The Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects (PDF)

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.