As fascinating as they are beautiful, butterflies are a pleasure to watch and an important group of invertebrates to study. This second edition of the award-winning book The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia is a fully updated guide to all butterfly species on Australia's mainland and remote islands. Written by one of Australia's leading lepidopterists, the book is stunningly illustrated with colour photographs, many of which are new, of each of the 435 currently recognised spe...

This is the first complete field guide to all butterfly species on Australia’s mainland and its remote islands. Written by one of Australia's leading lepidopterists, it is stunningly illustrated with colour photographs of each of the 416 currently identified species. There is also a distribution map for each species on the Australian mainland. It covers the five major family groups: Hesperiidae, Paplionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae, as well as the family Riodinidae, which has but...

This outstanding work is the ultimate guide for the identification of Australia’s butterflies. Nearly 400 species – all those currently recognised from Australia, plus those from surrounding islands – are represented, with all adults and some immature stages displayed in stunning colour sections. Introductory chapters cover the history of publications, classification, morphology, distribution, conservation and collection, together with a checklist of the butterfly fauna. The body of the text ...

Moths are often thought of as the ugly cousins of butterflies, yet their colours can be just as remarkable and, with over 20,000 species in Australia, their biology and lifestyles are far more diverse. With striking colour photographs of live moths in their natural habitat, this guide illustrates all the major moth families in Australia, including some rarely seen species. It provides many curious facts about the unusual aspects of moth biology, including details on day-flying species, camouf...

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 b...

Referred to as the 'Spiny Crayfishes' due to impressive arrays of spines on their hard armoured shells, Euastacus crayfish are the largest of the 10 genera of Australian freshwater crayfish. This book discusses 50 species found in Australia, from the iconic giant Murray lobster that is fished by recreational fishers, to the exceedingly rare and tiny species Euastacus maidae. These uniquely Australian species range from Cooktown in far north Queensland to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. Many a...

This is the first comprehensive, reliable, well-illustrated book covering the enormous diversity of Australian moths, summarising our knowledge of them by the acknowledged experts in the field. The text includes nomenclature and a wealth of information on distribution, larval food plants, and the fascinating behaviour of these often colourful insects. There are authoritative accounts of moth structure, their life history, biology, population control, economic significance, evolution and geogr...

Australia is a land of many unique animals, some of which are active only during the cooler evening and night-time and so are rarely seen. These are the after dark animals so widespread yet so little noticed by humans, whether in our backyards, the arid desert, woodlands or rainforest. Australian Wildlife After Dark brings this hidden fauna into the light. The after dark fauna includes a surprising diversity of familiar (and some not-so-familiar) species, from cockroaches, moths and spiders t...

Written by well-known naturalists and photographers, this guide will enable the easy identification of around 1,000 of the more common insects found in the region. The carefully chosen selection represents all insect groups, with a bias towards the more prominent species, so that all the butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, damselflies and dragonflies occurring in Britain have been included. Over 700 colour photographs show the species in their natural habitats, and around 100 line-drawing...

Dragonflies and damselflies are conspicuous insects: many are large and brightly coloured. They are also valuable indicators of environmental wellbeing. A detailed knowledge of the dragonfly fauna is therefore an important basis for decisions about environmental protection and management.This comprehensive guide to the Australian dragonfly fauna covers eight families of dragonflies and 10 families of damselflies, comprising the 113 genera and 333 species found in Australia. It has ...

"For the lover of all things lepidopterous, The Book of Caterpillars is a beautifully curated collection and guide to 600 species from around the globe." — The American Biology TeacherWhile most of us picture caterpillars as cute fuzzballs munching on leaves, there is much more to them than we imagine. A caterpillar's survival hinges on finding enough food and defending itself from the array of natural enemies lined up to pounce and consume. And the astound...

Southern Africa is home to a remarkably diverse and rich reptile fauna, which is presented in this book in a lively and accessible way. A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa introduces the 517 species currently described in the region and presents interesting insight on reptile identification and diversity, distribution patterns, and biology and behaviour. It also offers tips on finding and observing reptiles, as well as unravelling the facts and fallacies of snakebite.Souther...