Whenever I’ve been on a Med summer holiday my hotel always seems to be next to a pond or pool struggling to survive unrelenting sunshine.

Often there’s white scum around the banks, a film of unappetising algae on what’s left of the water and a bit of a pong. Definitely not the place to swim but absolutely ideal for insects.

Time after time I’ve watched dazzling dragonflies darting backwards and forwards in places like this until, slightly cross-eyed, I needed to look away. It’s always been a problem to identify the foreign individuals even when they land but a new book will make this task much easier in future.

Wild Things: A booming butterfly bonanza

Sixteen years ago those clever chaps at WildGuides published a guide to Britain’s dragonflies and damselflies. Now prolific authors Dave Smallshire and Andy Swash have issued a vastly expanded directory including all the dragonflies and damselflies in Europe. British species are still included but the book also embraces continentals among the 140-strong lineup.

This field guide features all the hallmarks we have come to expect from Princeton University Press in their WildGuides series with more than 1,400 superb colour photographs depicting males, females, immatures, colour forms and subspecies in approximate lifesize.

Concise species profiles highlight key identification features and provide information on behaviour, habitat preferences, distribution, flight periods, status and conservation. Other sections cover identification tips, conservation status and legislation.

Wild Things: An essential guide to Britain's birds

As I write Covid-19 travel restrictions are being lifted around much of Europe allowing delayed holidays to finally go ahead. Drop this book in your hand luggage, avoid that crowded beach for a day and attempt to sort Lilypad Whiteface from Orange Featherleg, Desert Darter from Violet Dropwing, Sombre Goldenwing from Turkish Goldenwing and Broad Scarlet from Black Pennant. These fantastic insects are just too beautiful to ignore even if you are confronted with the counter lure of an ice cream, a beer or that swim in crystal clear water.

An easy-to-read style means the book will appeal to dragonfly enthusiasts of all ages and standards. It will surely become the go-to textbook guide for Odonata.

Europe’s Dragonflies by Dave Smallshire and Andy Swash is published by WildGuides for Princeton University Press. Price £25.