Insects + Spiders

It took me a while to become interested in spiders. At first, I dismissed them because the ones I encountered around the house were either associated with warnings or embodied the definition of creepy-crawly. Then I started coming across different species while hiking or birdwatching. These new spiders were fascinating, with unique markings and behaviour. I paid more attention to them using my macro lens and began trying to identify them.

At that point, there was no decent book available to help with spider identification. The publication of this guide in 2017 was a game changer. It has a friendly, reassuring tone that you don’t normally get in field guides. Readers will find themselves both captivated by the spider facts and excited about identification. It is one of the first books I would recommend to anyone dedicated to learning more about local wildlife.

The book is very newbie friendly

I’ve struggled as an amateur naturalist. Insect and spider identification is a completely different beast to identifying birds. I underestimated how difficult it can be to identify a smaller animal, especially when some species can be only be identified by their genitalia! At times it has been both overwhelming and off-putting. This book doesn’t do that.

It is one of the best field guides I’ve read. It’s like a conversation with a friendly entomologist who is passionate about spiders and is trying to instill that love in you. There are so many times where the authors are encouraging that ‘spark’ that makes a person seek out an identification. It never deters the amateur from trying to learn more about spiders. The authors go out of their way to use a very reassuring tone, even going as far as to say that trained taxonomists can struggle.

The result, for me, was a desire to seek out more spiders to try and identify. I only wish more books were this accessible.

How is the book structured?

The book is organized into three main groups of spiders: araneomorphae, Mygalomorphae and little known spider families. These groups are then organized into families. Half a page is usually dedicated to describing the key features of each family before showing profiles of some of the species. The information with each photograph will tell you where in Australia the spider specimen was found and in what type of habitat, one or two significant facts and the approximate maximum size of females and males.

As mentioned previously, some of this information is incomplete. In many cases, they only have information about one gender. In some cases, you may only get 2-3 species from each family. In others, you can get 12+. This is commendable, given just how many unknowns there are.

The introductory sections provided a solid background. The how to use this book is detailed and accessible. The only flaw I found was that the ‘need to know’ terms regarding the spiders anatomy felt far too short. This was most likely due to space issues; the features that are most relevant in terms of identification had their own separate pages.

The authors are very open about the limitations

While this book is the most comprehensive book of its kind, it only covers a fraction of the spider species in Australia. At one point, they say they ‘know of thousands of spider species which exist but are undescribed.’ This is reflected in some of the species accounts, where a species is simply identified to genus level.

This isn’t a criticism. It is worth being aware of though if you are the type of person who obsesses about identification.

Do I recommend it?

Yes. It is the leading book about spiders in Australia and nothing comes close to its quality. It is so user-friendly. It you are serious about identifying spiders then this will become a staple in your library.

There is no guarantee that you will be able to identify every spider you find. This is due to the sheer amount of unknowns when it comes to spiders in Australia. If you are struggling, the authors encourage you to use the Australian & NZ Arachnid Photography Facebook group. The authors are also behind the website Arachne.org.au. This website has additional information and photos as it isn’t limited by space.

As an added bonus, the photos are phenomenal! I’m planning on using the guide for macro photography inspiration.

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I became fascinated with insects (and related species) when I got a macro lens. Suddenly, a new world opened up. I started to notice species that I’d never given any attention to before. I wanted to learn about this new world.

I initially picked up Backyard Insect; a book that I would still recommend as the ideal introduction to Australian insects. There came a point where I wanted to expand my knowledge base.

Enter Insects of South-Eastern Australia. The book is described as a regional insect identification field guide based on feeding category and host plant. It is also an introduction to the insects of the region, including their environment, classification, life history, feeding strategies and behaviour.

In this review, I’ll explore who this book is for and how it compares to similar books on the market.

How does it stand out?

Most other introductory books about insects focus on the species that you can find in your backyard garden. They are designed to be accessible to newbies and to encourage readers to observe the common species in their neighbourhood. It can be a big step from those books to your standard field guide. Insects of South-Eastern Australia is a useful in-between book. It provides an introduction to taking an ecological and behavioural approach to identification and then organizes species according to their feeding strategies.

This is very useful, as it encourages you to look beyond the basic appearance when making the observations. Readers are encouraged to seek out identifications according to whether an insect is a plant feeder, predator, parasitoid or decomposer. This requires a bit more work but the skills are useful with other nature observations.

Does it have any flaws?

Part 1 was information overload.

There were 10 sections in part 1, covering the basics of insect classification and their behaviour. Some of these chapters were so brief that it is almost worth skipping over.

For example, the Defining an Insect chapter had a very poor graphic that showed you the different parts of an insect. The 1 paragraph dedicated to defining an insect is a complete letdown; it is too technical and hard to visualize. It was still useful for the picture examples of species that shouldn’t be confused with insects. The chapter about types of environments only had one brief paragraph to describe each type. It would have been better off skipping this chapter altogether.

This was a repeated theme and one that was frustrating. I can understand the limitations, as the book was already dense at 261 pages. It left me wanting more.

The layout was disorganized

One key frustration was that the layout felt disjointed and interrupted the reading. This was especially noticeable in the first half, where paragraphs were frequently interruption with pictures and their captions. This made for frustrating reading. This was less of a problem once I got past the introductory chapters.

Another issue was the lack of subheadings. This made the book difficult to skim. The information boxes attempted to remedy this, and they were easier to ready. Their presence often felt like an interruption though which took me away from the rest of the chapter.

Do I recommend it?

Yes… and no.

This book is recommended for those who are advanced beginners. I would recommend it for those who have bought Backyard Insects and find that it no longer suits their needs. It takes more of an educational approach; instead of flipping through it, it forces you to think about the insect in relation to its environment. However while it is jam packed full of information, you have to work for it. The layout issues and potential information overwhelm can be a put off.

I would recommend it for advanced beginners; those who have bought Backyard Insects and find that it no longer suits their needs. The information is disorganized but you can flick through the book and refer to it later as your knowledge increases. This is especially worth it when reading the hidden tidbits in the captions.

Keep in mind that it not a good book if you are just seeking an identification; although there are plenty of pictures. More for those who know they want to learn more about insects but don’t know where to start.

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In 2016, I got a macro lens. It forced me to look closer at the insects in my garden and I quickly realized that there was a lot more diversity than I could have imagined. I joined Bowerbird (since closed) to help with invertebrate identification and become fascinated by entomology.

I would photograph every insect I could find and tried to learn as much as I could. I bought multiple field guides. However the sheer amount of insects, even in a small area, was incredibly overwhelming. Birds have roughly 900 species in Australia. There is some variation within species, but there are enough birdwatchers to help with an identification.

It wasn’t the same with bees. I fell in love with the sheer diversity of species, in terms of features and colouring. I stopped trying to identify them though because, as a beginner, the task felt too difficult. That is why this book is so useful.

It Is A Brilliant Introduction

The book feels like a coffee table book. The pages are full of large, detailed photos of various bee species along with little facts about those featured. Species are organized according to state, with 10-15 species per state. For each species, you will get 3-4 photos showing the species at different angles or highlighting how the male and female specimens differ. James also provides a paragraph or 2 describing interesting facts about the species.

You don’t have to read the book in any specific way. You can flip through it and admire the photography. You can skip to your state and read about the various species you may be able to find locally. You can read a page each day to learn interesting facts about bees.

This book reminded me of the joy I would feel just watching various species. This feeling of sheer wonder is something I find is missing from a lot of nature books. Insects don’t have the same attraction that other species do, so most books are designed to primarily inform. This necessary if we are to attract and support more citizen scientists.

The book also contains 7 essays about issues relevant to bee enthusiasts. These are short, compared to some of the other books I’ve read, and are very accessible. The essays discuss the important of museums, how to attract bees to your garden and how to find bees.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. This review is based on a library copy and I’m planning to buy a hard copy to add to my collection. I also hope that the author, James Dorey, considers releasing more books.

Do I recommend it?

Definitely! The photography is awesome and inspires me to want to work harder. The species themselves are fascinating. It is a lot easier to appreciate the variety and uniqueness of various species when you aren’t bombarded with a lot of information in field guides. You won’t learn the same amount that you would from other books – but it may spark or reignite an interest in bees.

If unsure, you can check out his blog. I could easily spend hours looking at the image galleries. He also wrote a blog chronicalling his trip around Australia at The Bee log blog

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