If you spend time outdoors, you come into contact with quite a few insects and other creepy-crawlies:

• Bees.
• Ants.
• Flies.
• Spiders.
• Termites.
• Cockroaches.
• Earwigs.
• Crickets.
• Spiders.

On a more pleasant note, there are also butterflies and helpful garden friends such as praying mantises.

If bugs fascinate you or someone in your family, you may appreciate Insects in Kansas developed by the Kansas Department of Agriculture in conjunction with K-State.  The book offers photos and brief descriptions of approximately 850 species of insects and their relatives (spiders, ticks, etc.).  Also included are several pages of pictures of immature insects, so that you’ll never be at a loss for the name of any grub or caterpillar you run across.

Helpful information includes a glossary, an overview of beekeeping, and facts about how insects eat, breathe, and metamorphose.  And if you’re interested in collecting insects, you’ll find plenty of help here.  Ick.

The key to making the best use of this (or any other field guide, for that matter) is to become familiar with the classification system.  Insects in Kansas groups bugs by class or order, then family, then species.  Take some time to thumb through the book before taking it out into the garden or field.

If you’re inclined to enjoy the company of insects, you’ll probably find plenty of use for this guide!