Samuel Purdie

A Naturalist’s Guide to the Insects of New Zealand is an easy-to-use, introductory photographic guide to New Zealand’s insects that is perfect for resident and visitor alike. It includes the familiar faces of Aotearoa’s most common insect species, whilst also introducing the iconic, rare and threatened.

High-quality photographs from the author and the country’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitats, and conservation information. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, habitats, insect identification and a glossary. The final section contains an all-important checklist of all of the insect families of New Zealand encompassing risk category and New Zealand conservation status.

Samuel Purdie is a budding conservation scientist with a focus on herpetology and entomology. He is also a passionate science educator and award-winning wildlife photographer who originally hails from Rotorua, New Zealand. He has a BSc in Zoology/Ecology, a PGDip in Wildlife Management and an MSc in Wildlife Management; all of which he received from Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka/The University of Otago. Samuel spends much of his time researching threatened native insects and advocating for Aotearoa’s unsung wildlife. Ever since he was a child, he has been obsessed with creepy crawlies and he is now on a mission to change people’s perceptions about these vulnerable, and misunderstood, creatures.

Specifications:
• 180 x 128 mm (7 x 5”)
• 176 pages
• 36,000 words approx.
• approx. 280 photographs
• ISBN 9781913679675
• £12.99 paperback (UK), NZ$29.99 including GST (New Zealand)
• Publication September
2026