Showing 1–12 of 233 results
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Honey and Pollen Flora of South-eastern Australia
Artist/Author: Somerville, Doug$179.00 Add to cartUnderstanding the biology of flora and its value to honey bees is core knowledge for successful beekeeping. Bees feed on nectar and pollen. No food equals no bees!
Beekeepers need to know the floral resources around them, and the nutritional value of those resources to bees, to keep their bee colonies healthy.
This publication focuses on the value of plants to nectarivores, and honey bees in particular. The result of over 30 years of research, it distills both scientific knowledge and the opinions of hundreds of beekeepers into a reference work that will be the cornerstone of floral understanding in apiculture for years to come.
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Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners
Artist/Author: Nardi, James B$57.00 Add to cartLeonardo da Vinci once mused that “we know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot,” an observation that is as apt today as it was five hundred years ago. The biological world under our toes is often unexplored and unappreciated, yet it teems with life. In one square meter of earth, there lives trillions of bacteria, millions of nematodes, hundreds of thousands of mites, thousands of insects and worms, and hundreds of snails and slugs. But because of their location and size, many of these creatures are as unfamiliar and bizarre to us as anything found at the bottom of the ocean.
Lavishly illustrated with nearly three hundred colour illustrations and masterfully-rendered black and white drawings throughout, Life in the Soil invites naturalists and gardeners alike to dig in and discover the diverse community of creatures living in the dirt below us. Biologist and acclaimed natural history artist James B. Nardi begins with an introduction to soil ecosystems, revealing the unseen labors of underground organisms maintaining the rich fertility of the earth as they recycle nutrients between the living and mineral worlds. He then introduces readers to a dazzling array of creatures: wolf spiders with glowing red eyes, snails with 120 rows of teeth, and 10,000-year-old fungi, among others. Organized by taxon, Life in the Soil covers everything from slime moulds and roundworms to woodlice and dung beetles, as well as vertebrates from salamanders to shrews. The book ultimately explores the crucial role of soil ecosystems in conserving the worlds above and below ground.
A unique and illustrative introduction to the many unheralded creatures that inhabit our soils and shape our environment above ground, Life in the Soil will inform and enrich the naturalist in all of us.
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Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies
Artist/Author: Lewis, Sara$79.00 Add to cartFor centuries, the beauty of fireflies has evoked wonder and delight. Yet for most of us, fireflies remain shrouded in mystery: How do fireflies make their light? What are they saying with their flashing? And what do fireflies look for in a mate? In Silent Sparks, noted biologist and firefly expert Sara Lewis dives into the fascinating world of fireflies and reveals the most up-to-date discoveries about these beloved insects. From the meadows of New England and the hills of the Great Smoky Mountains, to the rivers of Japan and mangrove forests of Malaysia, this beautifully illustrated and accessible book uncovers the remarkable, dramatic stories of birth, courtship, romance, sex, deceit, poison, and death among fireflies.
The nearly two thousand species of fireflies worldwide have evolved in different ways – and while most mate through the aerial language of blinking lights, not all do. Lewis introduces us to fireflies that don’t light up at all, relying on wind-borne perfumes to find mates, and we encounter glow-worm fireflies, whose plump, wingless females never fly. We go behind the scenes to meet inquisitive scientists who have dedicated their lives to understanding fireflies, and we learn about various modern threats including light pollution and habitat destruction. In the last section of Silent Sparks, Lewis provides a field guide for North American fireflies, enabling us to identify them in our own backyards and neighbourhoods. This concise, handy guide includes distinguishing features, habits, and range maps for the most commonly encountered fireflies, as well as a gear list.
A passionate exploration of one of the world’s most charismatic and admired insects, Silent Sparks will inspire us to reconnect with the natural world.
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Hawkmoths of Australia: Identification, Biology and Distribution
Artist/Author: Moulds, Maxwell, James Tuttle, David Lane$220.00 Add to cartHawkmoths are large charismatic insects with highly variable and colourful larvae. Some species are specialised in their habitat preferences, but others are widespread and often encountered in gardens. However, little is known about most species, and associating the adults with their larvae has previously been difficult or impossible.
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Australian Termites
Artist/Author: Hadlington, Phillip, Ion Staunton (Authors), Louise Beck (Illustrator)$50.00 Add to cartShows readers the how, which, when, where, what and why of termite and wood borer control. The previous edition of this highly-regarded and indispensable text is now out-of-date, and the new edition has been refined and rewritten as a fully fledged text and reference book for pest-control technicians and the people who train them. Now including a colour section for easier identification of problem species, it will result in better educated technicians and more precise termite management in the future.
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The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator
Artist/Author: Winegard, Timothy C$34.00 Add to cartA pioneering and groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing how through millennia, the mosquito has been the single most powerful force in determining humanity’s fate
Why was gin and tonic the cocktail of choice for British colonists in India and Africa? What does Starbucks have to thank for its global domination? What has protected the lives of popes for millennia? Why did Scotland surrender its sovereignty to England? What was George Washington’s secret weapon during the American Revolution?
The answer to all these questions, and many more, is the mosquito.
Across our planet since the dawn of humankind, this nefarious pest, roughly the size and weight of a grape seed, has been at the frontlines of history as the grim reaper, the harvester of human populations, and the ultimate agent of historical change. As the mosquito transformed the landscapes of civilization, humans were unwittingly required to respond to its piercing impact and universal projection of power.
The mosquito has determined the fates of empires and nations, razed and crippled economies, and decided the outcome of pivotal wars, killing nearly half of humanity along the way. She (only females bite) has dispatched an estimated 52 billion people from a total of 108 billion throughout our relatively brief existence. As the greatest purveyor of extermination we have ever known, she has played a greater role in shaping our human story than any other living thing with which we share our global village.
Imagine for a moment a world without deadly mosquitoes, or any mosquitoes, for that matter? Our history and the world we know, or think we know, would be completely unrecognizable.
Driven by surprising insights and fast-paced storytelling, The Mosquito is the extraordinary untold story of the mosquito’s reign through human history and her indelible impact on our modern world order.
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Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide (Second Edition)
Artist/Author: Haahtela, Tari, Kimmo Saarinen, Pekke Ojalainen, Hannu Aarnio$38.00 Add to cartAn authoritative photographic guide to the butterflies of Europe. Packed with beautiful photography, this is the definitive guide to all 482 species of European butterflies (42 more species compared to the first edition) with additional information on over 60 species found in the far east of Europe, stretching as far as the Urals and Caucasus. Detailed text and clear photographs – including views of both the upperwing and underwing where possible – allow identification of adult butterflies in the field. There is also useful information on their relative size, similar species, habitat, lifestyle and larval host plants, accompanied by accurate range maps. The result of collaboration between many European butterfly experts and photographers, and compiled by a Finnish team, this comprehensive guide represents the last word in butterfly identification.
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British Moths: A Photographic Guide to the Moths of Britain and Ireland (Second Edition)
Artist/Author: Manley, Chris$80.00 Add to cartPacked with the stunning photography, this photographic guide is the perfect single-volume guide to Britain’s moths. Its coverage is broad, including 871 macro-moths and 1276 species of micros. The concise text provides important information on identification, size and larval food plant for each species and, for the first time, maps are included. Introductory sections cover habitats, life cycles, conservation, and trapping and photographic techniques.
The new edition is far more comprehensive than the original edition, and the main changes are as follows:
Covers 800 additional species
Many of the photographs have been replaced and the total number of images is now over 3200.
The photos are presented in a uniform alignment for ease of comparison between species.
Size bars are added below each image showing average forewing length.
Taxonomy and nomenclature conform to the latest checklist (but old Bradley numbers are still included)
Maps included for every species for the first time.
Covers all of the British Isles (Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man) plus the Channel Islands.
Excludes butterflies and caterpillars to make room for much greater coverage of true moths.With many people now setting up their own backyard moth traps, and many others who are simply curious to know which species are fluttering around their light bulbs, this book provides a superb introduction to this fascinating insect group.
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Australian Beetles Volume 2: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga (part)
Artist/Author: Slipinski, Adam, John Lawrence (Editors)$250.00 Add to cartSecond in a three-volume series that represents a comprehensive treatment of the beetles of Australia.
This three-volume series represents a comprehensive treatment of the beetles of Australia, a relatively under-studied fauna that includes many unusual and unique lineages found nowhere else on Earth.Volume 2 contains 36 chapters, providing critical information and identification keys to the genera of the Australian beetle families included in suborders Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga and several groups of Polyphaga (Scirtoidea, Hydrophiloidea, Scarabaeoidea, Buprestoidea and Tenebrionidae). Each chapter is richly illustrated in black and white drawings and photographs. The book also includes colour habitus figures for about 1000 Australian beetle genera and subgenera belonging to the families treated in this volume.
Volume 1 see stock id 13962.
This volume is a truly international collaborative effort, as the chapters have been written by 23 contributors from Australia, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland and USA.
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Protecting Pollinators: How to Save the Creatures That Feed Our World
Artist/Author: Helmer, Jodi$51.00 Add to cartWe should thank a pollinator at every meal. These diminutive creatures fertilize a third of the crops we eat. Yet half of the 200,000 species of pollinators are threatened. Birds, bats, insects, and many other pollinators are disappearing, putting our entire food supply in jeopardy.
In North America and Europe, bee populations have already plummeted by more than a third and the population of butterflies has declined 31 percent. Protecting Pollinators explores why the statistics have become so dire and how they can be reversed. Jodi Helmer breaks down the latest science on environmental threats and takes readers inside the most promising conservation initiatives. Efforts include #famers reducing pesticides, cities creating butterfly highways, volunteers ripping up invasive plants, gardeners planting native flowers, and citizen scientists monitoring migration.
Along with inspiring stories of revival and lessons from failed projects, readers will find practical tips to get involved. They will also be reminded of the magic of pollinators – not only the iconic monarch and dainty hummingbird, but the drab hawk moth and homely bats that are just as essential. Without pollinators, the world would be a duller, blander place. Helmer shows how we can make sure they are always fluttering, soaring, and buzzing around us.
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Biology and Management of Bactrocera and Related Fruit Flies
Artist/Author: Clarke, Anthony R$150.00 Add to cartThroughout Asia, Australia and the Pacific, and increasingly in Africa, the primary horticultural insect pests are fruit flies belonging to the genera Bactrocera, Zeugodacus and Dacus (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini). The Dacini is a hugely diverse clade of nearly 900 species endemic to the rainforests of Asia, Australia and the western Pacific, and the savannas and woodlands of Africa. All these species lay their eggs into fleshy fruits and vegetables, where the maggots feed, therefore destroying the fruit. In addition to being crop pests, dacines are also invasive pests of major quarantine importance and their presence in production areas can significantly impact market access opportunities.
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Field Guide to the Dragonflies & Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland (Fifth Edition)
Artist/Author: Brooks, Steve (Author), Steve Cham (Author), Richard Lewington (Illustrator)$40.00 Add to cartThis highly successful title is widely considered as the definitive guide to the dragonflies and damselflies found in Britain and Ireland. This bestseller in its field has been revised and updated to include recent additions to the British list, ensuring it is up to date and lives up to its reputation of being the best guide on the subject.
The comprehensive species descriptions, written by a team of UK experts, include field characters, jizz and similar species, status and conservation, ecology and behaviour, including habitat, larval form, flight season, feeding, territorial and mating behaviour. The superbly detailed artworks by Europe’s leading entomological artist, Richard Lewington, include males and females, immature and over mature forms, as well as dorsal views and details of diagnostic features, making identification much easier.
