Identifying beetles
I believe that anyone who wants to be able to identify the whole British and Irish beetle fauna of 4,034 species should be able to do so without having to learn any foreign languages, spend hundreds of pounds on literature or spend dozens of hours photocopying. I believe that readily-available, accurate, up-to-date and easy-to-use English language keys should exist for all British and Irish beetles. But they don’t: the aim of this site is to plug the gaps.
This site will:
- Provide ‘cribs’ to supplement, clarify, correct and up-date existing keys.
- Provide new keys.
- Provide photo-identification guides to groups which are amenable to a ‘field guide’ style.
Cribs, keys and photo-guides will be downloadable where appropriate so they can be printed off and used as a paper copy next to the microscope or in the field.
Paper publications go out-of-date and out-of-print. All cribs, keys and photo-guides on this website will be live, evolving documents which will be updated with corrections, improvements, name-changes and new species. Documents will have version numbers and datestamps to keep track of the changes.
Everyone can contribute:
- Test. Have a go and submit a comment if you find anything confusing or can see any potential for improvement.
- Annotate. Rather than annotating the margins of your paper copy, share your notes and get the master copy updated.
- Write. Write a new key. Beginners or experts alike welcome to submit keys to the site.
- Illustrate. More and better illustrations always welcome.
- Translate. German-readers especially welcome!
- Scan. Anything out-of-print and out-of-copyright welcome.
- Negotiate. Ask copyright holders for permission.
Techniques for studying beetles
It would be possible to write a whole book on techniques for finding and catching beetles, for killing, dissecting and identifying specimens and preparing a collection. In fact, a large part of A Coleopterist’s Handbook does just that and is a recommended purchase.
This website offers additional advice and tips on techniques from a personal perspective. I know that things like carding can be a real frustration and an obstacle to new coleopterists so these webpages aim to lower the hurdles.
10 Responses “Identifying beetles”
Dear Mark,
Congratulations on a truly splendid websit! In my experience two genera could do with some sensible treatment; Carpophilus and Epuraea, more especially so as they turn up so frequently in samples. I have Joy’s keys and have obtained all the references given in Peter Hodges New British Beetles but still have no confidence with the group. Any references would be useful although I must say I have Freude’s clavicornia volume but translation is a nightmare.
Many thanks, Dave.
Thanks Dave! My Epuraea key is now downloadable from the password-protected area. I’ll send you the details. However, I’m afraid I am also at a complete loss with Carpophilus!
Dear Mark,
Agree on most grounds. Interested in Epuraea- believe I have just got E. melanocephala from a pitfall trap but as usual have had to risk the excellent Joy for the tentative id.
Hi Mark,
This is a very handy site; many thanks. Would it be possible to get a copy of your Epuraea key? I have a friend who is doing a lot of breeding of these beetles, primarily looking at the parasites, so it would be useful to be able to check which species he has rather than having to send them through the post to be checked.
Steve
Can anyone help me by suggesting where to start with weevil ID? I’ve ordered Morris (1991), as I heard it’s helpful to decide which group its in. Annoyingly, weevils have wandered into my pitfall traps and I’m supposed to be identifying all beetles as part of my MRes. Does anyone have any useful tips?
Thanks
Danielle, I will try to add some weevil pages to this site in due course but it’s quite a big undertaking. In the meantime, my advice would be to acquire all 4 of Mike Morris’s RES Handbooks on weevils. The 5th and final handbook exists as a test version if you can get hold of it; if not use Joy. Even with all the literature, you will probably need extra help (e.g. from an experienced coleopterist or a museum collection) to accurately identify all your weevils. Good luck, Mark
Hi, I have another book recommendation which some may find helpful: Harde/Severa: Der Kosmos Käferführer (Die Käfer Mitteleuropas). 5th ed. 2006. This was intended as an illustrated companion book to Freude/Harde/Lohse and contains about 1000 anatomically correct colour drawings of Central European coleoptera (110 out of 139 families are illustrated). I find it very useful for confirming that I have keyed out in the correct family (as with the small families in the Cucujoidea etc.) and I would think that it would be helpful especially for beginners (even if you don’t speak German). The modest cost of around £12 belies its usefullness!
Thanks for the book recommendation. In fact there is also an English edition of this book, edited by Peter Hammond and with much additional text by Peter. It is out of print but well worth getting hold of (there are currently two 2nd -hand copies on amazon for £30 each).
Unfortunately I cannot find Peter’s edition of the Harde/Severa book on Amazon. I’m assuming they have gone.
There are some copies still available on amazon.co.uk – search for “Harde beetles”.