A Naturalist’s Guide to Insects of Aotearoa New Zealand by Samuel Purdie

The latest pocket guide in this excellent series follows on from Birds, Butterflies & Moths, Reptiles & Amphibians, and Fungi. They are all written by experts in their field and are beautifully produced with colour photographs. And the book size is perfect for taking out into the field, and they look brilliant as a set.

A Naturalist’s Guide to Insects of Aotearoa New Zealand follows the same format as the previous books. It is an easy-to-use photographic guide for visitors and locals. It includes the familiar faces of Aotearoa’s most common insects and also insects you probably haven’t heard of. There are 230 species included.

Each species has detailed descriptions including size, distribution, habits and habitats. Both the common and scientific names are listed, and there is also an overview of how insects are identified – their growth and development and their history. There is also a handy glossary.

If beetles, bugs, stick insects, bees, ants and dragonflies are your thing, this is the perfect book for you!

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

John Beaufoy Publishing