A Year of Garden Bees and Bugs: 52 stories of intriguing insects

by Dominic Couzens, Gail Ashton, Lesley Buckingham (Illustrator)

Overview

A fascinating journey into the secret life of insects, with QR codes linked to videos that bring every creature to life.

Just as birds have yearly rhythms, so do bees, beetles, butterflies and other insects. Wildlife experts Dominic Couzens and Gail Ashton discover 52 minibeasts from around the world.

They tell the story of what is happening week-by-week in the insect world, in our own backyards, window boxes and in hidden corners of our homes. From the daily grind of the house spider building a new web each morning, to the vast appetites of ladybirds, which can devour hundreds of aphids a day, and the glory of the Stag beetle's maiden flight. We delve into the world of the lethal Sydney funnelweb spider in Australian gardens, the migratory mission of the Monarch butterfly in America and the life of the backdoor scorpions in South Africa. In among the seasonal behaviour, the authors have woven history and folklore.

These brilliant stories are complemented by wonderful illustrations by Lesley Buckingham that bring out the beauty of the entomological world. A QR code for each entry takes you to a video file to further explore the habits of these intriguing creatures. Revealing the true wonder of our insect neighbours, this book will appeal to all nature lovers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849949316
Publisher:	Batsford, B.T. Ltd.
Publication date:	03/14/2024
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Dominic Couzens is a British author and journalist specialising in avian and natural history subjects. He contributes regularly to BBC Wildlife magazines; and is also a professional field trip guide. His critically acclaimed books include The Secret Lives of Garden Birds (Guardian wildlife book of the year), The Secret Lives of British Birds (The Times wildlife books of the year), and The Secret Lives of Garden Wildlife. He is also the author of A Bird a Day and A Year of Birdsong, both published by Batsford. He lives in Dorset.

Gail Ashton is a highly experienced wildlife photographer and writer with a passion for entomology. She believes it's the little things that makes the world go round. A few years ago she began a year-long project to photograph and document 500 UK invertebrates, which sent her down a path of discovery that has become a passion, and shows in this book. She is also the co-author of the book, An Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe. She lives in Hertfordshire.

Dominic Couzens is a British author and journalist specialising in natural history subjects. He contributes regularly to BBC Wildlife magazine and is a professional field trip guide. His critically acclaimed books include The Secret Lives of Garden Birds and The Secret Lives of Garden Wildlife. He is also the author of A Bird a Day,  A Year of Birdsong and A Year of Garden Bees and Bugs. He lives in Dorset.

Gail Ashton is a wildlife photographer and writer with a passion for entomology. A few years ago she photographed and documented 500 UK invertebrates, which sent her down a path of discovery that has become a passion. She is the co-author of the book  An Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe. She lives in Hertfordshire.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Sydney Funnel-web Spider
Brimstone Butterfly
Humming Hoverfly
Mayfly
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Springtail
Driver Ant
Cotton Harlequin Bug 
Ashy Mining Bee
Peacock Butterfly
Dark-edged Bee-fly
Luna Moth
Pond Skater/Water Strider 
Backswimmer 
Honey Bee
Milkweed Leaf Beetle 
Black Widow spider 
Seven Spot Ladybird
German Wasp 
Ruby Tailed Wasp
Violet Carpenter Bee 
Globe Skimmer 
Rose Chafer 
Soldier Beetle 
Garden Tiger 
Dog Day Cicada 
Black Ant 
Tiger Swallowtail 
Stag Beetle 
Aphids 
Common Froghopper 
Elephant Hawk Moth 
Marmalade Hoverfly 
True Katydid 
Fall Field Cricket 
Hummingbird Hawk Moth 
Ivy Bee  
Yellow Garden Spider 
Monarch Butterfly
Fire Ant
Foam Grasshopper 
Green Lacewing 
House Spider 
Cranefly 
Large Yellow Underwing
Garden Spider 
Peacock Jumping Spider 
Cape Mountain Rifles Bean Beetle 
Mantis 
Heliconid 
Greenbottle 
Earwig 
Woodlice 

Index

Acknowlegements