This page provides details of reference material to help you to identify different subjects. The symbols on the right have been used to show the type of reference.

We have concentrated on groups of species that are easier to identify and for which there are readily-available books.

We have used the following conventions:
[1] Out of print. They can often be purchased from the following:
[2] Good Introduction
[3] More Advanced version

Books, including second-hand, can often be purchased from the following:

• Pemberley Books – new and second-hand entomology and natural history books
• C Arden – natural history books, mainly second-hand
• Summerfield Books – botany and other natural history books, new and second-hand
• NHBS (Natural History Book Service) – wide range of new natural history books and equipment.

AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

📖 A Field Guide to the Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe by E Nicholas Arnold with illustrations by Denys Ovenden (Harper Collins: 2^nd ed 2002)
📖 Britain’s Reptiles & Amphibians by Howard Inns (WILDGuides, 2009)
📖 Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Britain and Europe by Jeroen Speybroeck , Wouter Beukema, Bobby Bok and Jan Van Der Voort
↯ Frogs, toads & spawn
↯ Lizards
↯ Newts
↯ Non-native Amphibians 
↯ Non-native Reptiles 
↯ Snakes

BIRDS

☎ Aves Vox (Apple) Type in a bird, and hear its call<a
📖 Birds of Prey (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Britain’s Birds:  An Identification Guide to the Birds of Britain and Ireland by Rob Hume Andy Swash, Hugh Harrop and David Tipling (Princeton University Press, 2016) [3]
📖 Collins Bird Guide by Lars Svensson and Killian Mullarney [3]
📖 Owls & owl pellets (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖The Crossley ID Guide Britain & Ireland by Richard Crossley & Dominic Couzens (Princeton University Press, 2014) [2]
📖 Top 50 garden birds (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Wetland Birds (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]

CENTIPEDES (Chilopoda)

📖 Key to the Identification of British Centipedes by A D Barber (FSC Aidgap, 2008)

 FUNGI

📖 Collins Fungi Guide by Stefan Buczacki (Collins 2013)
📖 Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and North-West Europe by Marcel Bon [1]

 LICHENS

📖 Churchyard Lichens (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
💽 Lichen Identifier (Version 3): A Multi-Access Key to the Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland by Frank Dobson (2007). CD for Windows
📖 Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to the British & Irish Species by Frank S Dobson (2011: 6^th edition)
📖 Lichens on Twigs (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Urban Lichens 1 (on trees & wood) (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Urban Lichens 2 (on stone & soil) (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]

GENERAL

📖 Freshwater Life: Britain & Northern Europe by Malcolm Greenhalgh & Denys Ovenden (Collins: 2007)
↯ Natural History Museum

INSECTS

📖 A Comprehensive Guide to Insects of Britain & Ireland by Paul D Brock (Pisces Publications 2014)
📖 Insects of Britain and Northern Europe by Michael Chinery 3^rd edition (1993)
♥   Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
📖 Insects of Britain and Western Europe by Michael Chinery (2007)

Alderflies, Snake-flies & Lacewings (Neuroptera)

Ants (Formicidae)

📖 Ants by Gary J Skinner and Geoffrey W Allen(Naturalists’ Handbook #24) 2015 [2]
📖 Ants of Surrey by John Pontin (Surrey Wildlife Trust 2005) [2]

Bees, Wasps, Ants & Sawflies (Hymenoptera)

📖 Ants  by Gary J Skinner and Geoffrey W Allen (Naturalists’ Handbook 24)
↯   Bumblebees – Bumblebee Conservation Trust
Bumblebees by Oliver E. Prys-Jones and Sarah A. Corbet (Naturalists’ Handbooks 6)
📖 Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland by Steven Falk and Richard Lewington
📖 (FSC Fold-out chart) Guide to Bees of Britain [2]
📖 Insects of Britain and Western Europe by Michael Chinery (2007) [242-243 covers social wasps]
📖 Identification of Social Wasps by George Else  British Wildlife Magazine 1994 (Vol 5, pp 304-311). Link to order page

Beetles (Coleoptera)

📖 A Field Guide in Colour to Beetles by K W Harde  [1]
↯ Beetles and Beetle Recording
↯ Checklist and photos of Beetles of the British Isles
↯ Getting started with beetles
📖 Ground Beetles by Trevor Forsythe (Naturalists’ Handbooks: 6; 2^nd ed 2000) [2]
↯ Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects [3]
↯ Ladybird Identification Sheet
📖 Ladybirds by Helen E. Roy, Peter M.J. Brown,  Richard F. Comont, Remy L. Poland & John J. Sloggett. (Naturalists’ Handbooks 10)
📖 Ladybirds (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Ladybirds Larvae (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
↯ Ladybirds species in the UK
📖 Practical Handbook of British Beetles by Norman Joy
↯ Watford Coleopterist Group [3]
↯ UK Ladybird Spotter

Bugs

📖 A Photographic Guide to the Shieldbugs and Squashbugs of the British Isles by Martin Evans & Roger Edmondson (WGUK in association with WILDGuides, 2005)
📖 A Pocket Guide to the Shieldbugs & Leatherbugs of Britain & Ireland by Bryan J Pinchen (Forficula Books, 2009)
↯ British Bugs – an online identification guide to UK Hemiptera [3]
📖 Shieldbugs (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]

Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera)

📖 A Guide to Finding Butterflies and Day-Flying Moths in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire by Peter Creed and Rachel Hudson
📖 Atlas of Butterflies in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire by Jim Asher, Nick Bowles, Jan Haseler, Grahame Hawker, Peter Ogden, David Roy, Richard Soulsby and Mike Wilkins
↯ Bedfordshire’s Butterflies
📖 Britain’s Day-flying Moths by David Newland, Robert Still & Andy Swash (WILDGuides, 2013)
📖 Butterflies (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
↯ Butterfly Conservation – Butterfly Identification
↯ Butterfly Conservation – How To Identify White Butterflies
↯ Butterfly Conservation – Moth Identification
📖 Butterflies of Britain and Ireland: A Field and Site Guide by Michael Easterbrook
↯ Caterpillars – a brief guide
📖 Concise Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Martin Townsend and Paul Waring [3]
📖 Day-flying Moths  (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Field Guide to the Micro-Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Phil Sterling and Mark Parsons (British Wildlife Publishing 2012)
☎ Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland
📖 Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain & Ireland by Paul Waring & Martin Townsend (2003 a revised 3^rd edition is due out soon)
📖 Hawkmoths  (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
☎ iRecord Butterflies – Apple
☎ iRecord Butterflies – Android
📖 Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain & Ireland by Richard Lewington, the 2^nd edition (2015) [2]

Caddisfly (Trichoptera)

📖 A Revised Key to the Caseless Caddis Larvae of the British Isles with notes on their ecology by John M. Edington  & A.G. Hildrew (The Freshwater Biological Association 1995) [1]
📖 Guide to the adult caddisflies or sedge flies (Trichoptera) (FSC Fold-out chart 2008) [2]
📖 Keys to the Case-bearing Caddis Larvae of Britain and Ireland by I.D. Wallace, B. Wallace & G.N. Philipson (The Freshwater Biological Association 2003)
📖 Simple Key to the Caddis Larvae by Ian Wallace (FSC Aidgap. 2006)
📖 The Adult Trichoptera (Caddisflies) of Britain and Ireland by Peter C. Barnard and Emma Ross (RES Handbook Vol 1 Part 17 2012)
↯ The Beginner’s Guide to Caddis (Order Trichoptera) by Ian Wallace

Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata)

📖 Britain’s Dragonflies: A Field Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of Britain and Ireland 3rd edition (WILDGuides) 2014 by by Dave Smallshire and Andy Swash
📖 Dragonflies & Damselflies (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
☎ Dragonflies & Damselflies of Britain & Ireland (Apple)
📖 Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland by Steve Brooks (illustrated by Richard Lewington)
📖 Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe by Klaas-Douwe B Dijkstra (British Wildlife Publishing 2006)
📖 Field Guide to the larvae and exuviae of British Dragonflies by Steve Cham (British Dragonfly Society 2012)
☎ iRecord Dragonfly recording
☎ Pocket Guide UK Dragonflies (Android)
☎ UK Dragonflies (Android)
♥ UK Dragonflies and Damselflies

Earwigs (Dermaptera)

Grasshopper and Crickets (Orthoptera).

📖 A Photographic Guide to the Grasshoppers & Crickets of the British Isles by Martin Evans & Roger Edmondson (WGUK in association with WILDGuides, 2007)
📖 Grasshoppers (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
☎ iRecord Grasshoppers – Apple
☎ iRecord Grasshoppers – Android
↯ Orthoptera and Allied Insects
📖 Pocket Guide to the Grasshoppers, Crickets & Allied Insects of Britain & Ireland by Bryan Pinchen (Forficula Books, 2006)

True Flies (Diptera)

Families of British Diptera
📖 British Soldierflies & their allies by Alan Stubbs & Martin Drake (2^nd ed 2014).
📖 British Hoverflies by Alan Stubbs & Steven Falk (2^nd ed 2002)
📖 Britain’s Hoverflies: A Field Guide by Stuart Ball & Roger Morris (2015)
📖 British Hoverflies by Alan Stubbs & Steven Falk (2^nd ed 2002)
↯ How to identify Hoverflies by Discover Wildlife
♥ UK Hoverflies

Plant Galls

📖 British Plant Galls by Margaret Redfern and Peter Shirley (FSC 2^nd ed, 2011)
📖 Britain’s Plant Galls: A photographic guide by Michael Chinery (WILDGuides, 2011)
📖 Plant Galls (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]

MAMMALS

📖 Animal Tracks and Signs Preben Bang & Preben Dahlstrøm
📖 Bats by Dean Waters & Ruth Warren (The Mammal Society)
📖 Bats (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Collins Field Guide: Mammals of Britain & Europe by David MacDonald & Priscilla Barrett (Collins: 2005 )
📖 Complete British Animals by Paul Sterry (Collins:  2010)
📖 Land mammals (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Mammals of the British Isles; Handbook, 4th edition – Edited by S. Harris & D.W. Yalden
↯   Mammal Identification key
📖 Mammals tracks and signs (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Mice & Voles by John Flowerdew (Whittet Books Ltd 1993) [1]
📖 The Bats of Britain & Ireland by HW Schofield & AJ Mitchell-Jones (Vincent Wildlife Trust 5^th edition 2014)
↯   The Common Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius: Ecology, population Structure and Dynamics   
📖 The Dormouse by Paul Bright & pat Morris (The Mammal Society)
📖 The Water Shrew Handbook by Phoebe Carter & Sara Churchfield (The Mammal Society)
📖 The Water Vole by Gordon Woodroffe (The Mammal Society)

PLANTS

↯ A simple guide to the wildflowers of Britain – Country Life📖 A Pocket Guide to the Orchids of Britain & Ireland by Simon Harrap (2016: Bloomsbury)
↯ A simple guide to the wildflowers of Britain – Country Life
📖 Ancient Woodland Indicator Plants (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Describing flowers (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Ferns (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Floodplain Meadows (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Grasses (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns of the British Isles and northwestern Europe by F. Rose [1]
📖 Grassland Plants 1 (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Grassland Plants 2 (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Harrap’s Wild Flowers by Simon Harrap (Bloomsbury, 2015)
📖 Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland – a field guide editors:L. Atherton, S. Bosanquet and M. Lawley (2010)
📖 Mosses & Liverworts of Towns & Gardens (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Mosses & Liverworts of Woodlands (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 New Flora of the British Isles  by C. Stace (2010)
📖 Orchids (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 The Concise British Flora in Colour by W. K. Martin [1]
📖 The Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe by M. Blamey and C. Grey-Wilson (1989) [1]
📖 The Wild Flower Key by F. Rose
📖 The Wild Flowers of the British Isles by David Streeter, illustrated by Ian Garrard [1]
📖 Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland by M. Blarney, R. Fitter and A. Fitter
↯ Woodland Plants
📖 Woodland plants (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]

SLUGS AND SNAILS

📖 Land Snails of the British Isles by Robert Cameron (FSC Aidgap, 2003)
📖 Slugs of Britain & Ireland: Identification, understanding & control by Ben Rowson, James Turner, Roy Anderson & Bill Symondson (FSC Aidgap, 2014)

SPIDERS, ETC. (Arachnida)

↯   British Arachnological Society factsheets [2]
📖 British Spiders A field Guide by Lawrence Bee, Geoff Oxford & Helen Smith (WILDguides 2017). Use this link to order this book at a discount £19.70 instead of £24.95+p&p)
📖 Guide to Harvestmen of the British Isles by Paul Richards(FSC Fold-out chart 2010) [2]
📖 Harvestmen (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
📖 Harvestmen (Opiliones) Synopses of the British Fauna 4 by P.D Hillyard & J.H.P. Sankey (FSC 2005) check with Mike Killeby as title different . Mike gave title as “Harvestmen”
📖 Keys to the Families of British Spiders by LM Jones-Walters (FSC Aidgap, 1989)
📖 Spiders (FSC Fold-out chart) [2]
↯   Spiders in your Home
📖 Spiders of Britain & Northern Europe by Michael J Roberts (Collins 1995 3 volumes) [1]
↯   Spiders of Belgium and France (Site has pictures of many British spiders)

TREES

📖 A Guide to the identification of deciduous broad-leaved trees and shrubs in winter by Andrew May and Johnathon Palmer
📖 A Field Guide to Trees of Britain and Northern Europe by Alan Mitchell
📖 Collins Tree Guide by Owen Johnson and David More
📖 Conifers in the British Isles by Alan Mitchell [1]
📖 Hillier’s The Gardeners Guide to Trees and Shrubs edited by John Kelly
📖 Illustrated Trees of Britain & Northern Europe by David More & John White (2012)
↯  Kew Garden Tree Identification
↯  The Gymnosperm Database
☎ Tree Guide UK Standard Edition and Premium Edition (Apple)
↯  The Dutch Tree Guide
📖 Trees in Britain by Roger Phillips

WOODLICE (Oniscidea)

📖 A Key to the Woodlice of Britain & Ireland by Stephen Hopkin (FSC Aidgap, 1991)

CREDITS
The following have provided photos for this page:
Common Toad by Henry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood (30th August 2016)
Magpie
Western Yellow Centipede (Stigmatogaster subterranea) by AJC1 8 April 2016 CC-BY-SA-2.0
Fungus by Peter Hassett, Bow Brickhill 1 November 2014
Lichen Cladonia arbuscula subsp. squarrosa by Lairich Rig (CC-BY-SA-2.0)
Fox and Magpie – North Bucks Way in June 2015 by Harry Appleyard
Froghopper Paul Lund, Linford Lakes NR 16 June 2015
Bee by Paul Lund.
Thick-Legged Flower Beetle by Peter Hassett at Grangelands NR. 23May15
Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) by Peter Hassett, Old Warden Tunnel NR, 21 September 2016
Small Copper butterfly by Peter Hassett
Caddisfly by Paul Lund
Emerald Damselfly by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 21 June 2016
Nymph of Roesel’s Bush Cricket by Paul Lund, Linford Lakes NR 16 June 2015
Cheilosia grossa hoverfly by Peter Garner, Little Linford Wood, 25 March 2016
Bedeguar gall “Robin’s pin cushion” on dog rose by Peter Hassett, Old Warden Tunnel NR, 21 September 2016
Orphaned hand reared Dormice ©Paul Manchester 25Jan15
Biting Stonecrop and Ivy-leaved Toadflax at Olney Church by Martin Kincaid. 13 June 2016
Brown-lipped Snail, (Cepaea nemoralis) by Peter Hassett, Whipsnade Zoo, 6 September 2016
House Spider by Peter Hassett, Preston Montford 25 September 2016
Scots Pine by Alan Birkett, Linford Manor
Common Rough Woodlice (Porcellio scaber) by Martin Cooper, Ipswich 29 October 2015 (CC BY 2.0)

 

NOTES – ignore, this will be deleted before the page goes public

☎ App
📖 In print book
📕 Out of print book Unicode &#128214;
💽 CD
♥ Facebook
↯ Web

We will need to thank the following:

Dr Alan Birkett
Alan Nelson
Julie Lane
Lewis Dickinson
Mike Killeby
Mike LeRoy
Paul Manchester
Peter Hassett
Roy Maycock

Link to guide to Taxonomy http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel/classification_inheritance/classificationrev1.shtml

Character codes http://character-code.com/ and http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1f4d5/index.htm

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