Coloring California Insects, Spiders, and Other Invertebrates

This book illustrates 50 species of terrestrial arthropods from California. Terrestrial arthropods, which include insects, spiders, and millipedes, comprise an estimated 80% of all species on earth. Nobody can know them all, for there are over one million described species and many more to be discovered. Insects are the most diverse group and are well represented in this book with species of a dragonfly, grasshopper, mantis, ten species of bugs, snakefly, moth, four species of flies, five species of bees and wasps, and six species of beetles. Arachnids are the second most diverse, and this book illustrates a wind scorpion, scorpion, and six species of spiders. Lastly, a millipede represents the Myriapods, a group that also includes centipedes. For each illustration there is information on size, habitat, seasonality, life cycle, diet, and distribution. We provide suggestions on how to color the organism, to help recognize the species in the field!