Simply written yet comprehensive, this invaluable field guide will appeal to you whether you are a nature enthusiast or a botanist.

    The more than 1,200 color photographs and two dozen line drawings include numerous exceptionally striking images. The giant silk moths, tiger moths, and many other species covered include forest pests, common garden guests, economically important species, and of course, the Mescal Worm and Mexican Jumping Bean caterpillars. Full-page species accounts cover almost 400 species, with up to six images per species including an image of the adult plus succinct text with information on distribution, seasonal activity, foodplants, and life history. These accounts are generously complemented with additional images of earlier instars, closely related species, noteworthy behaviors, and other intriguing aspects of caterpillar biology.Many caterpillars are illustrated here for the first time. Dozens of new foodplant records are presented and erroneous records are corrected. The book provides considerable information on the distribution, biology, and taxonomy of caterpillars beyond that available in other popular works on Eastern butterflies and moths. The introductory chapter covers caterpillar structure, life cycles, rearing, natural enemies, photography, and conservation. The section titled Caterpillar Projects will be of special interest to educators.Given the dearth of accessible guides on the identification and natural history of caterpillars, Caterpillars of Eastern North America is a must for entomologists and museum curators, forest managers, conservation biologists and others who seek a compact, easy-to-use guide to the caterpillars of this vast region. A compact guide to nearly 700 caterpillars east of the Mississippi, from forest pests to garden guests and economically important species 1,200 color photos and 24 line drawings enable easy identification Full-page species accounts with image of adult insect for almost 400 species, plus succinct text on distribution and other vital information Many caterpillars illustrated here for the first time Current information on distribution, biology, and taxonomy not found in other popular works A section geared toward educators, Caterpillar Projects An indispensable resource for all who seek an easy-to-use guide to the caterpillars of this vast region

    This valuable reference enables all prairie enthusiasts to quickly and accurately identify hundreds of tallgrass prairie plants. Fully revised and updated to reflect new trends in conservation and plant identification, this remains the classic guidebook for prairie enthusiasts.

    Tiger beetles are among the most widely found and popular families of insects worldwide. Enabling amateur naturalists and professionals to use two identification methods--comparison of colored pictures to live or mounted specimens, and use of illustrated dichotomous keys--full biological accounts emphasize points for identification, behaviors, and habitats. Distribution maps show where various species and subspecies can be found. The authors promote a new and exciting activity of insect watching as an alternative or supplement to collecting (the general feeling among butterfliers and dragonfly and damselfly enthusiasts). Communicating primarily through the un-refereed journal Cincindela, (Tiger Beetler) specialists themselves prefer the term, cicindelophiles. They represent an ardent sublet of the growing number of serious amateur naturalists who invest in outdoor activities seeking and identifying birds, butterflies, dragonflies, flowering plants, and various other forms of life.

    This guide will assist visitors in discovering the diverse natural features of the Sandias.Field Guide to the Sandia Mountains includes sections on ecology, including weather and fire, geology, flora (grasses, flowers, trees) and fauna (arthropods, reptiles and amphibians, birds, mammals), and recreational opportunities. Plant keys and fauna checklists add to the book's features.Rather than a comprehensive field guide, the selections offer the most commonly encountered species in each category, presenting information on just over 100 species of flowers, for example, among almost 500 species that can be found in the mountains.A labor of love conceived by the Sandia Ranger District and the New Mexico Friends of the Forest (now known as Friends of the Sandia Mountains), this book is a resource no visitor to the Sandias should be without.

    This edition includes an additional 107 species, and updates the reader with newly named species and name changes. Natural history information is included for each species. 7" x 9", 137 pages, 324 color plages. Quality Paperback.

    Award-winning author Stan Tekiela's famous field guide includes all 75 of Minnesota's mammals, organized by family (from small to large). Each type of species gets a full-page photograph and three pages of information including size, habitat, range and more. Track patterns and other signs that an animal might leave behind aid in ensuring correct identification. Professional photos and Stan's naturalist notes help you to discover all of Minnesota's diverse species.

    People around the world, and through the centuries, from the ancient Egyptians to the Pomo of California, have given names to the patterns they see in the night sky. The latest book in the Finders series of pocket guides introduces constellations from many cultures, and shows how to find them in the sky. With hints for stargazing, seasonal star maps, and constellation profiles; heavily illustrated by the author.Most useful for stargazing between the 30th and 50th parallels in the northern hemisphere. In North America, this includes the contiguous United States (except the Florida peninsula and southernmost Texas), and southern Canada. Also includes southern Europe, Turkey, northern China, and Japan.

    The book includes more than 550 genera. The manual contains 72 chapters and a wealth of information including an introduction to spider morphology, natural history, collecting techniques and preservation methods; an overview of the current status and most recent developments in spider evolutionary history; a key to the 68 families of spiders found in North America, north of Mexico; keys to the genera in each of these 68 families; an etymological dictionary explaining the derivation of the names of spider genera and families; and a well illustrated glossary.

    The essential photographic field guide to all mammals, reptiles and amphibians in the British Isles and surrounding seas.Collins Complete British Animals is a comprehensive guide to the identification of species and their tracks and trails.Each animal has two pages of coverage, containing:detailed informationdistribution mapsnumerous photographs of the animal itself, its habitat, tracks and signsObservation tips, habitats and natural history are included for each entry, and species are grouped according to families.

    It includes some 600 species in all - more than 450 of them presented in the Gallery section, which is divided into eight groups according to type and habitat. Each page features a full-color painting, usually of a male in breeding plumage, since in most species the male is more colorful than the female. The portrait is accompanied by text that is meant to be not so much an ornithological profile as a brief essay or narrative â?? sometimes focusing on a key aspect of the bird's behavior, appearance, or lifestyle, sometimes simply evoking the delight of glimpsing it in the wild. "Whether you are already hooked on birds or not, you will find this collection of attractive bird portraits and lively essays an informative supplement to your favorite field guide -Roger Tory Peterson

    The book's innovative format shows: 120 color photos of all North Woods, easy-to-use phenograms, and bars on photos which indicate damselfly length.

    This is the definitive guide to the rich and varied plant life of the region, from the ocean shore to the crest of the Cascades, from British Columbia south through the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon and the Siskiyous in northwestern California. Its botanical coverage is complete, including plants native to the region as well as those that have been introduced and become naturalized. More than 2500 species are fully described, with user-friendly keys and more than 700 color photographs and 350 line drawings to facilitate successful identification.