The 6 Best bug Identification books (2023 reviews)

George C Mcgavin makes beautiful and outstanding book with classic and higher-grade materials. This handbook displays excellent photographs of 1-4 representative species of insect within each Family (= "type") of insect, and these photos are well chosen so as to show what you actually do see when you encounter an insect. The photographs of representative species for each type (Family) of insect are accompanied by several paragraphs of text that really do tell you the most important facts about that Family (group) of insects. They also tell you how to collect insects, what tools to use and other options, as in live or dead.

As with all DK books, the illustrations are extremely clear and detailed and the treatment of the subject is comprehensive. This book has close up pictures and good descriptions of insects. There's sections on Arachnids, Crustaceans, Myriapods, the life cycle of insects, the sensory system, food and feeding and arthropod behaviour. The concise descriptive text accompanying the photographs is very clearly written, and it is easy to understand because it avoids difficult technical jargon. This is a wonderful little book to teach a beginner.

Why We Like This:

Perfect guide for an insect-obsessed child
Good brand reputation

Best Identification Book: ARTHUR V Evans Great Book

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If your intention is to keep a pocket guide around to learn about some of the insects you see, this book might accomplish that. National Geographic provides first-rate color pictures in this one, but also includes sizes of each species when they are mature. It’s arranged like a field book so it’s not just another kids book on bugs.

This book has large, life-sized photos, gives habitat guidelines, range, and a general description of food eaten. It is small and easy to carry. It is a great field guide for a student or any older person who wants to know more about bugs.

Why We Like This:

Sized photos, gives habitat guidelines, range, and a general description of food eaten
Great addition to a growing nature library
Super informative, great pocket book, and of course, amazing photos
Great for anyone looking for a compact guide to all sorts of common insects

Best For locating decriptions: Cranshaw bug Identification Book

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The cranshaw bug identification book should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. Illustrated with beautiful color photos, many by the author, this is the ultimate guide to every conceivable insect or other arthropod you might find in your backyard. It's a nice thick size, with TONS of photos and information on every insect in North America. It's a brilliant body of entomology which serves to guide any of you interested in knowing what lurks in and around your garden and landscape.

There is a shorter section on beneficial insects, that is worth a look, but 80% of the book, or more, is garden gobblers, and that is a lot in a 600 page book. The weight makes it more of an indoor reference—take a picture of the bugs in your garden then come in to learn about them.

Why We Like This:

Makes it great for troubleshooting a gardening problem and trying to id the culprit
A great reference for indoor and outdoor gardening
Worth the money, easy to use, fairly in depth

Best With Fish: Lynn Frierson Faust bug Identification Book

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Best part: lynn frierson faust bug identification book costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. This attractive field guide will look great on your coffee table. The impeccable research and photos bring light to a fascinating subject. There are charts and graphs of flash patterns and, best of all, common, sometimes hilarious, names that Lynn has either borrowed or created to make each type of firefly recognizable and memorable. The accompanying pictures are unfailingly helpful and instructive, and there are LOTS of them.

Each chapter of this guide begins with a literary or poetic reference to fireflies that draws one immediately into the subject. There are over 600 color photographs which are unsurpassed in clarity and detail. The chapters are short and focused, and they tell you everything you need to know to identify the many, many different types of glowing bugs "out there" in the night. The quick guide front cover chart is excellent for kids to help too. It may also encourage you to turn off the front porch light unless you’re expecting visitors.

Why We Like This:

Very user-friendly and easy to assimilate
A must for the nature enthusiast
A thorough, well-researched, and tremendously illustrated book

Best For kids: Jaret C Daniels bug Identification Book

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Jaret C Daniels offers a variety of book for personal choice and yet maintaining quality in all the variants. It is a highly distinctive and diverse group of moths with more than 100 species found in north america. It has a broad host range, feeding on a wide assortment of different plants and may readily move from one species to another. It actually has the bugs that you can find in your back yard. It is a great book, similar to a field guide. It is easy to read with interesting facts for any one who loves nature. It gives you great pictures of all the creatures that thrive in your garden or outdoors etc. It is great for kids & adults.

Why We Like This:

Lots of pictures with lots of bugs, great for age 3-
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best For folks: ARTHUR V Evans bug Identification Book

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Next on the list, we've got yet another book that manages to win our hearts. It's the arthur v evans bug identification book and it's widely considered as book that has the most suitable features. It is good for folks to be able to recognize. With closeup, beautiful photos, this is definitely a book for your budding insect lover. It explains scientific classification of each species and offers interesting details about their life cycles, habitats, etc. You'll learn a huge amount about these creatures that are at once commonplace, ubiquitous and wonderfully exotic.

The photography is excellent, with a photo of each bug or spider and makes them easy to identify by both their common and scientific names. The front inner cover gives a quick pictorial index into the various families of insects and spiders covered while the back inner cover gives a quick overview of insect and spider bodies. The photographs are nice, the binding tight, and the pages bright and well played out.

Why We Like This:

Useful for both adults and kids
Good investment for long term