BEETLES. By Richard Jones. Collins New Naturalist No. 136. Standard Hardback Edition.

2018 1st edition. 8vo (152 x 223mm). Ppxiv,480+2pp ads. Colour and b/w photographs and illustrations, maps, bibliography, decorative end-papers. Green cloth, spine titled in gilt.

This book is designed to fill a gap in its field and to enthuse a new generation of coleopterists: it is as comprehensive and up to date a book on beetles as can be had, as well as being perhaps the most enthusiastic book of its kind ever written. "Why has the New Naturalist Library waited so long to produce a book on beetles? Beetles are ubiquitous, intriguing and much loved by many.. ..but they are surprisingly poorly covered in the literature. Comprehensive accounts of their natural history have been few, and until recently the keys needed by beginners.. .. have been out of print, out of date or generally out of reach in terms of price. Writing this book would be a challenge, requiring a huge fund of knowledge, boundless enthusiasm and an ability to do justice to a complex subject without flooding the reader with detail.. ..and we are delighted with the result. This book illlustrates the pleasure that can be derived from the study of beetles [whilst] giving a conspectus of the group as a whole." Chapters include: What is a beetle?; Beetle variety; Life histories - larval forms and behaviour; special features - adult quirks and oddities; Beetle flight; Beetle habitats and natural history; British beetle families; The human significance of beetles; Evolutionary history of beetles; the origins of British beetles; A history of British coleopterists; The future - how to study beetles. Another terrific new title, squarely in the tradition of the New Naturalist Series. Number 136 in the New Naturalist Library.