AIDGAP series

They are intended to enable students and interested non-specialists to identify groups of taxa in Britain which are not covered by standard field guides.

In many cases the AIDGAP volume is the only non-technical work covering the group of taxa in question.

The Field Studies Council recognised the widespread need for identification guides soon after its inception, and has since established a long tradition of publishing such material.

The FSC initiated the AIDGAP project in 1976, with input from an advisory panel which included a range of organisations such as the Linnean Society, teachers in secondary education and professional illustrators.

In practice today, AIDGAP guides are produced as 'test versions', which are then circulated to at least 100 volunteer 'testers', drawn from a wide range of backgrounds.