United States
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The amazing armored bodies of beetles allow them to bore into plant tissue, navigate fast-moving streams, burrow through seemingly impenetrable soil, survive blistering heat, and fly. With around 8,000 species living in California, beetles represent the largest and most diverse group of organisms in the state and are an excellent subject for study since they can be found almost everywhere – in backyards, gardens, forests, and deserts. This, the only guide to California beetles available, is the perfect book for anyone – from outdoor enthusiasts to professional biologists – who wants to explore the fascinating world of beetles. In addition to providing information on where to find and how to study beetles, Introduction to California Beetles also gives an engaging and accessible overview of their natural history, biology, distribution, and relation to humans.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. A Brief History of Beetle Study in California
2. Form, Diversity, and Classification
3. The Lives of Beetles
4. Distribution of California Beetles
5. Beetles of Special Interest
6. Common and Conspicuous Families of California Beetles
Ground and Tiger Beetles (Carabidae)
Whirligig Beetles (Gyrinidae)
Predaceous Diving Beetles (Dytiscidae)
Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae)
Clown Beetles (Histeridae)
Burying and Carrion Beetles (Silphidae)
Rove Beetles (Staphylinidae)
Rain Beetles (Pleocomidae)
Scarab, Dung, May, and June Beetles and Chafers (Scarabaeidae)
Jewel or Metallic Wood-boring Beetles (Buprestidae)
Click Beetles (Elateridae)
Phengodid Beetles (Phengodidae)
Fireflies and Glowworms (Lampyridae)
Soldier Beetles (Cantharidae)
Skin Beetles (Dermestidae)
Bostrichid Beetles (Bostrichidae)
Checkered Beetles (Cleridae)
Lady Beetles (Coccinellidae)
Darkling Beetles (Tenebrionidae)
Blister Beetles (Meloidae)
Longhorned Wood-boring Beetles (Cerambycidae)
Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae)
Weevils and Ambrosia, Bark, or Snout Beetles (Curculionidae)
7. Studying Beetles
Checklist of North American Beetle Families
California's Sensitive Beetles
Collections, Societies, and Other Resources
Selected References
Index
Arthur V. Evans is Research Associate in the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History, at the Smithsonian Institution, and in the Department of Recent Invertebrates at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. He is coauthor, with Charles L. Bellamy, of An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles (2000).
James N. Hogue is Manager of Biological Collections in the Department of Biology at California State University, Northridge, and Research Associate at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
