'A ground-breaking identification guide ... the perfect marriage of artistic excellence, deep knowledge and, dare I say it, of scientists' genuine affection.' - Brett Westwood

This brand new illustrated field guide covers all 47 species of ladybird occurring in the British Isles in a handy and easy-to-use format. Twenty-seven species are colourful and conspicuous and easily recognised as ladybirds; the remaining species are more challenging, but the clear illustrations and up-to-date text in this guide will help to break down the identification barriers.

A useful introduction provides an overview of ladybird ecology, tips on studying and recording, and suggested sites for finding ladybirds. The main part of the book comprises detailed species texts, covering field characters, food, habitats, suggested survey methods, ranges, conservation statuses and distribution trends. An illustrated at-a-glance identification guide and helpful pointers for differentiating similar-looking species are also included.

With 102 colour photographs and 47 distribution maps, combined with Richard Lewington's peerless artwork, this is the definitive guide to one of our most cherished and charismatic insect groups.

Professor Helen Roy combined research with teaching for 10 years before taking up a research position with the Biological Records Centre, where she works extensively with national zoological schemes and societies. Her research focuses on the effects of environmental change on insect populations and communities, and she is particularly interested in the dynamics of invasive species and their effects on native biodiversity. Ladybird ecology has much public appeal, and Helen has taken every opportunity to communicate her research to a wide audience; this has included natural history talks, school visits, 'bioblitz', popular science articles, podcasts and interviews with the media.

Dr Peter Brown is an ecologist and senior lecturer in zoology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK, where he has worked since 2010 following the completion of his PhD. His research focuses on three main areas: ladybirds, non-native species and citizen science. Peter has been studying ladybirds since 2005 and jointly leads the UK Ladybird Survey with Helen. This is a long-running project that has generated over 200,000 records of 47 UK ladybird species, contributed by members of the public.

Richard Lewington is regarded as being one of Europe's finest wildlife illustrators. He studied graphic design at the Berkshire College of Art and, since leaving in 1971, has specialised in natural-history illustration. His meticulous paintings of insects and other wildlife are the mainstay of many of the modern classics of field-guide art, including The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland, Guide to Garden Wildlife and Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland. He has also designed and illustrated wildlife stamps for several countries. In 1999 he was awarded Butterfly Conservation's Marsh Award for the promotion of Lepidoptera conservation, and in 2010 the Zoological Society of London's Stamford Raffles Award for contribution to zoology.