Éric Sardet - Grasshoppers of Britain and Western Europe: A Photographic Guide

However, their identification requires appropriate tools. Identification is essential to proper observation: in order to describe what we see, and to compare with what has been documented by others, it is necessary to name specimens. Photographs cannot replace direct examination of characters, but building and maintaining a collection of insect specimens is a time consuming activity and, barring large-scale studies, it is often of little scientific interest. This new guide focuses on the grasshoppers and crickets of Britain and Western Europe. It is an excellent tool to discover the diversity of Orthoptera: small, flexible and lightweight, it can easily fit into a pocket. With its many illustrations, it is intended not only for beginners, who will be able to gain fundamental knowledge about the morphology of insects, but also for experienced orthopterists.

The identification keys combine drawings, photographs (with useful guidance on size) and distribution maps, for a quick assessment of possible options. It provides the best tools to make rapid progress in species identification. The book is accompanied by a CD that offers an overview of the acoustic diversity of Orthoptera. Finally, a brief summary of the biology of the Orthoptera is presented, as an introduction to finding and observing insects in situ. In an era of climate change and major threats to biodiversity, improving our knowledge of the natural world can only help protect it. Everyone can contribute, each in their own way, to its conservation.

Laure Desutter-Grandcolas
Professor at the National Natural History Museum, Paris

Water-meadow Grasshopper (Pseudochorthippus montanus, female). The identification of Orthoptera can sometimes be a complex task. Until now, the resources available for identification were often outdated, incomplete, or insufficiently illustrated for the amateur. We hope that this guide with its accompanying CD of stridulations will fill this gap, and arouse greater interest in this fascinating group of insects. The general section of this guide focuses on the anatomy, biology and ecology of the Orthoptera, as well as on methods used for their observation and study. We felt it to be important, particularly for beginner orthopterists, to include a description of specialised field equipment that can be used to take photographs, listen to or record sounds.

The second part of this guide contains a richly illustrated key, incorporating the latest taxonomic changes. All 261 species in the region are illustrated with photos (of males and females), for the first time. We have also made a particular effort to update distribution maps, by reviewing various publications and by working with colleagues. In the case of French Orthoptera, more than 1,100 new observations were collected, in addition to those used in the atlas published by the UEF (French Entomology Union) in 2009. Similar updates were undertaken for Belgium and Switzerland, in collaboration with national specialists, and for the UK following the Biological Records Centre's Grasshopper and Cricket (Orthoptera) and related species records from Britain and Ireland to 2007. We would like to thank all those who responded to our requests and shared their precious knowledge with us, thereby directly helping in the creation of the present book.

The authors,
Eric Sardet, Christian Roesti and Yoan Braud

Bormans' Alpine Saddle Bush-cricket (