A Guide To The Beetles Of Australia

A Guide to the Beetles of Australia provides a comprehensive introduction to the Coleoptera – a huge and diverse group of insects. Beetles make up 40 per cent of all insects known to science. The number of described beetle species in the world – around 350 000 – is more than six times the number of all vertebrate species. New beetle species are being discovered all the time. Of the 30 000 species that may occur in Australia, only 20 000 have been scientifically described. These include around 6500 weevils (Curculionidae), 2600 scarabs, dung beetles and chafers (Scarabaeidae); and 2250 leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae). A Guide to the Beetles of Australia highlights the enormous diversity of this unique insect Order. It emphasises the environmental role of beetles, their relationships with other plants and animals, and their importance to humans. Winner of the 2010 Whitley Medal.

Most Australian stag beetles live secretive lives, spending the majority of their life cycle inside decaying timber or under logs sunken in the soil. Yet these active recyclers of the forest are admired by beetle-loving people worldwide. Their aesthetic appeal and the rarity of some species make them of great value to collectors: the beetles in the subfamily Lampriminae are splendidly colourful, while others show an amazing variety in male mandible size and structure. A Guide to Stag Beetles of Australia is a comprehensive account of the 95 lucanid species found in Australia. This book reveals their diversity and beauty, looks in detail at their morphology, habitats and ecology, and explains how to collect, keep and preserve them. Natural history enthusiasts and professional and amateur coleopterists alike will benefit from the use of this guide. The book features some stunning images from entomologist and photographer Paul Zborowski. Paul has over 40 years' experience of field-based study of insects and related creatures in habitats all over the world.

This field guide to introduced dung beetles covers all species found in Australia, including two newly introduced species. It will enable farmers, Landcare workers and the interested public to identify and learn about the basic biology of these beetles found in cattle dung.

Volume 1 in a three-volume series that represents a comprehensive treatment of the beetles of Australia.

A walk in the bush reveals insects visiting flowers, patrolling the air, burrowing under bark and even biting your skin. Every insect has characteristic feeding preferences and behaviours. Insects of South-Eastern Australia is a unique field guide that uses host plants and behavioural attributes as the starting point for identifying insects. Richly illustrated with colour photographs, the different species of insects found in Australia’s temperate south-east, including plant feeders, predators, parasites and decomposers, are presented. The guide is complemented by an introduction to the insects of the region, including their environment, classification, life history, feeding strategies and behaviour. Fascinating boxes on camouflage, mimicry and many other topics are also included throughout. Whether you are a field naturalist, entomologist or just want to know what’s in your backyard, Insects of South-Eastern Australia will help you to identify the insects most likely to be encountered, as well as understand the basics of their ecology and behaviour.

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. 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.

Australia has a rich diversity of phasmids – otherwise known as stick and leaf insects. Most of them are endemic, few have been studied and new species continue to be found. Stick insects are, by far, Australia’s longest insects – some of them reach up to 300 mm in body length, or more than half a metre if you include their outstretched legs. Many stick insects are very colourful, and some have quite elaborate, defensive behaviour. Increasingly they are being kept as pets. This is the first book on Australian phasmids for nearly 200 years and covers all known stick and leaf insects. It includes photographs of all species, notes on their ecology and biology as well as identification keys suitable for novices or professionals.