IMPORTANT: If you wish to purchase more than 3 Atlases call 01483 795448 or email surreybic@surreywt.org.uk to discuss postage options

By John Pontin

Despite being one of the most urbanised parts of the country, Surrey is one of the best places to study Britain’s ants as it supports 30 out of 42 native species currently recorded from the British Isles. With practice, a host of different species can easily be found in almost every corner of the county, from back gardens to woodlands, chalk downland to heathland and include within their number, Formica rufibarbis, a species now only found in Surrey, but currently restricted to just four nests and as such, arguably the single rarest animal in mainland Britain.

Written to appeal as much to the interested beginner as it is the experienced entomologist, the Ants of Surrey follows the format established by earlier titles in the Surrey Wildlife Atlas Series and includes a comprehensive account of each species including notes on biology, habitat, distribution and status. In addition, the book also includes an illustrated key to workers of ants recorded in Surrey, one of a number of introductory chapters which also cover topics such as general biology and anatomy, the ecological impact of ants, habitats and conservation, ant mimics and species associations (myrmecophily) together with notes on collecting and observing ants in captivity. The book also includes a series of superb colour photographs illustrating many of the species contained in the book including three plates, which show key diagnostic features as an aid to identification.

Hardback with 88 pages, including 16 colour plates.

Published: 2005
ISBN: 0 9526065 9 3

Reviews:

‘The book will…be of considerable interest far beyond the borders of Surrey.’
- Amateur Entomologist’s Society Bulletin

‘This is an excellent book that I would recommend to beginner and expert alike.’
- Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Scheme (BWARS) Newsletter

‘This excellent distillation of John Pontin's lifetime experience of Surrey ants should be in the hands of all habitat managers to inform them about these important and dominant soil insects’

- London Naturalist