With a warm climate, dry soil and an abundance of flowers, Australia is such a perfect place for bees that it has become a biodiversity hot-spot for this insect family. More than 2,000 of the world’s 20,000 bee species are found there, with many of these being endemic and occurring nowhere else. This remarkable book is the most comprehensive volume available on the subject. Within the five Australian bee families – Colletidae, Stenotritidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae and Apidae – it covers every one of the more than 120 genera, and almost all of the subgenera. Using concise but detailed text and stunning photographs it showcases at least one species from each subgenus, covering 280 species in total. The quality of the illustrations also stands out – 99 per cent show macro images of bees undisturbed and unharmed in their natural habitat, with date and location details provided. All the latest publications, descriptions and reviews are taken into account, making this a must-have book for all entomologists and naturalists.
