Pocket guide identifies insects of South Africa

About 431 insects – big, small, colourful, dull, interesting or common – spotted in our houses and gardens have been identified in the new book, Pocket Guide Insects of South Africa.

An illustrated quick-reference guide on the inside front and back covers makes it quick and easy to navigate to the correct insect group.

Each insect is described with its key identification features, a colour photograph and distribution map, giving you all the information needed to know what is crawling around you.

The men behind the creepy crawlies are Charles Griffiths, an Emeritus Professor and Mike Picker, an Associate Professor, both from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town.

Professor Griffiths has been with the university for 45 years and has participated in the discovery of more than100 species new to science. He has published some 170 scientific papers, and has co-authored several field guides, among them the best-selling, Two Oceans – A Guide the Marine Life of Southern Africa and Field Guide to the Insects of South Africa. Professor Picker’s research focuses on insect diversity and ecology in South Africa. His work led to the discovery of the new insect order Mantophasmatodea and the world’s first jumping cockroach.

He has published 114 scientific papers and is co-author of Field Guide to Insects of South Africa and Alien & Invasive Animals – A South African Perspective.

Charles Griffiths and Mike Picker are compiling authors of the recently published field guide, Freshwater Life (October 2015).

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