The Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects I suppose you are an entomologist? – I said with a note of interrogation. Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name! A society may call itself an Entomological Society, but the man who arrogates such a broad title as that to himself, in the present state of science, is a pretender, sir, a dilettante, an imposter! No man can be truly called an entomologist, sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp. Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1882, The Poet at the Breakfast Table The Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects Peter C. Barnard A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication This edition fi rst published 2011 © 2011 by Royal Entomological Society Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. 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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Barnard, Peter C. (Peter Charles), 1949– The Royal Entomological Society book of British insects / Peter C. Barnard. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4443-3256-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Insects—British Isles—Identifi cation. I. Royal Entomological Society of London. II. Title. III. Title: Book of British insects. QL482.G8B37 2011 595.70941—dc23 2011019098 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This book is published in the following electronic formats: ePDF 9781444344950; Wiley Online Library 9781444344981; ePub 9781444344967; Mobi 9781444344974 Set in 9.5/12 pt Palatino by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited 1 2011 Contents Preface vii Foreword by Quentin D. Wheeler ix Acknowledgements xi 1 General introduction 1 PART 1 ENTOGNATHA 17 2 Order Collembola: the springtails 19 3 Order Diplura: the two-tailed or two-pronged bristletails 25 4 Order Protura: the proturans 27 PART 2 INSECTA – ‘APTERYGOTA’ 29 5 Order Archaeognatha or Microcoryphia: the bristletails 31 6 Order Zygentoma: the silverfi sh and fi rebrats 33 PART 3 PALAEOPTERA 35 7 Order Ephemeroptera: the mayfl ies or upwing fl ies 37 8 Order Odonata: the dragonfl ies and damselfl ies 42 PART 4 POLYNEOPTERA 49 9 Order Dermaptera: the earwigs 51 10 Order Dictyoptera: the cockroaches, termites and mantids 54 11 Order Orthoptera: the grasshoppers, crickets and bush-crickets 57 12 Order Phasmida: the stick-insects 64 13 Order Plecoptera: the stonefl ies 67 PART 5 PARANEOPTERA 71 14 Order Hemiptera: the true bugs 73 15 Order Phthiraptera: the sucking and biting lice 106 16 Order Psocoptera: the booklice and barklice 112 17 Order Thysanoptera: the thrips 118 PART 6 ENDOPTERYGOTA 123 18 Order Coleoptera: the beetles 125 19 Order Diptera: the true fl ies 177 v CONTENTS 20 Order Hymenoptera: the ants, bees and wasps 226 21 Order Lepidoptera: the butterfl ies and moths 268 22 Order Mecoptera: the scorpionfl ies 308 23 Order Megaloptera: the alderfl ies 311 24 Order Neuroptera: the lacewings 313 25 Order Raphidioptera: the snakefl ies 317 26 Order Siphonaptera: the fl eas 319 27 Order Strepsiptera: the stylops 323 28 Order Trichoptera: the caddisfl ies or sedge fl ies 326 Index to taxa 337 vi Preface In 2007 the Royal Entomological Society (RES) standing series Handbooks for the Identifi cation of took the momentous decision to move from British Insects . central London to a more rural environment near St Inevitably such a book highlights the contrast Albans in Hertfordshire, the fi rst time that the between popular groups such as Lepidoptera and Society had left London since its foundation in 1833. Coleoptera, relatively well - served by identifi cation The move was seen as controversial by some, literature, and the lesser studied groups such as although the new headquarters are close to the many of the Hymenoptera. However, the aim is not London Orbital M25 motorway and only just to bemoan the lack of information on these less outside the Greater London conurbation. Apart popular orders of insects, but to encourage poten- from the fi nancial relief of no longer having to tial authors to fi ll some gaps. This call to arms is as maintain an impressive but aged building in South much aimed at the keen amateur entomologist as it Kensington, the sale of 41 Queen ’ s Gate realized a is at the professional, since few of the latter are substantial capital sum that enabled the RES to encouraged or even allowed to prepare taxonomic press ahead with several new projects, such as the works as part of their duties. In these sadly unen- appointment of the fi rst full - time entomologist - in - lightened times the perpetual need for basic taxo- residence. nomic information is overshadowed by the political This book is one of the tangible products funded insistence that good science can be defi ned by its by the move out of London and it represents part ability to attract external funding, which may refl ect of the re - positioning of the RES as the central hub the inability of some infl uential managers to make of information on British insects, as well as main- informed and independent decisions about the real taining its role as the premier society for profes- value of science. With luck, the overwhelming need sional entomologists. The book is designed as a key for better taxonomic information, coupled with the reference work for professional entomologists as development of systems to coordinate it, will cause well as being a readable and attractively illustrated this short - sighted approach to be overturned. It will account for the interested student of insects. It helps be gratifying if this book helps to restore the rightful to bridge the gap between the popular but incom- place of systematic entomology at the centre of plete guides to the more conspicuous groups of insect studies in this country. British insects and the highly specialized works that currently can cover only a fraction of the Peter C. Barnard entire fauna. Of these detailed works the most pres- Royal Entomological Society tigious are, of course, the Society ’ s own long - May 2011 vii Foreword One could proclaim the study of insects to be the insect studies. And fi nally, they would have author- study of biodiversity and be at least half right. The itative and comprehensive books that provide an more than 1 million insect species described to date entr é e into insect biodiversity for the public and account for fully half of all kinds of plants and scientists alike. No place on earth meets these animals, but no more than 25% of the estimated requirements as fully as the British Isles. total number of living insect species (Foottit & The concentration of expertise and great institu- Adler, 2009 ; Chapman, 2009 ; Grimaldi & Engel, tions, from natural history museums to the Royal 2005 ). No full understanding of either evolutionary Entomological Society (RES), combined with a history or the function of terrestrial or freshwater diverse yet fi nite assemblage of species make the ecosystems is possible without detailed knowledge British insect fauna accessible and approachable on of insects, yet our ignorance of insect diversity, and a level unmatched elsewhere. The growth of our inadequate description and classifi cation of knowledge of insects is so fast - paced that general their kinds, prohibit rapid progress. So how are we summaries of the fauna are soon outdated and to proceed? become impediments themselves; the number of In the long term, we need to accelerate funda- species recorded for Britain has increased threefold mental taxonomic and natural history investiga- since the time of Stephens (1846) . While popular tions and make relentless progress toward a accounts of a few charismatic taxa such as dragon- complete exploration of insect diversity. This will fl ies and butterfl ies exist as well as superb treat- involve investments in museums, a cyberinfrastruc- ments of particular groups in journals and the ture specifi cally engineered to meet the unique outstanding RES Handbook series, there is a need needs of taxonomists, and the inspiration and edu- for an up - to - date introduction to the insect fauna cation of the next generation of insect specialists.