Soh Kam Yung reviewed Beetles of the World by Maxwell V. L. Barclay
A good general guide to the beetles of the world
4 stars
A fascinating book that looks that the beetles found in the world. Beetles are one of the largest group of insects known, mainly because many beetles are conspicuous with lovely colours and patterns and are the target of collectors, and this book covers all the groups of beetles.
The book starts with a general overview of the beetles, showing their anatomy, general behaviour and biology. Beetles start out as grubs, pupate, and emerge as adults. This way of living has given rise to a huge number of beetle species that has enabled them to spread out and occupy many ecological niches from the tropics to the polar regions.
Beetles have varied diets, feeding on plants, fungi and other animals, living and dead. This huge variety of diets means beetles can be found in almost every environment (including urban ones), where they can become beneficial or pests, depending on …
A fascinating book that looks that the beetles found in the world. Beetles are one of the largest group of insects known, mainly because many beetles are conspicuous with lovely colours and patterns and are the target of collectors, and this book covers all the groups of beetles.
The book starts with a general overview of the beetles, showing their anatomy, general behaviour and biology. Beetles start out as grubs, pupate, and emerge as adults. This way of living has given rise to a huge number of beetle species that has enabled them to spread out and occupy many ecological niches from the tropics to the polar regions.
Beetles have varied diets, feeding on plants, fungi and other animals, living and dead. This huge variety of diets means beetles can be found in almost every environment (including urban ones), where they can become beneficial or pests, depending on what they feed on and their relationship to man.
The book then proceeds to list down the beetles, arranged into families and subfamilies, listing down their major features, behaviours, ecology, and so on, of each family. Numerous superb photos of the beetles (both young and adults) are included, showing some beetles with splendid body ornaments, patterns and colouration. It is easy to see why many entomologists and collectors are enamoured with beetles.
This book is not the final word on beetles. Many beetle species, including their life histories, are still not known to science and future genetic studies may rearrange their taxonomy. But until the next edition of the book is released, this one sits as a good, general guide to the beetles of the world. A list of references is also given for those who wish to know more about the beetles.