Brambleby Books

Inspiration Through Nature

Dragons and Damsels

Adrian Riley

An identification guide to the British and Irish Odonata.

This is a comprehensive and user-friendly photographic identification guide to all species, sexes and forms of British and Irish dragon- and damselflies, with essential field notes and habitat photographs to aid finding each species. All species, sexes and colour forms have been split into groups of superficially similar taxa with clear descriptions and comparative close-up photographs of the characteristic morphological features, an approach that has proven to work very well. The correct identification of these insects is a most crucial aspect in establishing insect diversity used as an indicator of a healthy aquatic environment and to better understand the national distribution and abundance of these insects. Apart from established dragonfly and butterfly enthusiasts, this book will appeal to beginners in the field as the unique format will greatly simplify the identification process.

Publication date: 28 March, 2020

Category: Insects

Paperback

RRP: £22

ISBN: 978-1908241641

Extent: 250 pages

Reviews

As might be expected from this author and this publisher, the book contains clear descriptions and excellent, relevant photographs, and I would highly recommend it to the general entomologist and the experienced odonatologist alike.

Dafydd Lewis, Amateur Entomologists' Society

The unique selling point of this excellent guide is that it is totally geared to making identification as easy as possible. It achieves this through a rather clever layout. The only other book on British and Irish dragonflies and damselflies on my shelf weighs in at 142 pages. Adrian Riley’s is more than 100 pages longer, and that’s a clue. Each species appears at least twice. After an introduction, instructions on how to make best use of the book, a systematic checklist of all species and forms, and a guide to anatomical features needed for identification, the main chapters begin.
I have not seen an identification guide quite like this before and I like it very much. I can’t wait to get out and try it.

Antenna

Adrian Riley’s meticulous approach to each species, sex and colour-form throughout the book should leave no-one in doubt of an identification. There is no question at all that this new guide, with its fresh approach, detailed descriptions and clear photographs, will find a place on the bookshelf of many dragonfly watchers and recorders, no matter how experienced.

British Dragonfly Society


Adrian Riley

Adrian Riley was born in Birmingham, grew up in Shropshire, and spent much of his working life at Rothamsted, the agricultural research station in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, where he pursued a professional career in entomology. On retiring early in 2000, he turned his energies to ornithology, more especially birding. In 2002, …

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