Book Review - Common Bees of Western North America - Princeton Field Guides

      For two years I have been using the excellent (and by now well-thumbed) Carril and Wilson guide, Common Bees of Eastern North America, so I was delighted to note that a companion volume had been published covering the bees of Western North America. I am planning a visit to Vancouver Island in September and this guide will get its first serious workout then. In the meantime hours of pleasant study await.

     There are over 3,000 species in western North America, and it is impractical to feature all of them, but more than 200 species are covered, representing those taxa most likely to be found in the appropriate habitat. 

     Bee identification is often difficult, even for a scientist with specialized training and sophisticated equipment, so for the casual naturalist it is frequently impossible to narrow down the ID to the species level. Pages 25 to 33 provide a very useful guide to help in refining the possibilities - "Bees that are completely red," "Bees that are extremely large (bigger than the top joint of the pinky," "Bees that are miniscule" - and so on.

     What then follows is a taxonomic list of bee families with genera found within that family, with clear and detailed photographs to accompany each account. The text is excellent and will facilitate identification in most cases; range maps are key to defining the geographic range.  At the very least, it should be possible to assign a bee to the correct family, often to the genus and sometimes right down to species.

     I am quite sure that like most naturalists my aim is to experience the bee as it goes about its life, and not to capture it for close examination or pinning. A photograph will often be very helpful in identifying the bee, and with today's sophisticated digital cameras, even those on cell phones, everyone has the ability to get a good shot.

     An excellent glossary is provided and an extensive list for further reading.

     I am delighted to add this book to my ever expanding library on bees; it is bound to become a treasured reference.

Common Bees of Western North America - Princeton Field Guides

Olivia Messinger Carril and Joseph S. Wilson

Paperback - US$35.00 - ISBN: 9780691175508

416 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25 cm)

582 Colour photographs, 198 black-and-white silhouettes

Publication Date: 23 May, 2023