Simon Norman's blog

New AIDGAP guide: Adult Caddis (Trichoptera) of Britain and Ireland

New AIDGAP: Adult Caddis of Britain and Ireland

by Ian Wallace

Adult caddis are often encountered near freshwater, and may be abundant in light traps. But they have a reputation for being difficult to identify. This new AIDGAP guide is intended for use with living specimens, assisted by magnification no higher than a x10 hand lens.

A new guide for identifying freshwater snails

Freshwater snails banner

A Guide to Freshwater snails

by Ben Rowson

FSC Freshwater snails AIDGAP is an identification guide to over 50 species in Britain and Ireland. This new guide covers all gastropod molluscs found in still and flowing fresh water.

Identifying Blow Flies - Part 1

Meet the cast of the new ID guide...

by Olga Sivell

Blow Flies are considered to be one of the most important groups of insects on earth for the role they play in decomposition. We have thousands of species of Fly in the UK and only several species of blow fly, some of which can be easily identified if you know where to look!

A new identification guide to British beetle larvae

Front cover of RES Handbook to British Coleoptera larva Over 40 years in development, the RES Handbook to British Coleoptera larva is due for publication on 1 August 2019. You can order the book online for a special pre-publication discounted price at FSC website.

New AIDGAP test version for 2015: The Mosquitoes (Culicidae) of Britain and Ireland

Mosquito.  Line drawing: Thom DallimoreFSC Publications have been working with Clare Strode and Thom Dallimore at Edge Hill University to develop a new AIDGAP guide to the mosquitoes of Great Britain and Ireland. This will be ready for AIDGAP testing from spring 2015.

Winter trees: From AIDGAP test version to final book

Winter trees and the River Severn in flood.  Photo: Rich BurkmarThe accurate identification of specimens is an important part of many forms of biological fieldwork. Although popular groups, such as birds and butterflies, are well served with identification guides, other groups are relatively neglected. Back in the 1970s, the Field Studies Council initiated the AIDGAP project, to work towards producing identification materials for these negelected groups. In many cases, the difficulty lay in the absence of a simple and accurate key, and not in any insuperable taxonomic problems.

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