Malcolm M. Furniss and James B. Johnson
Agricultural Publications, University of Idaho,
2002, 125 pp.
Price: $19.95
ISBN 1-58803-000-8

This field guide should be of interest to professional and amateur entomologists who live, work, or vacation in the forests of the interior Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, and British Columbia. Furniss and Johnson have summarized current information on 114 species of Scolytidae: 102 bark beetles and 12 of other habit (ambrosia, cone and clover roots) the forests of Idaho and its neighboring states. They obviously want to capture the imagination of the layperson and the forestry professional. As they say, "Whittling away the bark of a storm-broken or recently killed tree to discover the intricate etchings (galleries) made by bark beetles is an experience similar to splitting rocks in search of fossils."

The guide begins with a brief introduction to the collection, identification, biology, ecology, and classification of Scolytidae, followed by a key to the genera, and then each genus is briefly described with keys to its Idaho species. The keys are generally clear and easy to follow, and supplemented by a glossary of technical terms. Information on each species includes its known distribution, hosts, a brief description of the adult, gallery pattern, biology, and a key reference where available. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs and drawings of adult insects and gallery patterns, some of which are of historical interest. Perhaps the most useful tool is the "diagnostic host index" at the end, which allows one to home in on the species being observed from information on the host species and the location of the gallery on or in that host.

This little book contains a wealth of information gleaned by Mal Furniss over half a century of work and recreation in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, aided by Ding Johson, an expert observer, collector and curator of these and other insects. It should find a welcome place in the backpacks of foresters, entomologists, and natural history buffs. I wish it had been available when I began my career because it would have made my work a lot easier.

Alan A. Berryman
Department of Entomology
Washington State University
Pullman WA 99164
American Entomologist
Vol. 49, No.1, Spring 2003