"Great news!! Ladybugs of Alberta is out in print. This magnificent book by our very own John Acorn is published by University of Alberta Press and is available ($29.95) at http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=682. John treats all 75 species of ladybugs in Alberta, including the little tiny ones that few people ever notice. This is more than three times as many species as his two other books in the series (Tiger Beetles and Damselflies) and the book is packed with plenty of original information that clearly makes this John's most scholarly book to date. The style is highly readable, with excellent sections not only on the identification and life history of ladybugs (=ladybird beetles), but also thought-provoking essays on the way in which we think about "alien invaders" and use ladybugs in gardening. This is the first popular guide ever produced on ladybugs in North America, and is sure to have a huge impact well outside of Alberta. Ladybugs of Alberta is a treat all around. No one interested in natural history, entomology, gardening, or integrated pest management should be without it." Felix Sperling, Curator, E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum, University of Alberta
"'Ladybugs are one of Alberta's most charismatic species for a simple reason,' says biologist John Acorn. 'They're simply cute!'... More specifically, ladybugs have rounded contours, short legs, big eyes and wonderful colour patterns.... Between species, ladybugs vary-most are red with black spots but others are black, orange, pink and yellow in colour. And their names, such as the lugubrious ladybug, the twice-stabbed ladybug and the poorly known ladybug, are just as diverse. Acorn's book is filled with information about each and photos...." Caitlin Crawshaw, Folio, May 11, 2007
"Words cannot express our joy!! We who are 'nature nuts' are bugged out about this new book. The staff here at the Police Point Nature Centre just can not wait to get our hands on the new book, and start checking out all the 'ladies.'" Valerie Martins, Nature Interpreter, Medicine Hat Interpretive Program
"This sort of book represents a real sea-change in entomology, and your ladybug book is sure to stimulate a whole new generation of bugwatchers." Steven Marshall, Professor, Environmental Biology, University of Guelph
"John, thanks for another great natural history book! Whether or not you're a 'beetle guy or gal,' John Acorn is worth a read. Science can be fun! So can conservation." Dan Stoker
"Hercules, blotch-backed, twice-stabbed, once squashed and flying saucer. The names are as evocative as they are unusual and an interesting if not surprising factoid in the world of the insects we know as 'ladybugs'.... After reading Acorn's newest book, number three in his Alberta insect series, it is impossible to walk away thinking that the red ladybugs with the distinctive black dots are the end-all be-all of ladybugs. While they may be the more common ladybugs found in this region, saying 'seen one, seen 'em all', is so far from the truth it's like saying all alpine wildflowers are the same. In fact, the range and size of ladybugs is staggering. Some ladybugs are tiny, like the micro ladybug at 1.0 millimetre, and about the thickness of dime, while others are massive (at least by ladybug standards), like the wonderfully-named mealybug destroyer at 4.5 mm. They also come in a broad range of colours and patterns, beyond the red-and-black. Some are entirely black or, like the twice-stabbed ladybug, black with a red dot on each wing cover." Rob Alexander, Rocky Mountain Outlook, May 24, 2007
