Books in the Naturalists' Handbooks series

The authors make this much-needed Naturalists' Handbook accessible by confining themselves to aphids living on broad-leaved trees. This has reduced the problems of identification to manageable proportions.

A comprehensive guide to designing and carrying out ecological investigations, especially those involving sampling invertebrates. The book is a highly practical guide to fieldwork, statistical testing and interpretation.

This Naturalists' Handbook book covers the natural history, biology and identification of the hoverfly. It will enable anyone to identify the most common hoverflies of the British Isles, providing practical guidance for methods of identification, advice on techniques and approaches to research.

Lichens make excellent material for field studies throughout the year and are valuable for the detection and mapping of pollution. This book provides an overview of the value of lichens for monitoring a range of potentially harmful substances.

In Britain and Ireland there are about ten times more species of solitary bee than bumblebee and honeybee combined. They are a fascinating, attractive and diverse group that can be found easily in a wide range of habitats, both urban and rural, and they are important as pollinators.

Cherry trees are common in gardens and countryside, and the rich communities of insects that live on them offer excellent opportunities for research. As cherries become more popular for planting in amenity areas and woodland, it is increasingly important to understand how their insects interact with each other and the host plant.

Dock plants are widely accessible and pleasant to work with, and ecologists can begin to unravel the interactions that link together the species in a representative insect/plant community.

This book introduces the natural history of blowflies and draws attention to some unanswered questions about thier biology. It offers illustrations and keys for identification.

The snails found living on rocky sea shores are among the most rewarding invertebrate animals to study. Species such as dog-whelks, topshells and winkles are easy to find, capture, identify, measure and mark. This book provides a key to common species, background ecology, an overview of rocky shore habitats and the techniques required for anyone to study this fascinating and accessible fauna.

Leaf beetles are one of the largest groups of beetles, with tens of thousands of species worldwide and around 280 in Britain. They belong mainly to the family Chrysomelidae, but also to two small closely related families, the Megalopodidae and Orsodacnidae. This book provides a comprehensive overview with detailed and accessible coverage of the natural history, ecology and biology of leaf beetles.Topics cover the life history of leaf beetles, biology, their environment, natural enemies and interactions with humans. There is a thorough discussion about identification of British species, including detail on the juvenile stages (eggs, larvae, pupae) and a concise key to adults. A chapter is dedicated to study techniques and materials. The book is illustrated throughout with colour photographs and line drawings.Leaf beetles is a vital resource for entomology students and educators, naturalists, nature conservationists, those involved in agriculture, horticulture and the management of stored produce.

This book brings together all of the current research and information on British mosquitoes, providing a comprehensive, accessible guide to the study and identification of British species.

This book introduces the community of insects that make their home on thistles, feeding on the leaves, the flowerheads, the roots, the stems, or each other.

Ponds and small lakes support an extremely rich biodiversity of fascinating organisms. Many people have encountered a few unfamiliar creatures, such as dragonfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae. However, there is a far richer world of microscopic organisms, such as diatoms, desmids and rotifers, which is revealed in this book.

This Naturalists' Handbook aims to attract more people to the study of solitary wasps by describing the ecology, distribution and natural history of these insects, including all relevant research in one convenient volume.