Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Ladybugs of Alberta
By John Acorn
University of Alberta Press, 169 pages, 2007
ISBN: 0-88864-381-0
Cite: 252973 with citation markup [cite:252973]
-states that it is the first field guide on Ladybugs of any region of North America...
-covers 75 species found in Alberta, many of which are also widespread across the continent
-Colour plates at beginning of book illustrated by author are very useful, often showing variation within a species
-While it could have been edited rather more tightly, I still find this book to be very useful and It has helped me ID quite a few species in a region more than a thousand miles away...And while the author gets a little deeply into the debate of whether or not "invasive", exotic" or otherwise imported species are useful, beneficial, harmful, etc, this book still has loads of useful information, including lots of easily readable stuff on natural history, collecting techniques and so on...I would give it an enthusiastic "two thumbs up"!


Ladybugs of Alberta: Finding the Spots and Connecting the Dots
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Book page at University of Alberta Press, Edmonton.
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range maps useful
They are up-to-date and I find them easier to read than some black-and-white or grayscale maps.

They'd be even better if they were larger, instead of little thumbnails - you can't rely on them for detailed information about the edges of the range limits. Still, they provide useful information at a glance and are located on the same page as the lady beetle - no flipping to find a map on another page.