Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland

Book excerpt: Bees are a fascinating and indispensable group of insects, but many species are in decline, and efforts to help determine distributions and changes in abundance have to date been compromised by a serious lack of identification resources. This book is from author Steven Falk, who is a professional naturalist and conservationist with over forty years' experience of working with bees. It is a comprehensive introduction to bee classification, ecology, field techniques and recording, a full glossary, and information on how to separate the sexes and distinguish bees from other insects. Also included are introductions to families and genera, describing key characters and life histories, as well as detailed species descriptions covering field and microscopic characters, similar species, variants, flight season, habitat, flowers visited, nesting habits, status & distribution, and parasites & associates. A series of innovative illustrated keys to genera and species are designed to guide the user step by step through the identification process. The book is illustrated with over 1,000 colour and black and white artworks by Richard Lewington, one of Europe's leading insect artists. It also includes stunning photographs of living insects as seen in the wild and 234 up-to-date distribution maps. This eagerly anticipated new addition to the highly acclaimed British Wildlife Field Guides series will unravel the complexities of identification, and is designed to cater for people new to the bee world as well as to more experienced recorders who wish to identify every species accurately. It provides the latest information on the identification, ecology, status and distribution of all 275 species of bee in Britain, Ireland and the Channel Islands.