Reddit mentions: The best biology of insects & spiders books

We found 177 Reddit comments discussing the best biology of insects & spiders books. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 57 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

1. Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America (Kaufman Field Guides)

    Features:
  • Used Book in Good Condition
Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America (Kaufman Field Guides)
Specs:
Height7.75 Inches
Length1 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateFebruary 2007
Weight1.29 Pounds
Width5 Inches
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3. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America

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  • Used Book in Good Condition
National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America
Specs:
Height7.7 inches
Length4.7 inches
Number of items1
Weight1.7 Pounds
Width1.3 inches
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4. Common Spiders of North America

Used Book in Good Condition
Common Spiders of North America
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Height10 Inches
Length7 Inches
Number of items1
Weight2.7006627095 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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5. Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects

    Features:
  • Cengage Learning
Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects
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Height10 Inches
Length8.25 Inches
Number of items1
Weight3.8691126981 Pounds
Width1.25 Inches
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6. Biology of Spiders

    Features:
  • Oxford University Press USA
Biology of Spiders
Specs:
Height9.1 Inches
Length0.9 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateDecember 2010
Weight1.86070149128 Pounds
Width6.1 Inches
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7. A Field Guide to Insects: America North of Mexico (Peterson Field Guides)

    Features:
  • Authors: Richard E. White and Donald J. Borror
A Field Guide to Insects: America North of Mexico (Peterson Field Guides)
Specs:
ColorBlack
Height7.25 Inches
Length4.5 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 1998
SizeOne Size
Weight0.9 Pounds
Width1.024 Inches
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8. The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies

    Features:
  • W W Norton Company
The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies
Specs:
Height10.3 Inches
Length8.4 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateNovember 2008
Weight3.55826090868 Pounds
Width1.5 Inches
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9. Spiders and Their Kin: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-to-Use Guide (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)

    Features:
  • Marvel Comics Group
Spiders and Their Kin: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-to-Use Guide (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)
Specs:
ColorMulticolor
Height5.9499881 Inches
Length4 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2001
Weight0.27 Pounds
Width0.35 Inches
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12. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides)

    Features:
  • RANDOM HOUSE AUDBN FG: INSECTS & SPIDERS
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides)
Specs:
ColorWhite
Height7.75 Inches
Length3.84 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateNovember 1980
SizeOne Size
Weight1.37568451488 Pounds
Width1.4 Inches
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13. A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America (Peterson Field Guide)

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  • Used Book in Good Condition
A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America (Peterson Field Guide)
Specs:
Height7.25 Inches
Length4.5 Inches
Number of items1
Weight1.4 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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14. The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct

The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct
Specs:
Height8.3 Inches
Length6.2 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateNovember 2010
Weight0.77602716224 Pounds
Width0.5 Inches
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15. The Hive and the Honey Bee

    Features:
  • photographs
  • drawings
The Hive and the Honey Bee
Specs:
Height9.25 Inches
Length6.25 Inches
Number of items1
Weight3.75006307662 Pounds
Width2.5 Inches
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16. A Guide to Spiders and Their Kin. A Golden Nature Guide

A Guide to Spiders and Their Kin. A Golden Nature Guide
Specs:
Number of items1
Weight0.33 Pounds
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17. Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual

    Features:
  • Used Book in Good Condition
Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual
Specs:
Height10.75 Inches
Length9.25 Inches
Number of items1
Weight2.314853751 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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20. Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies

Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies
Specs:
ColorMulticolor
Height7 Inches
Length4.5 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2002
Weight0.43 Pounds
Width0.5 Inches
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🎓 Reddit experts on biology of insects & spiders books

The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where biology of insects & spiders books are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Total score: 33
Number of comments: 8
Relevant subreddits: 4
Total score: 31
Number of comments: 10
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 25
Number of comments: 11
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Total score: 19
Number of comments: 3
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 15
Number of comments: 4
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 10
Number of comments: 3
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 7
Number of comments: 6
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 7
Number of comments: 3
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 7
Number of comments: 3
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 7
Number of comments: 3
Relevant subreddits: 1

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Top Reddit comments about Biology of Insects & Spiders:

u/BrowniePancake · 20 pointsr/Entomology

>What am I allowed to collect?


For the most part the vast majority of what you collect will not be treated or listed and you are totally allowed to collect them. Collections normally consist mostly of adult insects and since most insects have short lives so you are likely killing them after they have already reproduced and are near death anyways. It is all worth noting that insect population are also so large that when you are only take a small number for a collection you are not affecting the species very much at all. That being said there are only a few insects that are listed as endangered and you should avoid collecting. I assume you live in the US so you can look up endangered species here.


>Can I collect at a state park?


State parks are normally not ok to collect in but it depends where you are. A good rule of thumb is to collect on private property (your own or with permission), Bureau of Land Management land, and National Forests (not National Parks) link for more info and exceptions.


>Where's the best place to learn about preserving and mounting?


Short videos (scroll to the bottom of page for videos)
text
bugguide
more info on traps and advanced methods

I didn't notice this mentioned on the links but make sure to keep some sort of poison inside of the box you stope insects in. If you do not carpet beetles (dermestids) will eat your collection. My favorite method is to crush up a mothball (made with para-Dichlorobenzene not naphthalene) and sprinkle it in the box replacing when scent is gone. Also if you live someplace with high humidity consider putting in desiccant packs to keep things dry and help prevent mold.


>How's, uh, the odor of a mounting workbench?


I work on my collection in my bedroom and the smell is fine. Some big beetles can stink as they dry (insides rotting) and if you pin a stink bug or darkling beetle you will smell them but it isn't bad enough to warrant putting them in the garage and most things will have no smell at all. I would also encourage you not to store insects in the garage since it is best for pinned insects to stay dry and garages can be moist. The things that do smell, however, will be poison (ethyl acetate, acetone, and PDB) so store those in your garage.


>apparently a good starter's kit is ~120$


If you want to spend that much that's fine but you can really start a lot cheaper. You can start with only a few dollars by collecting things in jars then putting them in the freezer to die. I suggest that you buy directly from BioQuip, pretty much the only entomology supply company. I think this starter kit would be perfect for your needs and only costs $40. I believe you were looking at this which is nice and if you are wanting nicer quality things it works, I personally liked starting with the basic kit then upgrading piece by piece once I knew what I liked and wanted.

Identifying:

When IDing here are some good resources

  • bugguide.net

  • Peterson Guide for common families

  • the ultimate intro to entomology is Borrer and DeLong it has a lot of issues and some of the keys leave a lot to be desired but with it you can key out any North American insect or arachnid to family as well as get familiar with entomological terms and anatomy. The downside its it ranges from $200-$500

    If you can't ID something try:

  • /r/whatsthisbug
  • contact your local entomology museum or department
  • if you don't have a local one you can reach UC Davis' at bmuseum@ucdavis.edu just attach a photo
  • or PM me :)

    Happy collecting!



u/Jurisfiction · 2 pointsr/spiders

> /u/kona_worldwaker: Do they see 8 images of what they look at or does each eye see an 8th of what they see all together?

> Do they see in color?

> I know in general spider vision is considered poor, but what does this mean? Blurry? No depth perception?

A lot of this information comes from Biology of Spiders, and I would encourage you to get a copy of this book if you want to learn more about spider anatomy, physiology, and behavior.

In short, how well spiders can see depends on species. Not all spider eyes are created the same. As noted in Biology of Spiders, "the efficiency of any eye is determined by the design of its optics and by the structure of the retina."

Most spiders don't rely heavily on vision but tactile and chemical cues. For example, web dwelling spiders like orbweavers, cobweb spiders, and funnel weavers can only see differences in light levels, which helps them entrain their circadian rhythms to the day/night cycle. Their eyes don't form clear images, and they rely mostly on the vibrations transmitted through their webs to know what is going on around them.

Hunting spiders (such as jumping spiders and wolf spiders) tend to have better eyesight, which is usually indicated by the presence of two large median eyes. The input of these two eyes is probably merged into one image, with the slight difference between the eyes helping with depth perception. (Just as we see only one image even though we have two eyes.) The other six eyes, which are much smaller, do things like sense motion and light levels.

Jumping spiders have the best vision of any spider. Not only do they see in color and have binocular vision for gauging distance, but they can see ultraviolet and polarized light. However, even they can only see sharp images within a relatively short distance (we're talking inches, not feet).

u/Joseph_P_Brenner · 3 pointsr/whatsthisbug

For beetles north of Mexico, I recommend the old favourite, Peterson Field Guides: Beetles of North America. People who complain that the book should have photos instead line drawings don't know what they're talking about. Line drawings are superior for identification because diagnostic traits are more visible. The purpose of a field guide of identification, not to a pretty coffee book (if you want a pretty coffee book, The Book of Beetles is my favorite, and I have it in my living room at the moment).

For insects in general north of Mexico, I recommend the counterpart from the same series.

If you insist on photos, I recommend the National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America (which, by the way, was written by a member of BugGuide.net). Since it has photos, I'd recommend it for beginners. Once they feel more comfortable with insect taxonomy, they should add the Peterson Field Guides to their collection. Avoid the popular Audubon series because it values pretty photos over practicality.

The Peterson Field Guides are great because they provide keys, diagnostic traits, similar families, collecting methods, and a plethora of amazingly detailed line drawings (and color slides). They also have great introductory material. The taxonomy is outdated, but it's not a big issue when you have online guides, like BugGuide.net, that keep their taxonomy current. The more important takeaway is that these guides will quickly teach you insect taxonomy, and you quickly develop a big-picture sense--that is, the diversity--and a granular sense--that is, the subtle difference between similar clades.

As for "state by state" guides, I have the California Natural History Guides: Field Guide to Beetles of California. There aren't line drawings like those in the Peterson Field Guides, but you do have some photographic slides in the middle section. For this, I would only recommend the book for those with enough familiarity with beetles.

Like you said, "the scope of insects is way too huge for a simple, small field guide." Many reviewers don't understand this, and complain about the lack of specificity. To satisfy their specificity, you'd probably need a guide at the city or county level (without exceeding a million pages, and assuming an entomologist is willing to take on that task LOL). Insects are so grossly misunderstood by most people (that is, most people compare the taxonomic scope of insects with that of let's say, mammals, which is like comparing travel guides for the Vatican with that of Russia--or the United States), you are better off ignoring most laymen reviews if your goal is to actually learn.

u/maaarshall · 4 pointsr/biology

Full disclosure: I'm biased towards organismal biology, natural history, and entomology...


Field guides! Any field guides you can get a hold of!
The Origin of the Species, of course (and probably your best bet is James Costa's The Annotated Origin, since it has lots of clarifications, updates, and interesting side notes throughout the entire book. If you're into historical naturalists, he recently released one of Alfred Russel Wallace's field notebooks with a similar treatment (On the Organic Law of Change))
May Berenbaum has a few interesting books full of short chapters about various insect myths/legends/neat-stuff. An Earwig's Tail is probably the best one.
There are many popular books on evolution that might interest the more die-hard students, like Why Evolution is True (Jerry Coyne), Your Inner Fish (Neil Shubin), and Dawkins' books from before he put atheism in front of biology.

Go to used bookstores and browse their selections. You can get lots of nice books for pretty cheap. My partner was a high school biology teacher, and could probably fill a bookshelf with second-hand science books. Lots of good stuff, loaded with photos, to just flip through.


DVDs are a nice addition to a bookshelf, too! David Attenborough's nature documentaries are all excellent, Sagan's Cosmos is a must (also a few of his books!), etc.

u/DoingTreeScience · 6 pointsr/Entomology

Sorry, HUGE dragonfly nerd here! That's a sympetrum sp. (common name Meadowhawk)! I've done a bit of work with them in the past. They are pretty common, but individual species for sympetrums are pretty hard to tell apart. :/ Though, it looks like a male to me with it's bright colors. They come out in late summer and are still around until the end of September. Sympetrums are a perching species that like to establish territories for breeding. They will find a perch, go after prey, and come back to their perch, which is much different from a hawking dragonfly like Anax junius (an Aeshna) that likes to hunt as it flies. Dragonflies also predict where a prey is going to be and intercept it, they don't chase after prey. How cool is that! I really recommend getting a Stoke's beginner guide to dragonflies! It's the best cheap guide I've found for dragonflies http://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Beginners-Guide-Dragonflies-Nikula/dp/0316816795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347984018&sr=8-1&keywords=stokes+beginners+guide+to+dragonflies

u/minorshrimp · 2 pointsr/Entomology

I agree with the other post. AntsCanada is a great place to start, same with AntsAustralia. As for study material, I've been told this is the text book you'd use in year one entomology. I have a copy and it's great.

[Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America] (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1770859624/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pMSRBb4VQ83QE)

It's not that cheap, but compared to many other textbooks it's really a good price.

Also starting a dry collection will help you a lot. You get to know insects better and you get really good at getting things down to family or genus just with a quick look. This is a good skill to have since you commonly have to take an identification course (so I've been told). I'm a hobbyist but I've been reading a lot about what people usually take in school.

u/tyrannoAdjudica · 4 pointsr/whatsthisbug

A specific regional guide will usually be more meaningful to own than a general guide that covers all of North America.

That been said, I personally own and recommend the National Wildlife Federation's Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. It's packed with pictures and organizes everything by order, and then by family (to really understand the groupings, you should familiarize yourself with taxonomic rank). For each order, it includes some basic anatomical diagrams to help you distinguish one order from another.

It's also printed on some pretty durable gloss paper and has a water resistant cover, as icing on the cake.



I have not compared it to the Kaufman guide, since my book store does not carry it.

Comparing it to the Audubon version, I find that the NWF's guide is better for beginners due to having a picture for everything it lists. I also noticed the toner was coming off on my hand on the audubon guide while I was flipping through it in the book store.

I scarcely use it now because I've gotten good enough at identifying orders and a good number of families to use bugguide to narrow things down, but it was nice to take along on a camping trip.

Note that if you want to learn how to differentiate families of beetles or butterflies or spiders based on their anatomical traits, you'll probably need a specific field guide pertaining only to that bug. I can't recommend any, since I don't own any. Or use online references - again, bugguide is pretty good for a lot of things, but I have learned a ton from just googling for the information on a specific taxon.

u/EZE_it_is_42 · 1 pointr/Entomology

Go and pick up "Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects" (https://www.amazon.com/Borror-DeLongs-Introduction-Study-Insects/dp/0030968356)

It is where all entomologist begin and this book is essential in the field (i.e. you will always use this book, need this book). Stay away from field guides at the beginning if you're serious about becoming an entomologist, they have pretty pictures and are good for outreach but honestly, kind of useless unless you only want to identify the charismatic taxa that you'll likely already know. Eventually you'll figure out that a field guide leads to more misidentification than accurate identification.

First thing you'll want to learn is the structure of taxonomy and the Insect Orders, that'll put you on the path to learning Latin. Get to a point that you can identify any insect to order almost immediately. Once there pick an order to focus on learning families, pick something you like. If you want a challenge go for Diptera.

So, get the book and learn the orders, go out and look at bugs and practice identifying to Order. Honestly you probably won't have any luck volunteering at a museum or research laboratory. It's just not worth a researchers time to train a volunteer, sorry but it's the truth.
Good luck!

u/f00sp4m · 2 pointsr/Entomology

I think that depends on how you're defining learn. You'll certainly learn interesting facts about ants that you didn't know, but it's not a textbook like Superorganism/The Ants. However, it's probably my favorite or a close second out of the books listed above, and you really can't go wrong with Wilson and Holldobler. They're really the gods of ant research, and if you're interested in ants you should probably just read everything they've written related to ants.

I just realized that I forgot this:

http://www.amazon.com/Leafcutter-Ants-Civilization-Instinct/dp/0393338681/

which may be my favorite, since leafcutter ants are my favorite ants. If you have to choose between this and Journy, perhaps take Journey first because it covers a wider range of ants than the narrow Leafcutter book.

u/joot78 · 4 pointsr/spiders

The identifying features of spiders are more subtle than they are for birds or butterflies - like eye arrangements, length and number of hairs on their legs. Also, consider there are about 900 species of birds in the U.S. vs. about 3,000 spider species. Just trying to help you understand why you're having a hard time finding such a guide.

My favorite spider field guide is the Golden Guide to Spiders and their Kin. Though the book includes spiders worldwide, it focuses on American species, and the description of family features can inform ID anywhere. There is a 1990 edition available in full online. Some of the taxonomic names have changed since then, but you can get the idea. You can't beat it for the money.

I don't have this one, but browsing it, it looks pretty nice.

Otherwise, the technical standard is SONA.

Alternatively, invest in a camera: take pictures and share them with us -- we are always here to help. Bugguide.net has detailed descriptions at almost every taxonomic level.

u/sethben · 1 pointr/animalid

For a general bird guide, I like the Sibley guide (you can use the Sibley East field guide, or the larger Sibley guide for all of North America). There are also those who swear by the National Geographic guide and insist that it is superior.

That should be good to get you started – eventually if you get more into birdwatching, then there are more detailed guides for specific groups.

For insects, I love this massive photographic guide. For a smaller book you can take into the field, the best one I know of is Kaufman. There is also a Kaufman guide for butterflies, specifically.

I'm afraid I don't have any recommendations for mammals, reptiles, or amphibians for your area.

u/SpermathecaeSmoothie · 1 pointr/Entomology

The best thing you can do is become familiar with the terminology. This book was useful for looking up various nomenclatures on certain body parts or regions, like which veins are which on wings. Otherwise This book had some good keys in it, but it's primarily description based, and many other keys I've used beyond it are this way as well. For the book, it was convenient that it had many pictures to reference in earlier chapters if you wanted some visual confirmation you were on the right path in the key. Otherwise, I'd suggest getting with the professor and asking for sources they might suggest to become better with the terminology.

The keys I've used with as many pictures as descriptions were constrained to species-level ID of one insect. There might be some sources you can find with some internet searches, though those aren't so easy to find all the time.
Bugguide.net might be a resource you can consider, though it doesn't act as a key, and is more useful if you are already familiar with the different types of insects and their classifications.

u/ilikespiders · 3 pointsr/IAmA

Maybe you could start by keeping one as a pet like everyone else lol. It's honestly a lot like having a fish. If you're feeling really bold you could try reading the short communications or other papers on the American Arachnological Society website. Good starter books:

  1. (easiest to read) http://www.amazon.com/Arachnids-Jan-Beccaloni/dp/0520261402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317949575&sr=8-1

  2. (slightly harder) http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Spiders-Rainer-Foelix/dp/0199734828/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317949592&sr=1-1

    3)(really hard spider identification book that goes through collection methods, microscope use and more)http://www.amazon.com/Spiders-North-America-Identification-Manual/dp/0977143902/ref=pd_sim_b5
u/Priapulid · 3 pointsr/Entomology

Borror, Delong, Triplehornes Intro to the Study of Insects is the standard text for systematic entomology classes... it is not a "guide book" but a series of keys. It will get you to the family level, but you need to be comfortable with keys.

Edit: if you want specific guides to certain orders or families... you're best bet is searching google for posted keys (usually region specific) or searching academic sources for keys.

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/Entomology

Yes! Definitely need multiple sources. I usually don't use more then one field guide though. I use the field guy mentioned above, Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity by Marshall and then bugguide as another source. Marshall has an interesting key and a great set of photo references.

u/coleopterology · 2 pointsr/Entomology

I'd also suggest ditching the Audubon guide. Quite frankly, it's rubbish. Poorly organized, and a number of the photos are incorrectly ID'd. I highly recommend the Kauffman Guide to Insects by Eric Eaton for a broad overview of North American insect fauna.

Otherwise, if you're focusing on butterflies, the Peterson guides are quite useful. The eastern and western volumes by Opler are both useful, but lack quality keys.

The recently revised Peterson guide to Northeastern moths by Beadle & Leckie is impressive in its coverage (but by no means comprehensive) but similarly lacks any sort of useful key for identification.

If you're looking for other field guide recommendations, I'd be happy to share!

u/Garushulion · 3 pointsr/spiders

https://www.amazon.com/Common-Spiders-America-Richard-Bradley/dp/0520274881

Not cheap at all, but I love this book, detailed descriptions and pages of excellent drawings

u/parapants · 1 pointr/Entomology

E.O. Wilson is a great myrmecologist (studier of ants) who has published several interesting books on science and nature. I believe he is still Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

The standard text for intro to ent courses is Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects. If you hope to go on and study entomology I'd recommend picking it up and starting to try to use the keys. And, also, learning the basics of collecting, preserving, and labeling.

u/DumDumDog · 1 pointr/AskReddit

these bookends are for mt most special of books .. show off books if you will .. i have added a few more but simple is good ... i just added The "the superorganism" books i would like to show and share with guests ... i do have a book shelf ...

u/grasshopper_green · 1 pointr/Beekeeping

this is absolutely great and has most everything you'll need to know. If you're ever ready to get super serious, this is the ultimate beekeeping bible.

u/Kenley · 3 pointsr/whatsthisbug

If you live in eastern North America, I highly recommend Stephen Marshall's Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity. It has a brief written overview for each insect order, and is filled with tons of captioned color photos showcasing common or interesting species. It's basically a mega field guide, so don't expect a huge amount of written discussion, but I love my copy so much!

u/thirtydirtybirds · 3 pointsr/whatsthisbug

An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles is a great book about beetles, for iding them i like the peterson guides.

u/Alchisme · 1 pointr/Entomology

I'd like to add that you should definitely get a field guide to insects that is relevant to your area. Being able to ID what you catch at least to order or family will make the whole thing more enjoyable and will help you learn what you are catching. If you can afford it this is a FANTASTIC book with a ton of photos that is appropriate to your area.

u/pron98 · 1 pointr/explainlikeimfive

A few years ago I read what I thought was a wonderful book by Marlene Zuk about insect evolution and intelligence that completely changed how I think about intelligence.

u/Skydragon222 · 4 pointsr/AskFeminists

I once had the pleasure of hearing the feminist biologist, Marlene Zuk, speak. She was fantastic and I think you should check out her book [Sex on Six Legs] (https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Six-Legs-Lessons-Language/dp/015101373X)

Also, if you're not afraid of delving into psychology and neuroscience. I'd also recommend Cordelia Fine's [Delusions of Gender] (https://www.amazon.com/Delusions-Gender-Society-Neurosexism-Difference/dp/0393340244/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494261794&sr=1-1&keywords=delusions+of+gender)

u/prof_mcquack · 2 pointsr/Entomology

This one? I've used it a lot and it's quite good.
Edit: Amazon says "May 31st 2007" so I'm not sure if that's the publication date or just the date it became available on Amazon but that makes me think it's probably not this one. This is a good guide so if you can't find the one you had in the 90's I'd recommend either this one or the Kaufman field guide.

u/specialkake · 19 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

I HIGHLY recommend the book Sex on Six legs if you're interested in insect behavior. It's fascinating.

u/PerspectiveDesigns · 5 pointsr/interestingasfuck

For those curious, this is a Pogonomyrmex Badius (Florida Harvester Ant, http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/harvester_ant.htm http://www.antweb.org/description.do?genus=pogonomyrmex&species=badius&rank=species&project=allantwebants) ant colony. The photograph is by Charles F. Badland. Walter Tschinkel made the cast and is standing next to it in the picture. You can find more pictures like these, and lots of awesome information about ants in the book The Superorganism by Bert Holldobler and Edward O. Wilson.
http://www.amazon.com/Superorganism-Beauty-Elegance-Strangeness-Societies/dp/0393067041/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417722107&sr=1-1&keywords=the+superorganism

u/exxocet · 1 pointr/interestingasfuck

Yeah the superorganism idea is pretty cool, there is a must read book if you are interested in that kind of thing.

u/koinobionic · 3 pointsr/Entomology

The Peterson Field Guide to Insects: America North of Mexico should suit you just fine. Of course it covers a wide range and isn't specific to just your area but you should still be able to get to the family level with this book. The only downside of this book is that it was written a while ago and so some names and classifications have changed, but other information is valid and accurate. I personally have this and would recommend it. I am not aware of other field guides for insects that are specific to eastern/central North America except where specific orders or insect types are concerned, like the Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America, or perhaps something relating to specific geography like the Rockies or PNW or something.

u/DrZoidburglar · 3 pointsr/Entomology

Personally I'm a big fan of Steve Marshall's book:
http://www.amazon.com/Insects-Natural-History-Diversity-Photographic/dp/1552979008

It's well written in plain english, with tons and tons of pictures. I found it extremely easy to read when I was first getting into entomology, yet very accurate and informative. Covers all the major families you're likely to run into, and works well as a field guide too (except it weighs a ton!).

Plus, since it's not technically a textbook, it's relatively cheap.

u/The_MarBeanEz · 4 pointsr/Entomology

I haven't heard of any good insect field guide apps, but this is my favorite field guide:

National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America https://www.amazon.com/dp/1402741537/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_kbj-tb1X4SW2Z

This is a close second:

Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America (Kaufman Field Guides) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618153101/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_zfj-tb1ZVGNYF

Edit: it's probably worth getting both for those prices.

u/Eleonorae · 3 pointsr/Entomology

You will need boxes for keeping your pinned insects in, and vials for your alcohol-preserved ones (wingless). 70% isopropyl alcohol is what I have used for preserving wingless insects, so you'll need a good bit of that too. Don't forget the pins, and maybe a couple mothballs for keeping the dermestid beetles out of your lovely collection.

For field collecting, you should have a charged kill jar (http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ythfacts/4h/unit1/mkjar.htm) and a butterfly net at the very least. I also carry a large jar of alcohol for wingless specimens which I later separate into vials at home.

Be careful with anything you use as the active agent in the kill jar- it IS poison. Always wash your hands after handling specimens.

Oh, almost forgot books. There are a lot of good bug books but you probably want a cheaper one to serve as a field guide. Kaufman's will have a lot of the more common insects that you find (assuming you are in North America). http://www.amazon.com/Kaufman-Field-Insects-America-Guides/dp/0618153101 It's my favorite. Others swear by National Wildlife Federation's or Audubon, which are slightly more advanced. It's a personal preference.

u/djscsi · 2 pointsr/spiders

Here is a great little (PDF) guide for Ohio that covers a lot of common NE species

The 2 most popular books are these:

Common Spiders of North America (Bradley)

Spiders of North America (Ubick, et al.)

The Bradley book is probably the more accessible of the two.

edit: fixed first link

u/decadentpiscis · 1 pointr/insects

I'm not certain about what kind of detail you are looking for, but this book is really the only I use. I have a minor in entomology, and I have several textbooks that have much more detail, but this is the one I pick up most often, especially for helping folks in /r/whatsthisbug. :)

u/proximityzebra · 3 pointsr/IWantToLearn

The Superorganism is a great book all about ants and their social heirarchy. The wording in the book tends towards the academic but its still very enjoyable.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0393067041

u/acsempronio · 1 pointr/AskMenOver30

Audubon Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians

http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-American-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/0394508246

Audubon Guide to North American Insects and Spiders

http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-American-Insects/dp/0394507630

The Audubon Guides were beautiful color-photographic plates over several hundred pages that detailed almost all major species. I found them on my father's shelves when I was 5 or 6 and carried them around with me for about 6 years. It is, to this day, why I know most snakes by sight, immediately, and the same for insects and spiders.

I wish I still had them.

u/Opset · 2 pointsr/spiders

Same here. I just used my old entomology textboook, Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, which is one of the best textbooks I've ever bought. They have a limited section on non-insect arthropods and the Dimorphic Jumping Spider was the closest match I could find.

I also moved mobile homes a couple times out in Bedford as a summer job this year and saw a few of these guys. There were False Black Widows all over the place, but I had these spiders and Bold Jumpers crawling over me all day, too.

u/Kite1396 · 1 pointr/Entomology

I use the Kaufman field guide to insects of north america to identify insects at least down to the family level. It doesnt have every species, but it has the most common ones from each family and very good pictures imo. It can be ordered on amazon here https://www.amazon.com/Kaufman-Field-Insects-America-Guides/dp/0618153101

u/Sleek_Bones · 1 pointr/spiders

Well if you like in North America you can check out this awesome book! I have it and it is amazing, warning alittle bit pricey.

u/Prof_Ehab_Abouheif · 2 pointsr/science

I highly recommend this book on the leaf-cutting by the famous Bert Hoelldobler and EO Wilson:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Leafcutter-Ants-Civilization-Instinct/dp/0393338681

Enjoy!

u/kittypuppet · 1 pointr/spiders

Well, I bought this one a while back and it's been super handy

u/koinobiont · 1 pointr/Entomology

Leptoglossus looks pretty close. It seems the standard introductory text that everyone uses is this book. I would recommend trying to find it used.

u/ourmenu · 3 pointsr/Entomology

Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity by Stephen Marshall is a rather large book that gives some information on each of the orders of insects. Following the write-ups there are many pictures detailing the various families among each order with descriptions about those families. Then, toward the end of the book there is a dichotomous key that can be used to ID insects to family.


That is what was recommended in my introductory entomology class for identification, but the bulk of what I learned was from lecture materials that aren't commercially available. Hopefully other folks here might have a good idea for other books/media!

u/Wolfgangatom · 2 pointsr/Entomology

The best field guide in the US is the Kaufman insect guide, hands down

u/JuJuOnTheMountain · 3 pointsr/Beekeeping

The Hive and the Honeybee is one of the greatest pieces of literature concerning beekeeping.

u/Stellefeder · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

You mean this one? I've had this since I was a kid, I love it.

u/TheMediaSays · 1 pointr/tipofmytongue

No, but it WAS by the same author! I found this book, which was the one! Thanks!

u/alex_moose · 5 pointsr/spiders

>this spider is notable for being featured on the cover of the original "Golden Guide" to spiders and their kin

That's on my bookshelf - handed down through my family for generations. Cool to see a photo of one of the cover models!

u/drunkandgaysoitsokay · 2 pointsr/Entomology

https://www.amazon.ca/National-Audubon-Society-Insects-Spiders/dp/0394507630

Got it as a gift and it isn't bad, groups bugs by appearance which can be helpful or annoying depending on your experiance

also don't limit yourself to the woods only, some of our largest insects are in the water up here in canada, maybe less so in the south

u/Leaky_Tankard · 2 pointsr/caterpillars

This is what i have been reading, unlike most other books this one has excellent photos in it.

u/micahgartman · 4 pointsr/tarantulas

Take a look at Rainer Foelix's Biology of Spiders:

https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Spiders-Rainer-Foelix/dp/0199734828

It's very in-depth, and covers all spiders with a special section on Theraphosidae.

u/neverislupus · 1 pointr/Entomology

I recommend you purchase this book, read it, start a collection, and identify all of your specimens using the keys inside the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Borror-DeLongs-Introduction-Study-Insects/dp/0030968356

u/Half-BloodPrincesss · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Ohhh I would love that! I literally just built my first gaming desktop two days ago so perfect timing!

This would just absolutely petrify me O.o I hated just looking it up.

My steam account is momatt17 :)

Edit: Third thing...

u/Fishsauce_Mcgee · 20 pointsr/Calgary

This happens every year, often several times per year. The ants that fly are both males and virgin queens, and this is called a mating flight. Ants are really cool in that they are able to time the flight across different colonies and huge distances, so all the colonies send out their males and queens at the same time.

In about 24 hours all the males will have died, and the queens will land and lose their wings. They now have a few months to get the basics of a colony going before winter begins, and naturally only a small percentage will be successful.

Source: I've read this book.

EDIT: It's also called a Nuptial flight, and here is a Wikipedia article about it.

> The flight requires clear weather since rain is disruptive for flying insects. Different colonies of the same species often use environmental cues to synchronize the release of males and queens so that they can mate with individuals from other nests, thus avoiding inbreeding. The actual "take off" from the parent colony is also often synchronized so that predators cannot eat the ants one by one.

u/nnutcase · 1 pointr/ScienceTeachers

Also: bio books
Ernst Haeckel: Art Forms in Nature Coloring Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764974718/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KJQcBbKBS180V
Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel https://www.amazon.com/dp/3791319906/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vLQcBb6P811G0
The Anatomy Coloring Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321832019/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VMQcBb9XJGXX9
Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394507606/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7OQcBb7QBN95M
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Paperback)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394507630/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5PQcBb0PZQYNW

Preserved specimen: Real Bat Specimens Science Classroom Specimen for Science Education https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BCCTL1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZSQcBbE7HYPN2
Real Snake Skeleton Specimen in Acrylic Block Paperweights Science Classroom Specimens for Science Education https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078581LLZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OTQcBbN1W3JWE

Models:
Wellden Medical Anatomical Human Skull Model, 3-part, Numbered, Life Size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKC5SHS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YZQcBbCF8D61B


u/BonkeyKongCountry · 4 pointsr/camping

Try to find out what species you have. [Here] (http://www.audubonguides.com/field-guides/insects-spiders-nature-app.html) is an app to help you identify the little buggers. I haven't used it, but I have used their [field guides] (http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-American-Paperback/dp/0394507630) which I would recommend highly to anyone interested in studying their local flora and fauna.

Try to find out anything you can about their eating habits, reproduction cycle, etc. Learning about them may make it easier for you to view them as fellow animals.

Also learn where the real danger is. Find out what lives in your area. Learn which ones, if any, are dangerous and what they look like. Knowing this information will give you an edge against your fear response, it should help you differentiate between danger and fear.

u/Thernn · 1 pointr/Entomology

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0030968356?pc_redir=1411850440&robot_redir=1

Borrer and Delong might have larval keys to family but it has been so long since I looked at the book that I can't remember.

Why is your Prof requiring family identification for larvae. That is a bit cruel for a general ento class.