Leslie Foster

Lots of full colour renderings of both beneficial and harmful insects, with helpful text. Most are depicted larger than life size to show detail. I found it disappointing that the actual size of the insect was not indicated graphically. Admittedly the book does give the size in millimetres, but if you don't know right off how big 4 mm is, or if you're confused because the text says that the antennae are 1.5 times the body length and then neglects to tell you whether the measurement in mm is with or without antennae, you're just going to be confused like me. Also, although the book does not claim to be a complete field guide, I found the omission of mantises surprising.

I like the sections on each insect page: "scouting" (how to find their hideouts), "physical/cultural control", and "biological control". I also like the fact that it does not venture into the field of chemical warfare.

If I ever have any spare time, going through the book with a pen and ruler and making lines to show the size of the insects would increase its user-friendliness immensely.… (mais)