Bumble Bees of North America

May 15, 2014

Many of us love the furry look of bumblebees, but few of us know them well. Their populations, as with honeybees, are in decline. Bumblebees do not make honey, but they are colonizers and play a crucial role in pollination not just in the wild but as commercially available colonies for greenhouse crops. Williams (research entomologist, Natural History Museum, London), Robbin Thorp (entomology, emeritus, Univ. of California, Davis), Lief Richardson (doctoral candidate, ecology & evolutionary biology, Dartmouth Coll.), and Sheila Colla (project leader, Wildlife Perservation Canada) identify the 46 species of bumblebee that are found in North America (Mexico is not included), far more than previous guides. The introduction presents clear information on these bees generally, their distribution, colony cycle, and interactions with plants. The authors then outline methods of observing and attracting bumblebees and list by region the plants that bees forage upon. As these bees can look very much alike to the untrained eye, the authors present schematic illustrations of thorax striping by which to tell them apart, noting when one must look further to an anatomical feature as well. Excellent maps, each of North America in its entirety, have clear color coding to show habitat range and density of population. VERDICT An attractive, worthwhile purchase.--Margaret Heilbrun, Brooklyn

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
As bee populations plummet and environmental concerns continue to make the news, there is widespread interest in bees. This attractively priced guide helps users identify the 46 species found north of Mexico and offers insight into their ecology and habitats. Detailed distribution maps, full-color illustrations and photographs, and identification keys accompany brief narrative information and a variety of tables. This guide will be useful in public and academic libraries where there is an interest in bees or the environment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)