This is the only book written in English to cover the entire European fauna, comprising 124 species of resident damselfly (Zygoptera) and dragonfly (Anisoptera), illustrated on the 30 plates of 219 colour figures. In most cases, both sexes as well as important variants are depicted, all enlarged.
In his Foreword to this revised edition, Professor Philip Corbet, Past-President of the Worldwide Dragonfly Association and doyen of British odonatists, states that, as a standard reference work, "it will continue to contribute importantly to the progress of odonatology."
The author has made a few corrections to his original text, which covered 114 species of Odonata breeding in Europe, and has added a new Preface and an updating Supplement.
The Introduction, which is largely unchanged, includes chapters on History; Life History; the Adult Dragonfly; Distribution; Morphology of the Adult Dragonfly; a complete, updated Check List; and Keys to the suborders and families.
The Systematic section gives keys to the genera and species, with clear descriptions and details of the biology, flight periods, and distribution of all species found in Europe, with distribution maps showing national boundaries.
This is now followed by the Supplement, in which Dr Askew has added a further ten resident species, including one new to science, and several adventives. It also provides new information under the following headings: Nomenclature; Orthography; Thermoregulation; American species observed in Europe; Accidental Introductions into Europe; Other species newly recognized in Europe; Species new to the British Isles; Expansion of recorded ranges within Europe; Other new distribution records; and Contraction of recorded ranges. The author goes on to list major European and national literature on the Odonata published since 1988.
There are numerous line-drawings throughout the text and over 100 new references to the European literature have been added to the supplement bringing the total to over 650. The book concludes with a new Index to English and scientific names, incorporating all species, subspecies and synonyms cited in the revised text. There are two plates of colour photographs showing biology and habitats and the author has added a further colour plate to his original 29 plates of adult insects, depicting five of the new European species and one from North America.
In its new, slightly-reduced, softback format, this classic work, which has already sold 3000 copies, will be more practical in the field and should prove extremely popular with British and Continental odonatists.
About the Author: Dr Askew, former Reader in Entomology at Manchester University, is author of another highly acclaimed work, Parasitic Insects, and a talented artist.