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Field Guide to Colorado Insects
This lively, state-specific guidebook will help families identify hundreds of Colorado's insects. The full-color photography, fascinating facts, and glossary of insect terminology make this handbook visually appealing, fun, and practical for readers of all ages.
232 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 20, 2012
I live in Colorado and enjoy photographing insects. I'd like to be able to identify my subjects before posting their photos on my website. From its title Guide to Colorado Insects by Whitney Cranshaw and Boris Kondratieff sounded like exactly what I wanted. It wasn't. A Readable Overview of Small Colorado Arthropods probably wouldn't sell as many books, but it would have been a more appropriate title. In addition to insects, this slim book discusses spiders, centipedes, millipedes, mites, and pillbugs. There's not nearly enough room to do more than identify a few easily-recognized common species of insects.
Fortunately, I tried reading the book instead of sending it back or putting it on a shelf to gather dust. Though this book won't help much in identifying which of the thousands Colorado arthropods I have in one of my photographs, it was full of interesting information. I found it surprisingly enjoyable to read – something I doubt I'd say about a book that would serve my desire to identify the subjects in my photographs. I'd recommend it to anyone who, like myself, is just beginning to explore the amazing world of arthropods.
Fortunately, I tried reading the book instead of sending it back or putting it on a shelf to gather dust. Though this book won't help much in identifying which of the thousands Colorado arthropods I have in one of my photographs, it was full of interesting information. I found it surprisingly enjoyable to read – something I doubt I'd say about a book that would serve my desire to identify the subjects in my photographs. I'd recommend it to anyone who, like myself, is just beginning to explore the amazing world of arthropods.
January 5, 2019
I stopped reading this book as I found severe inaccuracies in it regarding the anatomy of spiders and as I don't have in depth knowledge of other arthropods I opted to find more reputable sources.
The section on spiders claimed that males spiders have pedipalps that look like fangs and implied that females do not have pedipalps. Both males and females have pedipalps and they almost always resemble another set of legs, I can think of none that resembles fangs. It was also stated that males do not bite and often don't eat which is ridiculous, there are very few species of spider where the males don't eat as adults but they still must eat in earlier stages of life.
The section on spiders claimed that males spiders have pedipalps that look like fangs and implied that females do not have pedipalps. Both males and females have pedipalps and they almost always resemble another set of legs, I can think of none that resembles fangs. It was also stated that males do not bite and often don't eat which is ridiculous, there are very few species of spider where the males don't eat as adults but they still must eat in earlier stages of life.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews