Hoverflies Wildguides Book Review

Hoverflies: of Britain and Ireland 3^rd Edition

Stuart Ball and Roger Morris
WildGuides (pbk) published 2024

344 pages, 1048 colour photos, 162 colour distribution maps, 53 tables

ISBN 978-0-691-24678-9

https://www.nhbs.com/search?q=hoverflies&qtview=203528

This website would not exist if it were not for the 1^st edition of the book. I learnt so much about hoverflies from that book. It now being well travelled and a little battered, so it sits on my shelf having produced many years of service.

If you are visiting this website, chances are you might already have a copy of this book however if you are just getting into Hoverflies and live in the UK & Ireland then this is the book to start with.

The 1^st Edition was published in 2013 and the 2^nd published 2015, roll on 9 years and we have the 3^rd Edition but is it any good and how does it improve on the previous two editions?

I have both previous editions of this book, the 1^st edition being a purchase soon after its release in 2013 and the 2^nd Edition I purchased online so I had something out in the field accessible on my iPhone, as it’s not the lightest book to carry around at 296 pages.

On the e-book I found an easy-to-use navigation system at the front by using the ‘alphabetical list of British hoverfly genera covered in this book’ and selecting the page number of the genera I believed my specimen to be. For those unfamiliar with their hoverfly tribes/genera there is the pictorial representation ‘guide to the most frequently photographed hoverflies’ on page 67 but you do have to scroll through to that page, so personally I would have put that at the front as well. The other short cut I found was that several species give a similar species suggestion, sometimes with the page number and clicking on this number would transport me there. These features authors/publishers should consider when making identification books available to download.

I should also explain at this point I never bring specimens home all hoverflies are identified in the field and then released, so having a useful field guide is essential. I will take a photo for further clarification later, but I do consider in this day and age killing specimens should be avoided at all costs.

So why should I or you buy the 3^rd Edition of the book?

What information or features have been added to help improve on the previous two editions and make it a necessity for someone like me who has been studying hoverflies for 10 years.

• On the in-sleeve at the back is a short index of hoverfly genera and subgenera this was especially useful in the field and was in the first two editions, however now it has an additional front sleeve with Keys to the Maps and Codes, much less used by me, but might be useful to a newbie to the hobby.
• There are 285 species of hoverflies in the UK with 177 illustrated in the 3^rd Edition, in 2013 there were 281 species in the country with 165 illustrated and in 2015 there were 283 species with 167 illustrated, so another 12 illustrations between 1^st and 3^rd editions is not a lot.
•  Includes up-to-date maps and diagrams. Much has changed in the last 10 years, I had to go to the Olympic Park in London to see the Greater Hornet Plumehorn (Volucella zonaria). I now and have done for years, often see it in my South Yorkshire garden.
• Another plus for this edition is the photographs, these have been updated and for some species offering much better assistance in identifying key features. For those often very difficult and similar looking species there are these little side circles that just focus on the main key feature, which is really handy when out in the field.
•  There are 48 new pages compared with the 1^st edition, this includes a section on polymorphism, a guide to the most frequently photographed hoverflies all part of the 2^nd edition which carried over to the 3^rd edition. In the 3^rd edition they have added numerous new sections (see full list on books recommend page of the website), but highlights for me being the new keys for Platycheirus, Syrphini, Cheilosia and Eristalini much needed in my opinion. Also, I was particularly excited about the pages titled ‘Putting data to good use’.
•  Inclusion of Irish Maps alongside each species as well in the tables towards the back of the book, with their frequency separate to GB.
• There are several species additions the key ones being: Brachyopa bicolor & pilosa, Cheilosia longula, Epistrophe melanstoma, Eristalis abusiva, cryptarum, & similis, Eumerus ornatus, Eupeodes lapponicus, Meligramma euchromum, Neoascia interrupta, Sphengia elegans, Xanthogramma stackelbergi with species detail and pictures, the rest being either a reference or identification assistance, (see full list on books recommend page of the website)

    So, what are the downsides of this edition in no particular order:

• The forward has not changed in those 11 years it would have been good to have this updated by Alan Stubbs himself, a lot of work went into this new edition, it would have been good to have been acknowledged.
•  Would have been good to have illustrations of the missing 112 species. even if just small representative picture as a reference guide in the back pages, if not within the pages of genera/tribes. I know it’s a balance between throwing the reader everything especially to the beginner and providing a full listing for naturalists to develop over many years.
•  It sounds daft but the protective cover on the 1^st Edition helped it get through those 11years, I have included the picture of my copy so you can see how it faired for yourself. 

• For ease of use in the field, especially as there is no hoverfly app knowingly in development, not enough short-cut features on the e-book,

Who would I recommend this book to? 

Well anybody who is interested in UK hoverflies and came across this website wanting to learn more. Anyone who has only the 1^st edition and is wondering whether its worth the upgrade, I would say this is a much better edition, better photographs, features, updated maps. If you live in Ireland it goes without saying that this book is a must buy, as your distribution maps were not included in the previous two editions.

So, thank you Stuart and Roger for creating a wonderful book, all three editions, I look forward to your next edition and what features that might bring which I am certain I will also purchase, maybe on my iPad to help me in the field so please consider making it more accessible. 

Additional Notes:

3rd Edition additions in order of publication:

1. ·         Finding Nigritaris pg 42
2. ·         Section on identifying wasp and bee mimics is now more pictorial pg 63, 
3. ·         Species accounts section is better explained pg 71
4. ·         Baccha elongata page has changed again pg 74
5. ·         Platycheirus key pg 75-80
6. ·         More pages dedicated to Paragus pg 96-97
7. ·         A Syrphini key has been added pg 98-101
8. ·         Better aids to help identify S.rueppellii which helped me recently pg 115
9. ·         Section on ID hoverflies with yellow and black abdomens pg 128-130
10. ·         Cheilosia key much needed for a very those ‘little back jobs’ pg 170-175
11. ·         Assistance with the 2 Rhingia species pg195
12. ·         Better key for Eristalini (and Merodontini: Merodon) pg 218-223
13. ·         Aids to assist with Eristalinus identification pg 235
14. ·         Conservation success of Bella fallex pg 278
15. ·         Putting data to good use pg 324-332
16. ·         Research opportunities. Pg333

Species additions and changes:

1. Additional species detail with pictures Brachyopa bicolor & pilosa, Cheilosia longula, Epistrophe melanstoma, Eristalis abusiva, cryptarum, & similis, Eumerus ornatus, Eupeodes lapponicus, Meligramma euchromum, Neoascia interrupta, Sphengia elegans, Xanthogramma stackelbergi
2. Referenced only - Cheilosia gigantea, Cheilosia ruffipes/soror, Epistrophe flava, Eumerus sogdianus, Melantoma certuum and mellarium, Paragus quadrifasciatus, Parasyrphus relictus, Pipiza fasciata & notata and Scaeva dignota
3. Identification assistance provided Dasasryphus neovenustrus
4. Subgenus Pyrophena – which now includes Platycheirus granditarsus and rosarum
5. Arctophilia now named Sericoymia superbiens
6. Heringia brevidens, latitarsis, pubescens, verrucula and vitripennis now named under genera Neocnemodon
7. Chamaesyrphus caledonicus and scaevoides now classified on the genera Pelecocera

Its quite probable i missed 1 or 2 features,  if I have please comment on this page with details so I can amend.