Customer Reviews

Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Got this book for my arthropoda class. There's a lot of info in there mostly for identification of specimens. The language level is a bit high for newcomers to the domain and people like me who don't have English as their first language. My biggest gripe so far is how ambiguous some identification keys are. They tend to use "often has" or "usually with" so unless you already know what you're doing it can get pretty confusing. Still, a solid book obviously.

This is the book on insect taxonomy that most entomologists had as their text in introductory courses. The current (7th) edition is revised to fit recent changes in classification and certainly continues the standard set by Borror and DeLong many years ago. It was never intended to be a text in physiology, behavior or ecology. There are texts for these subjects available and just covering the systematic aspects of insects thoroughly is enough of a task.

My only quibbles have to do with some changes in arrangement of orders that I am not sure of (such as the union of Hemiptera and Homoptera, and Anoplura and Mallophaga - the latter was also true of the 6th ed.) and the fact that scorpion taxonomy was apparently not revised at all, despite numerous changes in the last several years.

However, that said, this edition is a continued improvement of a great classic of entomology. Among highlights are Jeremy Miller's and Darrell Ubick's excellent revision of the spider section and the new format for keys to the insects making them easier to use.

Without a doubt this will remain the best standard textbook on insect taxonomy available and I recommend it with only the minor reservations noted.

I don't study Insects proffesionaly, I am simply curious about living things around me. I have several Field Guides that offer very little information about the Insect in question (which I suppose is all to be expected from a small book) and I wanted to know more. For instance how do the mouth parts work, what are the different body segments and what do they house or what is their function.Well here it is in "Black and White" litteraly... If you want pretty color pictures this is not the book for you. The figures in the book are however, very detailed, expertly drawn and all body parts are labled. So far every answer I have sought has been answered by this book.I believe that this book is well worth the high price tag. Remember this is only MY opinion, I could be wrong...

I had to purchase this book for a class in my undergraduate work. However, as a graduate student, I use this book every semester. I am presently working in a lab and i.d many samples of insects. Some common, some not. I often reach for it to get to family so I can key to genus and species if I need to take the i.d. that far. The numbered keys are great! They reference forward and backward, which really helps if a mistake is made. Definitely a good one to have on the shelves.

It is the most appropriate book I have seen for graudate student who want to be an entomologist. It have a comprehensive knowledge on how to study the insects.

This a good book for who seek for taxonomic keys to identify insects in the laboratory. Its large size make it difficult in the field. Some aspects are neglected, e.g. physiology and evolution. I think there are a lot of better books for these subjects.

I used this book for an entomology class at my college, and I think it is great! Wanting to be an entomologist and knowing a lot of information about the subject already, I still didn't find it boring or tedious, and people who know nothing about insects can understand it pretty easily too. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in entomology and what the subject entails.

This is a ***** book. It conatins informaton that is useful to the serious beginnner as well as to the involved professional. For identification to the family level, this book in unparalleled. There is also information about common genera and/or species that often provides answers to frequently asked questions. At the family level one can usually make generalizations about an insect's role--this book is excellent in providing such information. The glossary will get us all through the keys, and the keys lead us to discovery--one of the great joys in life! A classic, and an enduring one at that.

For ages, this has been the best source of knowledge for the beginner. I have 3 different editions.