Book description
The Royal Entomological Society (RES) and Wiley-Blackwell are proud to
present this landmark publication, celebrating the wonderful diversity
of the insects of the British Isles, and the work of the RES (founded 1833).
This book is the only modern systematic account of all 558 families
of British insects, covering not just the large and familiar groups
that are included in popular books, but even the smallest and least
known. It is beautifully illustrated throughout in full colour with
photographs by experienced wildlife photographers to show the range of
diversity, both morphological and behavioural, among the 24,000 species.
All of the 6,000 genera of British insects are listed and indexed,
along with all the family names and higher groups. There is a summary
of the classification, biology and economic importance of each family
together with further references for detailed identification. All
species currently subject to legal protection in the United Kingdom
are also listed.
The Royal Entomological Society is one of the oldest and most
prestigious of its kind in the world. It is the leading organisation
for professional entomologists and its main aim has always been the
promotion of knowledge about insects. The RES began its famous
Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects in 1949,
and new works in that series continue to be published. The Royal
Entomological Society Book of British Insects has been produced
to demonstrate the on-going commitment of the RES to educate and
encourage each generation to study these fascinating creatures.
This is a key reference work for serious students of entomology and
amateur entomologists, as well as for professionals who need a
comprehensive source of information about the insect groups of the
British Isles they may be less familiar with.
Peter Barnard has enjoyed a lifetime's fascination
with insects since early childhood. He carried out taxonomic research
on several insect groups for over 30 years at London's Natural History
Museum, where he edited the book Identifying British Insects and
Arachnids (1999). In 2007 he was appointed Director of Science at
the Royal Entomological Society, becoming the first full-time
entomologist to be employed by the Society since its inception in
1833.