The first in a projected three-volume series represents a comprehensive treatment of the beetles of Australia, a relatively under-studied fauna including many unusual and unique lineages found nowhere else on Earth. The biology and morphology for all major beetle lineages is described and illustrated, and the revised identification keys (currently recognized as one of the most valuable keys worldwide) will aid quarantine agents, biologists and students in identifying members of the most species-rich order of animals. A large section on the adult and larval morphology of beetles and a chapter on the fossil record are also included.

Volume 1 updates and expands Lawrence & Britton's out-of-print Australian Beetles, with improved keys to all beetle families found in Australia, expanded family diagnoses as well as modern classification and additional illustrations. The introduction to beetle morphology and anatomical terms clarifies characters and terminology used in the keys; few other resources for beetle identification include such a detailed morphological background.