Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Collops balteatus


The Beetles of the Pacific Northwest
By Hatch, M.
University of Washington publications in biology, Volume 16. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington, 1953
[1953-1971] Covers the Beetles known to occur in British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Part I provides an introduction and covers the Suborder Adephaga. Part II covers the Suborder Staphyliniformia. Part III covers the Family Pselaphidae of the Staphyliniformia, and part of the Suborder Diversicornia. Part IV covers the Palpicornes and Heteromera. Part V covers the Phytophaga, Rhynchophora, and Lamellicornes

The Beetle Fauna of Rhode Island, an Annotated Checklist
By Derek Sikes
Rhode Island Natural History Survey, 2004
Volume 3 of the Biota of Rhode Island. An important reference covering over 2000 species of beetles known to occur in our area. Fifteen page introduction, followed by checklist with scientific and common name, synonyms, abundance, and collection notes and host information for most species. Softbound, 328 pages.

Order here.

Water Beetles of South Carolina
By Janet Ciegler
Clemson University, 2003
Many (black-and-white) photographs of specimens in addition to keys, diagrams.

Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina
By Phillip J. Harpootlian
Clemson University Public Service, 2001

Introduction to California Beetles (California Natural History Guides, No 78)
By Arthur V. Evans, James N. Hogue
University of California Press, 2004
Brand new (March, 2004). See website:
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10132.html

Introduction to North American Beetles
By Charles S. Papp
Entomography Pubns, 1984
Out of print, but worth finding if one is interested in beetles. (Bioquip had a few still in stock in 2003.) Almost 1,000 (black-and-white) illustrations, and some life history information. Papp's scratchboard llustrations are excellent, even artistic.

Note: I do not know how many of the illustrations and species accounts of this work are included in Papp's A Comprehensive Guide to North American Insects--there could be considerable overlap. I have not seen the latter work.

A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America
By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence
Row, Peterson, and Company, 1961
This is long out-of-print, but can be found on the used market. Though old, it is still an extremely useful reference. Has approximately 1,000 good black-and-white illustrations and several pages of color plates. Coverage of widespread, strongly-marked species is quite good. Has keys as well, which can be used by the amateur with a little luck. This is my first choice for identifying an unknown beetle. Taxonomy is out of date in many cases, so names must be used with care.

Original (1961) hardback edition was in one volume. There was a Dover reprint, circa 1971, in two volumes. (Be sure to get both volumes if you are buying that reprint edition.)

An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles
By Arthur V. Evans, Charles L. Bellamy, Lisa Charles Watson
Henry Holt and Company, 1996