Wasps: A Guide for Eastern North America. Heather Holm. 2020. Pollination Press, LLC. 416 p.
Most people don’t like wasps. I understand. I’ve been stung by red wasps many times. What many don’t realize is the important role wasp species play as beneficial insects and as native pollinators.
While working with native pollinators, I have been frustrated by the lack of a good I.D. guide for wasps. This book helps fill that gap.
As this book points out, many wasps cannot be readily identified to the species level from a photograph. It requires a microscope in a lab, looking for often subtle characteristics.
The book covers 150 species of flower-visiting wasps. While definitely welcome, the book is not a field guide due to its size. The book is 9 x 11″, and 416 pages in length.
Despite the large size, it is still an important publication, filling a gap in the literature on pollinators.
