Solitary bees

By (author) Ted Benton

Not available to order

Publication date:

08 March 2017

Length of book:

208 pages

Publisher

Pelagic Publishing

ISBN-13: 9781784270902

In Britain and Ireland there are about ten times more species of solitary bee than bumblebee and honeybee combined, yet the solitary bees tend to be ignored and we know much less about them. They are a fascinating, attractive and diverse group that can be found easily in a wide range of habitats, both urban and rural, and they are important as pollinators.

Solitary bees provides an introduction to the natural history, ecology and conservation of solitary bees, together with an easy-to-use key to genera.

Chapters cover: Diversity and recognition; Bee lives; Cuckoos in the nest; Bees and flowers; The conservation of solitary bees; Approaches to practical work; Keys to the genera of bees of the British Isles - Females and Males; and References and further reading.

Already well known for his comprehensive and highly acclaimed book on our bumblebees, Ted Benton has now turned his attention their solitary cousins – insects that we see all around us without knowing much about them or even knowing what they are. We have over 200 species in Britain and Ted’s detailed descriptions of many of the commoner species and their diverse life styles and habitats will surely open up a whole new world of natural history and make the reader much more aware of these fascinating and extremely useful insects. Excellent photographs, mostly taken by the author himself, combine with the descriptions to make a very attractive and readable book, while comprehensive keys to all our bee genera make it a useful research tool for professionals and students alike – a good starting point for more in-depth studies.