Includes over 650 species not included in Norman Joy's Practical Handbook of British Beetles (1922), which include new arrivals to the shores, much species revision, and ommisions of indigenous species on the grounds of doubt 63 years ago. For each family, Joy's book is assessed, the most up-to-date keywords are listed and for each `new' species, a short description and comparison with other species is provided, followed by a list of journal and book references where the identification was made and confirmed.
This valuable overview offers the British coleopterist a new look at Joy's book, a reference to the current fauna, and the changes that have taken place in the last sixty years.