interaction of insects and their host plants, and the insect faunas of tropical caves and forests. He is currently involved in the Mkomazi Ecological Research Program in northern Tanzania, which seeks to explian patterns of species distribution and diversity in order to devise and foster conservation management planning for the area. Louis N. Sorkin is an arachnologist and board--certified entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; 1st edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789493926
• ISBN-13: 978-0789493927
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Insects & Spiders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview of insects, September 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: DK Handbooks: Insects (Paperback)

This book has a lot of useful information about insects. It describes basic characteristics, life cycle, and much more. It also includes info on other terrestrial arthropods, such as spiders and centipedes. As a field guide, it focuses on families of insects, not species, which makes more sense because there are so many species that are hard to identify. There are great photographs and descritions as well.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide--teach yourself to identify most insect families, August 31, 2005

By 

S. C. Watson (WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Smithsonian Handbooks: Insects (Smithsonian Handbooks) (Paperback)

This is really a nicely done guide and almost fits in my coat pocket. The pictures are fabulous and the insects are divided up into their respective families with very clear identifying traits. I'm really impressed, so much easy-to-use information in such a small book. This would be a great precursor to an entomology class. Some of my favorite critters are in the Psuedoscorpion order and are the cheliferids and chernetids, both of which look like tiny ticks with claws. So very cool. I actually found one once in Washington state--in my kitchen! It was very, very tiny. I digress. A book like this is handy if you are always finding insects and wondering what the heck you are looking at. A good value!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Feelings, December 31, 2010

By 

Gloops (Dorchester Dorset UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smithsonian Handbooks: Insects (Smithsonian Handbooks) (Paperback)

Mixed feelings about this handbook. It gives an excellent introduction to an enormous subject, and provides a manageable overview using Linnaean taxonomy (family tree), within its 250 pages. Its illustrations are clear and detailed and in glorious colour. Many of the bugs are absolutely beautiful.

However, it recognises its own limitations by saying "... impossible to include [all 1500 families of terrestrial arthropods] in this book. We have chosen a broad range from around the world, including [those that] are particularly important, common or simply fascinating in some way".

As a result, if you really need something to identify the creatures in the area where you live, then this handbook won't get you very far. For example, the entire world's Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) are dealt with in 20 pages and the Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) in only 5. Compare this with, say, the 84 and 21 pages respectively (out of a total of 320) in Bob Gibbons' "Field Guide to Insects of Britain and Northern Europe", which I found to be of much more practical use, simply because its scope is geographically far less ambitious. That particular book won't help US readers, I know, but the comparison is likely to be true for any good quality local field guide.

The DK production is attractive and eye-catching, and could very well spark a youngster's interest in the subject, but it is probably more suited to the coffee table than to the field and the garden.