David V. Alford
Timber Press, Portland, OR
2003, 448 pp.
Price $59.95
ISBN 0-88192-561-6

A Color Atlas of Pests of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers is the new North American printing of a British publication with copyright dates of 1991 and 1995. It ambitiously attempts to illustrate the "various pests associated with ornamental plants in the British Isles and much of continental Europe from the Alps northwards." This is largely achieved through the use of hundreds of outstanding photographs, apparently all taken by author.

The scope of the book is, by necessity, limited among the broad purview of ornamental insects to "those that most commonly cause damage and those that, although of little or no economic importance, are often noticed upon such plants." However, well over 700 species are included, the great majority illustrated with accompanying photographs.

Some groups are given particularly extensive treatment, including many that are commonly introduced accidentally outside their country of origin. For example, there are more than 100 entries for aphids. (Of these, 61 are ascribed to the Aphididae and 55 to several other groups to which the author gives family status—Callaphididae, Lachnidae, Chaitophoridae, Pemphigidae, Thelaxiidae.) The Agromyzidae, which include many species that have commonly been introduced in international trade, have 31 entries. The gall-making eriophyid mites are given thorough treatment; the species are organized by host plant genus, providing a very useful guide similar to the excellent USDA publication An Illustrated Guide to Plant Abnormalities Caused by Eriophyid Mites in North America. However, a few groups, (such as scales) seem a bit thin, with only 12 entries apiece for Diaspididae and Coccidae.

Most species are given a single paragraph description, summarizing key points on host range, distribution, and description. Others are given more thorough treatment, with individual sections of introduction, Description, Life History, Damage, and Control. These details all provide valuable information, with the arguable exception of the latter. Control recommendations are usually given in very sketchy detail and often revolve around fairly generic recommendations such as "spray with an insecticide as soon as adults are seen," "apply a contact or systemic aphicide as soon as infestations are seen" or "on a small scale, infested leaves can be picked off and burnt." The control section could have been eliminated without much loss to the book.

For someone who is used to and comfortable with the ESA Common Names, this book can be a bit of an eye opener because there are many differences. For example, ash whitefly is given the name phillyrea whitefly; the cottony cushion scale is the fluted scale; and any insect associated with Tilia may have a common name based on the British term "lime tree" rather than linden or basswood as the genus is known in the U.S. Of course, the myriad insects that have names associated with their known introduction from abroad also are different, so that Pieris rapae is the small white butterfly rather than the imported cabbageworm and the European red mite goes by "fruit tree red spider mite." However, the overwhelming majority of common names used in the U.S. and Great Britain are similar.

From a North American perspective, it is fascinating to see the so many instances of European species with parallel habits similar to North American species. Also included are a great many insects that have been accidentally introduced to North America, where they may occur as significant pests. In this regard, this book could be a very useful reference for identifying species newly introduced into North America from Europe. For example, ash whitefly, a European species that became established in California in the late 1980s, is included. So is viburnum beetle, a recent introduction to the northeastern U.S. and Canada.

Although this book could not be used as a sole reference for North American ornamental insects because of the many differences in species complexes on ornamental plants, it would be an excellent companion guide for anyone with a professional interest in ornamental insects and mites. The photographs are a true delight, and overall A Color Atlas of Pests of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers gives an excellent treatment of its very difficult subject.

Whitney Cranshaw
Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management
Colorado State University
Ft. Collins, CO
American Entomologist
Vol. 49, No.2, Summer 2003