John Acorn
University of Alberta Press, Edmonton
2007; 198 pp.
Price: $29.95 (soft cover)
ISBN: 978-0-88864-381-0

This is the third book by John Acorn in a series on the natural history of Alberta insects, and it is an excellent introduction and field guide to ladybugs (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The book is aimed at the lay audience of Alberta. But even as he presents the ladybug fauna of this one Canadian province, Acorn provides a lot of general information about this family of insects. Many of the species featured in the book, for example, are widely distributed throughout large parts of North America. The drawings and photographs that illustrate these species are outstanding, and the general layout of this well-produced book immediately draws the reader in. Acorn writes engagingly (at turns light and witty or provocative and profound), and he draws deeply on his many years of ladybug collecting and naturalizing (and tasting!). Each of these strengths allows him to reach and educate a broad audience, with plenty of material to offer to amateur enthusiast and hard-core professional alike.

In the preface and early chapters, Acorn introduces the reader to ladybugs and major ecological, evolutionary, and conservation themes about them. He draws on a selection of studies published in the primary literature, while effectively mixing in his own experiences, ideas, and interpretations. In so doing, he introduces a host of interesting facts and questions about this group of insects, addressing such diverse topics as evolutionary origins, coloration, cannibalism, food habits, hibernation, and natural enemies.

Acorn also includes an historical account of ladybug study in Alberta, introducing people who paved the way. For example, we find here, a captivating photograph of Colonel Edgar H. Strickland, founding chair of the Department of Entomology at the University of Alberta, as he sits in formal attire amongst the grasses of the Canadian prairie to examine a yucca. (Acorn suggests, “no doubt alert for rare ladybugs at the time.”)

The book has a strong central theme that gets full attention in a chapter devoted to introduced ladybugs and conservation. This is the theme of whether and how ladybugs newly added to the fauna may be affecting numbers and lives of other ladybug species that were already present. In setting out to write this book, Acorn began with deep apprehensions that the recently introduced seven-spot ladybug was wreaking faunal havoc among Albertan ladybugs. But as the project grew, so did his perceptions and understanding, even of the vexing philosophical and semantic issues tied to describing ecological change. In the end, Acorn came to the conclusion that some other ladybugs have been affected by having the seven-spot in their midst, but even so, it has not been an unmitigated environmental disaster for the ladybugs of Alberta. Striking, however, are Acorn’s observations that the once-widespread transverse ladybug now appears largely restricted to marginal habitats and may well be evolving rapidly in adapting to these habitats that are unwelcoming to the seven-spot. (Another adventive species of much concern to many, the Halloween ladybug, has yet to establish in the province.)

In the second half of the book, Acorn presents the 75 ladybug species of Alberta individually. He does so in a lively fashion. With the illustrations for each species (including a distribution map for North America), Acorn gives a common name. This is often one that he proposes if none exists (e.g., the once-squashed ladybug, sister species to the twice-stabbed ladybug!). He also gives the scientific name and its pronunciation. He points out key characters for field identification, and he provides notes filled with insights on the habits and distinctive natural history of the species, based on his own extensive field observations and those of others. In a whimsical twist, Acorn introduces each species with a short rhyme to help the reader remember it and some key aspect about it (e.g., for Macronaemia episcopalis [Kirby]: “Episcopalian, bishop on high, Deep in the sedges, looking up to a fly”).

By the time the reader has met the wee-tiny ladybug (Psyllobora vigintimaculata [Say]) and arrived at the Checklist (Appendix A), the full fascination of this group of insects has taken a firm hold. I envy the Albertan who can thumb through this book in the field and quickly identify most of the ladybugs encountered.

A set of strongly synthetic books and treatments of ladybugs has been published over the years, drawing many of us into the study of these insects. As a richly illustrated and informative North American field guide, Acorn’s book has a unique style and approach. It complements the other introductions to the ladybugs and should draw many more readers to this family of insects. With its wealth of information and its highly reader-friendly format, this book would be equally suitable for extension, teaching, research, and recreational activities, for all those seeking to learn more about ladybugs within and beyond Alberta.

Edward W. Evans
Department of Biology
Utah State University
Logan UT 84322-5305
E-mail: ewevans@biology.usu.edu
American Entomology
Vol. 54, No. 3, Fall 2008