This issue of Journal of Insect Conservation is the first to be dedicated entirely to beetles. It contains a number of papers to demonstrate the variety and scope of problems and conservation concerns that surround these insects. A short introductory perspective is followed by eight original contributions, in which beetles from many parts of the world are considered, and in which some major threats to their wellbeing are evaluated.

Over the past decades, large amounts of data about carabids have been collected in the Netherlands, initially for the purpose of creating distribution maps for the country. In addition to information from collections and faunistic publications, a significant amount of data came from ecological studies using pitfall traps. Because of the rich tradition of carabidological research in the Netherlands, an exceptionally large database of these pitfall data is available. The database is a mix of approximately 1,500 short-term samples and circa 4,400 so-called 'year-samples', for which pitfalls were functional during the whole activity period of ground beetles in spring and autumn. These year-samples came from 2,850 sites, covering the period of 1953-2018, and represent all habitats on the Dutch landscape. These data offer an unusual view of the presence and activity of this common insect family. The data gathered from pitfall trapping is summarised and provides a fresh integrated perspective about the Dutch ground beetle fauna. The characteristic species composition of 17 habitat groups is described in detail. Over 320 species present in the database have been classified into six main groups, according to their patterns of habitat use. Both the classification of habitats and associated species have been tested and used in various analyses in the book. Two chapters give special attention to changes in the Dutch fauna over the past 66 years by means of extensive trend analysis and relate this understanding to nature conservation. The book provides an extension and update for Turin's (2000) atlas. The Dutch carabid fauna is discussed considering relevant literature but uses predominantly European studies to put the faunal patterns in broader context. This book presents the story of Dutch ground beetles and illustrates the contribution of pitfall trapping to our understanding of the ecology of this fascinating and unusually well-studied group of beetles.

“Profiles 600 of the most stunning, most wonderfully adapted beetles around . . . The result is a work that is nothing short of magnificent.” —Wired When renowned British geneticist J. B. S. Haldane was asked what could be inferred about God from a study of his works, Haldane replied, “An inordinate fondness for beetles.” With 350,000 known species, and scientific estimates that millions more have yet to be identified, their abundance is indisputable as is their variety. They range from the delightful summer firefly to the one-hundred-gram Goliath beetle. Beetles offer a dazzling array of shapes, sizes, and colors that entice scientists and collectors across the globe. The Book of Beetles celebrates the beauty and diversity of this marvelous insect. Six hundred significant beetle species are covered, with each entry featuring a distribution map, basic biology, conservation status, and information on cultural and economic significance. Full-color photos show the beetles both at their actual size and enlarged to show details, such as the sextet of spots that distinguish the six-spotted tiger beetle or the jagged ridges of the giant-jawed sawyer beetle. Based in the most up-to-date science and accessibly written, the descriptive text will appeal to researchers and armchair coleopterists alike. The humble beetle continues to grow in popularity, taking center stage in biodiversity studies, sustainable agriculture programs, and even the dining rooms of adventurous and eco-conscious chefs. The Book of Beetles is certain to become the authoritative reference on these remarkably adaptable and beautiful creatures. “Photographs of more than 600 colorful, glossy species, resembling bejeweled broaches morethan creepy crawlies, are presented at actual size.” —Publishers Weekly

For a relatively small group of insects, dung beetles have attracted an inordinate amount of scientific interest over the years. This started with the work of the famous French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre about 100 years ago, but it the work of Gonzalo Halffter of Mexico, and his colleagues, who first placed dung beetles on the scientific map by the publication of two important synthetic works. The first was published in 1966 ("Natural History") and this was followed by another in 1982 ("Nesting and Breeding Behaviour"). A multi-authored book on dung beetle ecology, edited by Ilkka Hanski and Yves Cambefort, was published in 1991. These volumes are long out of print and mostly unavailable. In the 18 years since the last book was published there has been a steady stream of research published on dung beetle phylogeny, biogeography, physiological ecology and conservation, fields that were not, or barely treated in the previous books. The current work synthesises and updates most of the major elements covered in those studies, but introduces several novel sections in a phylogenetic approach to the natural history of dung beetles. The aspects covered, in five sections, are the following: evolution and ecological success of dung beetles; physiological and behavioural ecology of dung beetles; phylogeny of the Scarabaeinae; historical biogeography of the Scarabaeinae and its physical and biotic drivers; and, conservation of dung beetles. The content of the book is balanced in such a way that the information contained in it should be of interest to general entomologists, research specialists on dung beetle natural history, insects systematists, students of entomology, agricultural scientists and insect conservationists.

The group of saproxylic beetles consists of thousands of different species exhibiting a rich variety of form as well as varied life-cycle strategies. They play an important role in decomposition processes and thus for nutrient-cycling in natural ecosystems. Based on contributions given at the conference this book contains contributions about research on conservation ecology of saproxylic beetles as well as results from recent faunistic surveys in different European regions. It comprises aspects of saproxylic beetle ecology, faunistics, diversity and conservation issues. International experts report on their activity, management strategies and new approaches in saproxylic insect conservation. There are a lot of people doing research on saproxylic beetles in different countries of the world, but this seems to be a little bit disorganized. Hopefully, these European conferences will lead to a better, more international network. The contributions included in this volume cover a broad spectrum of research on saproxylic beetles, organized in three main chapters: "Saproxylic beetle assemblages and regional surveys" include "Oaks in Norway," showing the abundance and composition of red-listed species of beetles in hollow oaks. Further reports on regional surveys deals with a spruce primeval forest in Romania, a hardwood floodplain forest in the Czech Republic, and the Gartow region of Lower Saxony, a hotspot of saproxylic beetle diversity in north-western Germany. "Saproxylic beetle ecology and implications for their conservation" deals with ecological studies of single species, e.g. Limoniscus violaceus, Lucanus cervus, Osmoderma eremita and the worldwide distribution of the genus Cucujus. "Advances in methodology and databases" discusses new techniques in trapping and the development of databases. This volume gives a nice overview of the actual research on saproxylic beetles in Europe and I wish the next conference in 2010 a successful meeting; maybe some people from the UK or even overseas should be invited.

Filled with full-color photographs and step-by-step instructions, the authors show readers how to create a farm or garden habitat that will attract beneficial insects and thereby reduce crop damage from pests without the use of pesticides.

Tiger beetles are one of the most obvious and ubiquitous families of any insect taxon--some 2300 species are found on nearly all the land surfaces of the earth. Their frequently showy colors, brazen behavior, and ability to live in habitats ranging from dry, alkaline lakebeds to tropical rain forests have captured the interest of amateur and professional entomologists alike. Although tiger beetles have been widely studied, the wealth of knowledge has been synthesized only briefly in a few sources.In Tiger Beetles, David L. Pearson and Alfried P. Vogler provide for the first time a detailed integration and summary of all that is known about the family Cicindelidae. The book's early chapters cover anatomy, distribution, and natural history. Pearson and Vogler build from these basics to show the usefulness of tiger beetles for exploring questions in genetics, biogeography, ecology, behavior, and conservation. As bioindicators, the tiger beetles present in an area may allow biologists to pinpoint places with the richest diversity of animal and plant life. The use of tiger beetles as model organisms has made possible or greatly enhanced many areas of research, including molecular phylogeny, the function of acute hearing, spatial modeling, and physiology of vision.