Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Bumblebees

by Oliver E Prys-Jones and Sarah A Corbet

What?

Revised 3rd edition of this guide to bumblebees, no. 6 in the Naturalists’ Handbook series.

Why?

Bumblebees are appealing insects, and a great subject for study. They are more approachable than honeybees and easy to observe in the garden or the open countryside. This revised edition of the classic Naturalists’ Handbook looks at species identification, ecology and conservation, and the variety of behaviours and lifestyles.

The information is presented in such a way that anyone with an interest in the natural history and conservation of bumblebees will be able to undertake their own useful investigations and add to the body of research which will hopefully allow these important pollinating insects to survive and thrive for future generations.

As well as colour plates for basic identification, there are further keys showing anatomical detail and species variation, and detailed range maps for regional identification.

Who?

Oliver E. Prys-Jones studied zoology at the University of St. Andrews and furthered a long term interest in bumblebees and their life histories with doctoral and research fellowship studies at the University of Cambridge. He subsequently qualified in medicine at Liverpool University and remains absorbed by bumblebees while working as a medical practitioner in North Wales.

Sarah A. Corbet has taught entomology and ecology in London University and the University of Cambridge. Her research interest is in pollination ecology, with a special focus on bumblebees.

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Popularity: 7% [?]

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide

by Tari Haahtela, Kimmo Saarinen, Pekka Ojalainen and Hannu Aarnio

What?

The definitive photographic guide to all 444 species of European butterflies.

Why?

The macro photography in this volume is simply stunning. The immediacy of the images and the vitality of the colour contrast will make butterfly identification even more of a pleasure. Species are generally pictured in the context of their habitat, with insets highlighting colouration details or sex differences, and the identification data and range maps are very user-friendly. Later in the book there is a focus on European Islands and Eastern European species, to cater for travellers who are looking for easy on-the-spot identification. And it all fits nicely into the average-sized jacket pocket!

Who?

Tari Haahtela, Kimmo Saarinen, Pekka Ojalainen and Hannu Aarnio are a team of dedicated Finnish naturalists that specialise in macro photography. They have travelled the length and breadth of Europe in search of butterflies for this book. Having already written several books on moths and butterflies in Finnish, this is their first English-language title.

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Popularity: 7% [?]

Doug Mackenzie Dodds, from the UK, reviews the Concise Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Martin Townsend and Paul Waring, illustrated by Richard Lewington

“Best, most user-friendly moth ID guide on the market:

This book might not catch your eye on the shelf – small, paperback and easily hidden between larger, more attractively-designed moth ID books, but if you are into your moths, I’d thoroughly recommend it.

It’s perfect for the bookshelf but comes into its own in the field. It’s small, light, covered in a waterproof layer, the moths are well-ordered in the book, lifesize and in the two years I’ve owned it it’s not let me down once.

Its very comprehensive – ie. if you trap a moth (or find one!) – you will find it in this book – and so much easier than other, larger, showier, less waterproof, less well-ordered books.

I thoroughly recommend this book if you own a moth trap or even if you don’t.”

Visit this reviewer’s website

Read our blog post about Robinson moth traps

Share your views with NHBS customers around the world – click here to create a product review

Customer reviews can be read in the ‘Reviews’ tab on each product page and here on the Hoopoe

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Popularity: 13% [?]

This comprehensive guide remains the most thorough source of information on the larval stage of the majority of the lepidoptera of the British Isles. This new reprint edition maintains the photographic quality of the original, and continues to be an indispensible companion to Bernard Skinner’s Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles. Also new from Apollo Books this week, Microlepidoptera of Europe, Volume 6: Gelechiidae II (Gelechiinae: Gnorimoschemini) carries on the excellent series of European micro-moth identification guides.

Coming soon… Butterflies of Britain and Ireland: A Field and Site Guide which covers all residents and vagrant species in Britain and Ireland and includes a site guide and accurate maps. Illustrated with hundreds of colour photos.

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Popularity: 13% [?]

Wired Magazine has a series of stunning close-up images of insect eyes from previous year’s entries of Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition.

My favourite image has to be the  Klaus Bolte’s Tetse Fly (Glossina genus). Nikon also offer a daily ‘Identify the Image‘ challenge (I only got 3/5 today…).

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Popularity: 9% [?]

The incredibly popular Little Bug Locket is back in stock at NHBS. We struggled to keep up with demand so have over 500 in stock now.

Check out our full range of Children’s Wildlife Kit.

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Popularity: 5% [?]

You will not have too much trouble spotting the new background image on The Hoopoe… these stunning eyes belong to the Red Eyed Tree Frog Agalychnis callidryas.

These beautiful frogs inhabit humid lowland and premontane forests distributed from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to Panama, including Costa Rica, where this photograph was taken by Carey James Balboa.

NHBS Country Guide to Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the focus of today’s NHBS Country Guide – the latest books on the wildlife of Costa Rica.

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Popularity: 5% [?]