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Wanzen 2 by E. Wachmann, A. Melber, & J. Deckert
published by Goecke & Evers, Keltern, Germany, 2004
ISBN 3-931374-57-2, 245x175mm, 288pp, 266 colour photographs, hardback, (In German)
 This, volume 2, is the first volume to be published in a new well-illustrated 4-part series on the Heteroptera. This volume covers the small family (in stature & numbers) Microphysidae and the more populous Miridae family; volume 1 is promised in 2005, and is to cover a range of families that includes aquatics, saldids and anthocorids. The other two volumes are expected later. Professor Wachmann’s name may be familiar to some readers for his 1989 pocket-sized book entitled Wanzen beobachten – kennenlernen, with about 100 pages of colour photos of Heteroptera taken from life, mainly shieldbugs and their allies, This new book includes quite a few of the same photographs, but this time beautifully printed.Each species has a text account, typically three paragraphs. The first gives length data, world distribution, and status in Germany and Austria; another gives details of habitat and food; and the last gives information on season and overwintering.
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Shieldbugs of Surrey by Roger D. Hawkins
published by Surrey Wildlife Trust, 2003
ISBN 0 9526065 7 7, 192pp plus 24 colour plates, A5
The species texts begin with
advice on the identification of
adults and all the existing Surrey
species are illustrated by excellent
colour photographs of bugs in
natural surroundings, to provide a
quick means of identification. For
accurate identification well laid-out
illustrated keys to species are
included. The species text includes
help on the identification of those
nymphs that can be recognised
easily. For a few species, the
species account includes an
explanation of the meaning and
derivation of the scientific name,
and the reason for any recent or
proposed changes to this name.
For many species the life-history is
portrayed by bar-charts showing
the progress of the bugs throughout the year. Separate charts
are shown for adults, mating pairs,
eggs and nymphs at the different
stages of their development.
The species distribution in
Surrey is shown by tetrad maps,
while the life-history, habitat,
behaviour and food preferences
are described from observations in
the county, mainly those of the
author. The distribution maps
relate to the years 1976-2002, with
a few records from 2003. For four
species that have markedly
extended their range (Coreus,
Elasmostethus tristriatus,
Gonocerus, and Eurygaster
testudinaria), maps show the
‘before and after distributions’.
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A photographic Guide to the Shieldbugs and Squashbugs of the British Isles by Martin Evans and Roger Edmondson
WGUK, 2005
ISBN0 9549506 0 7, 123pp & 206 colour plates, A5, paperback
For those of you interested in Shieldbugs this
is a new photographic guide to help you identify
these rather charismatic insects.
Also included are the Coreids, or
Squashbugs, cousins of the
Shieldbugs.
The British species are
introduced with general information
about their life history and structure,
with a glossary of useful terms.
(The use of the term ‘true bug’ for
the Hemiptera is arguable – see
page 1.)
There is not a text key, but there
are 5 pages of picture keys to use
as an initial reference, before
turning to the species accounts to
accurately determine your
identification. The species
accounts occupy a double page per
species, one page having several different
photographs of adults, showing features useful in
their identification. In some cases nymphs are
also illustrated. The other page gives ID features,
size range, larval details, habitat information and
distribution. There is also a useful note listing
similar species so that a double check on the
identification is possible. Migrants, vagrants and
former residents are listed with notes.
A table of life histories indicates when the bugs
are adult or immature, their preferred food type
and where they are most likely to be found.
The common names, when used, follow those
applied by Southwood & Leston in Land and
water bugs of the British Isles (1959) and are
virtually the same as those used by Roger
Hawkins in Shieldbugs of Surrey, (2004). In the
FSC pull-out Guide to shieldbugs of the British
Isles, (2004) Bernard Nau has applied new names to
those with no common name and changed some of the
others. The use of common or
scientific name is personal
preference, but there is one bug with
a very misleading common name.
The Sloe bug, Dolycoris baccarum
has never, as far as I know, been
seen on Blackthorn – but it is very
hairy and Hairy shieldbug is a more
apt name.
There is very little to criticise
about this handy little book.
However, the first two Cydnids are
called Tritomegas (Sehirus) bicolor
and Canthophorus (Sehirus)
impressus. This suggests that
Sehirus is the sub-genus, which is
not the case. Both Tritomegas and
Canthophorus, were promoted to
genus from subgenus and so were removed from the
genus Sehirus. Also a very minor criticism in a series
of excellent photographs – when I look at Arenocoris
falleni it seems to be missing a right ‘shoulder’!
I am sure this will prove to be a very useful guide,
easily carried round in the field. The photographs are
very high quality and, while care must be taken not to
rely wholly on the picture key, most species should be
identifiable in the field with a x10 lens. Together with
other recent publications on Shieldbugs mentioned
above, one hopes this may result in a spate of keen,
new heteropterists.
The front cover shows a very beautiful, but very
rare bug, Eurydema dominulus, which has rarely been
seen in recent years, but others are there for the
finding. Some, however, will take more finding than
others.
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