The rich and diverse environment of the Pacific Northwest provides habitats for more than 28,000 species of insects. From coast to mountains, from wetlands to high desert, there is an abundance of insect life awaiting anyone with a keen eye and a measure of curiosity.
Insects of the Pacific Northwest describes more than 450 species of common, easily visible insects found from southwestern British Columbia to northern California. It covers the main insect orders, with an emphasis on beetles and butterflies and moths, and also includes a sampling of common non-insect terrestrial invertebrates, such as spiders and snails.
More than 600 photographs, a series of visual keys to orders and families, and a clear color-coded layout make this handy field guide an exceptionally useful reference for biologists and other working professionals, naturalists, students, hikers, gardeners, and explorers of this fascinating region.
Peter Haggard was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota. In 1972, he received a bachelor's degree in wildlife management from Humboldt State University and since then has worked as a county agricultural inspector in California. During this time he has collected, photographed, and identified thousands of insects of the Pacific Northwest and maintained a database of hundreds of insect species. For many years he has conducted classes and workshops or appeared as a guest speaker for various organizations and at universities and community colleges, among other venues. His topics include insects and plants, in particular, native species; gardening with native and non-native plants; and garden insects and disease pests.
Judy Haggard holds bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from Humboldt State University. After working for state and federal natural resource agencies, she now serves as a consulting wildlife biologist.
"It's a handy little paperback you can carry right into the garden to compare photos with the real thing crawling on your hydrangea [...] or lilly [...] or [...] "
– Valerie Easton, Seattle Times
"This solid guide exhibits the sort of thoughtful touches that characterize the other books on Timber Press's list."
– Barbara McMichael, Sequim Gazette
"Released in tandem with the wildflower guide, this reference describes and shows photos of more than 450 species. [...] If you have a budding entomologist in the family, this easy-to-use guide is a natural."
– Kym Pokorny, Oregonian
"A comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the most common insects in northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. [...] The book makes fascinating reading for gardeners as well as hikers and wildlife enthusiasts."
– Amy Stewart, North Coast Journal