9Not all kinds of cockroaches are household pests, some termites do not eat houses, and there are odd insects that are annoyingly challenging for a novice to categorize, since they are not as recognizable as beetles, wasps, moths, grasshoppers or dragonflies. This handy publication presents many of the smaller, and often confusing, groups of insects in convenient side-by-side comparisons so the differences between similar looking creatures are apparent.

Identification is the first step to understanding how predators, herbivores and scavengers fit into the ecosystem, and which are beneficial or of concern.

Whether you are an angler wanting to figure out the caddisflies and mayflies that fish eat, a gardener curious about the kinds of mantises, lacewings or other insects you find, or have seen your first scorpionfly, dobsonfly, barklouse or webspinner and just can't place what it is, this waterproof, folding guide will help solve some of the mysteries.