Field Guide to Beetles of California (California Natural History Guides, #88)

"With perhaps 8,000 different species, beetles are easily the largest group of animals in California and can be found virtually everywhere in the state. They grapple over flower heads, lurk in pantries, paddle through pristine mountain streams, amble over dunes, and buzz about porch lights on warm evenings. But until now, there was no single resource for identifying the most commonly encountered beetles in California's mountains, valleys, and deserts. This valuable field guide, a companion volume to Introduction to California Beetles published in 2004, identifies more than 500 of the state's more conspicuous and colorful species, with the majority presented in stunning color photographs. Written and designed for amateur naturalists, students, and field biologists, it is chock-full of what every beetle watcher wants to know, including suggestions for finding beetles, starting a beetle collection, and keeping beetles in captivity. The informative, accessibly written species accounts include information on beetle identification, natural history, and distribution.* Features 300 color photographs, 110 drawings, and 2 maps* Covers 569 species in 56 families* Lists California's sensitive, threatened, and endangered species* Provides resources and web sites for further study of California beetles."-- Provided by publisher "With perhaps 8,000 different species, beetles are easily the largest group of animals in California. They can be found virtually everywhere in the state: grappling over flower heads, lurking in pantries, paddling through pristine mountain streams, and buzzing about porch lights on warm evenings. But until now, there was no single resource for identifying the most commonly encountered beetles in California's mountains, valleys, and deserts. This valuable field guide identifies more than 500 of the state's more conspicuous and colorful species. Species accounts include information on beetle identification, natural history, and distribution."--Jacket With perhaps 8,000 different species, beetles are easily the largest group of animals in California and can be found virtually everywhere in the state. This guide, a companion volume to "Introduction to California Beetles" identifies more than 500 of the state's more conspicuous and colorful species, with a majority presented in color photographs. Illustrated Key To Families Of California Beetles -- Family Accounts. Arthur V. Evans, James N. Hogue. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 295-297) And Index.