Remarkable Insects of South Africa, Table of content, by Lambert Smith

Remarkable Insects of South Africa. ISBN 9781875093434 / ISBN 978-1-875093-43-4

Written from the viewpoint of a naturalist, rather than a scientist, Remarkable Insects of South Africa presents both scientific facts and personal observations in a simple, easily understandable and interesting manner. Lambert Smith provides more than 420 superb full-colour photographs. The following table of content shall help to make your decision.

Lambert Smith  

Remarkable Insects of South Africa is by no means intended to be a comprehensive dissertation on insects. To do that would be far beyond my capabilities as a dedicated but still aspiring amateur entomologist. What I intend to show you are those insects which have found their way in front of my camera's lens. After all, this book is primarily about the stunning beauty of insects. By far the great majority of insects that I photograph are alive and doing what comes naturally to them in their environment. To this end I have spent many pleasurable hours looking in and under bushes, scratching around in the undergrowth and digging in the ground. However, from time to time, I find an already dead specimen or someone brings me an insect, alive or dead, worthy of being photographed. In cases such as these I set them up in my lab-studio to take photographs. The identification of insects is, even under ideal circumstances, an extremely difficult and complex task with experts often disagreeing on the exact identification of certain specimens. Furthermore, many millions of species have never been identified or documented, while others require careful study, in some cases even dissection under a microscope, to differentiate one species from the next. The difficulty of identification is greatly compounded when specimens have to be identified from a photograph that often shows only one view and can sometimes only be scrutinised on the computer screen days after the insect has been photographed. I have tried throughout to be as precise as possible in identifying my insect photographs by using in many cases opinions of experts and in others by consulting the best entomological reference material that I have been able to obtain. With this, I would like to invite you to join me in the succeeding pages on a small safari through the wonderful, fascinating and beautiful world of insects.

Table of content: Remarkable Insects of South Africa

Introduction
What is an insect?
The basics of insect anatomy
Metamorphosis
The role of insects
Insects from the past
Flies
Order Diptera
Robber Flies: Family Asilidae
Hover Flies: Family Syrphidae
Blow Flies: Family Calliphoridae
Fruit Flies: Family Tephritidae
Bee Flies: Family Bombyliidae
Flesh Flies: Family Sarcophagidae
Moth Flies: Family Psychodidae
Stalk-eyed Flies: Family Diopsidae
Tachinid Flies: Family Tachinidae
Mosquitoes: Family Culicidae
True Bugs
Order Hemiptera
Shield Bugs: Family Pentatomidae
Shield-backed Bugs: Family Scutelleridae
Assassin Bugs: Family Reduviidae
Aphids: Family Aphididae
Australian Bug: Family Margodidae
Twig Wilter Bugs: Family Coreidae
Treehoppers: Family Membracidae
Leafhoppers: Family Cicadellidae
Spittle Bugs: Family Cercopidae
Twig Snout Bugs: Family Fulgoridae
Mantids
Order Mantodea
Ants, Bees and Wasps
Order Hymenoptera
Ants
Bees
Carpenter Bees: Subfamily Xylocopinae
Honey Bees: Family Apidae
Wasps
Paper Wasps: Family Vespidae
Potter Wasps: Subfamily Eumenidae
Mud Wasps and Sand Wasps: Family Sphecidae
Parasitic wasps
Butterflies and Moths
Order Lepidoptera
Butterflies
Swallowtails and Orange Dogs: Family Papilionidae
Garden Acraea: Family Nymphalidae
Sulphurs and Whites: Family Pieridae
Skippers: Family Hesperiidae
Yellow Pansy: Family Nymphalidae
Painted Lady: Family Nymphalidae
African Monarch: Family Nymphalidae
Coppers and Blues: Family Lycaenidae
Moths
Bagworms Moths: Family Psychidae
Owl Moths: Family Noctuidae
Plume Moths: Family Pterophoridae
Crimson-speckled Footman: Family Agaristidae
Hawk Moths: Family Sphingidae
Oleander Hawk Moth
African Humming Bird Moth
Clear-wing Moths: Family Sesiidae
Golden Plusia: Family Noctuidae
Fig-tree Moth: Family Lymantriidae
Caterpillars
Beetles
Order Coleoptera
Dung Beetles: Family Scarabaeidae
Fong-horn Beetles: Family Cerambycidae
Ladybirds: Family Coccinellidae
Fruit Chafer Beetles: Subfamily Cetoniinae
Weevils: Family Curculionidae
Blister Beetles: Family Meloidae
Darkling Beetles: Family Tenebrionidae
Predacious Water Beetles: Family Dytiscidae
Net-winged Beetles: Family Lycidae
Ground Beetles: Family Carabidae
Lacewings and Antlions
Order Neuroptera
Lacewings: Family Chrysopidae
Antlions: Family Myrmeleontidae
Mantidflies: Family Mantispidae
Grasshoppers and Crickets
Order Orthoptera
Short-horned Grasshoppers: Family Acrididae
Wingless Grasshoppers: Family Lentulidae
Foam Grasshoppers: Family Pyrgomorphidae
Long-horned Crickets and Katydids
King Cricket: Family Anostostomatidae
Mole Cricket: Family Gryllotalpidae
Katydids: Family Tettigoniidae
Dragonflies and damselflies
Order Odonata
Dragonflies
Damselflies
Cockroaches
Order Blattodea
Termites
Order Isoptera
Mayflies
Order Ephemeroptera
Insect spotting
What does insect spotting entail?
The tools of the insect spotter
Where to look for insects
Seasonality and regional locality of insects
South Africa's Big 12
Digital insect photography
Insects as subjects
Using digital cameras
A question of mindset
Train your brain
Getting to grips with technique
Macro mode
Supplementary lenses
Extension tubes
Reversed 50 mm
Exposure
Depth-of-field
Using a flash
Colour balance
Scanning insects
Tripods
Selecting a tripod
Monopods
Some final words ot advice
Insect orders
Insect names English/ Afrikaans
Pronunciation of insect families
References
Index

This is an excerpt from the book: Remarkable Insects of South Africa, by Lambert Smith.

Title: Remarkable Insects of South Africa
Author: Lambert Smith
Publisher: Briza Publications
Pretoria, South Africa 2008
ISBN 9781875093434 / ISBN 978-1-875093-43-4
Softcover, 21 x 26 cm, 208 pages, throughout colour photographs