Product Description
As the makers of blockbuster movies like The Birds, Jaws and Arachnophobia well know, animal fears are the most commonly reported phobias. Some 6 percent of Americans suffer from diagnosable animal phobia at any given time, and 11 percent will experience an episode at some time in their lives. Nearly three quarters of animal phobia sufferers are women, and most symptoms of animal phobia come on in childhood. Since most people with animal phobias experience panic attacks when they encounter certain animals, these fears can cause victims to lose significant quality of life.

Fortunately, specific phobias are among the most responsive of anxiety disorders to behavior therapy, the research-proven treatment adapted for self-help readers in this book. Readers first learn about their phobia, where it comes from, what factors influence it, and how best to prepare for treatment. Then they learn to confront and overcome their animal and insect phobia. These techniques are effective and fast. The book includes information about avoiding relapse and helping someone else who suffers from an animal phobia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great reading for my 2nd grader
My 7 year-old son loves this series of books (Step-up Books).Also included in the series are Birds Do The Strangest Things, Fish . . ., Animals (i.e. Mammals) . . . and Reptiles.Each book features chapters about different animals, with interesting and unusual facts.They are just at a comfortable reading level for him, without being too easy.He couldn't put these books down and then had to tell me what he had learned.I sought out these books because I remember enjoying them when I was little. ... Read more

Product Description
Insects and fungi have a shared history of association in common habitats where together they endure similar environmental conditions, but only recently have mycologists and entomologists recognized and had the techniques to study the intricacies of some of the associations. This new volume covers "seven wonders of the insect-fungus world" for which exciting new results have become available, often due to the use of new methods that include phylogenetic analysis and development of molecular markers.Eleven chapters of the volume are presented in two sections, "Fungi that act against insects" and "Fungi mutualistic with insects" that cover a number of major themes. Examples of necrotrophic parasites of insects are discussed, not only for biological control potential, but also as organisms with population structure and complex multipartite interactions; a beneficial role for symptomless endophytes in broad-leafed plants is proposed; biotrophic fungal parasites with reduced morphologies are placed among relatives using phylogenetic methods; complex methods of fungal spore dispersal include interactions with one or more arthropods; the farming behavior of New World attine ants is compared with that of humans and the Old World fungus-growing termites; certain mycophagous insects use fungi as a sole nutritional resource; and other insects obtain nutritional supplements from yeasts.Insects involved in fungal associations include--but are not limited to--members of the Coleoptera, Diptera, Homoptera, Hymenoptera, and Isoptera. The fungi involved in interactions with insects may be clustered taxonomically, as is the case for Ascomycetes in the Hypocreales (e.g., Beauveria, Metarhizium, Fusarium), ambrosia fungi in the genera ophiostoma and ceratocystis and their asexual relatives, Laboulbeniomycetes, Saccharomycetes, and the more basal Microsporidia. Other groups, however, have only occasional members (e.g., mushrooms cultivated by attine ants and termites) in such associations. The chapters included in this volume constitute a modern crash course in the study of insect-fungus associations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

excellent overview of the subject
The book gives an excellent overview of parasitic and synergistic relations between insects and fungi. I was looking very long for a treatment of the subject in total, very happy now, that I found it.

Scintillating Symbiosis
Biology often reveals worlds within worlds, and this book does an excellent job of describing the extraordinarily complex relationships between insects and fungi.Yeast-eating beetles!Fungi hiding in the leaves of plants!Ants that tend fungus gardens - like tiny mushroom farmers!This scholarly volume will open your eyes to some of the more subtle wonders of nature. ... Read more

Product Description
The insect world is unmatched for its array of colorful species and their distinctive behaviors. Once you notice the tiny creatures, you can hardly stop watching as they fly gracefully, burrow busily, dance delicately, or even bang clumsily against you.

What are they doing? What do we call them? And why are they among the most successful life forms on Earth? Large color photographs get you close to the scintillating tiger beetle, the well-dressed rainbow grasshopper, the zippy orange skimmer, and even the blood-thirsty kissing bug. You’ll meet common southwestern species such as the mysterious black witch, the giant palo verde root borer (3 to 4 inches long!), the very focused tarantula hawk, and the rude Pinacate beetle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

lacking information about habitat
Although the pictures are great, I found the information to be cumbersome. Only 1 page of info for each insect - no habitat information, no - how do they catch their prey?, no - where do they hang out?, when do they mate? do they bite? are they harmful?
If all you want is the genus & species and categorization - this book's for you-if not, go to another... ... Read more

Product Description
Young readers will definitely catch the bug when they see this enticing, fact-filled invitation to explore the world of insects.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Right now, all around us, thousands of insects are doing strange and wonderful things: wasps are building nests, ants are collecting food, and dragonflies are readying for the hunt. But it’s not always easy to catch sight of these six-legged creatures: you have to know where to look. Guided by this book, readers will happily become insect detectives and find out just what those bugs are up to. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

All the young bug lovers out there will be fascinated by the facts they find in this book!
If you take a walk outside you'll be able to see the tiniest wonders of nature if you look closely.For every one person there are "about 200 million insects" in existence.It's not always easy to spot some insects, but if you know where to look you can find them.This book will give you a few little hints to find them readily.If you listen closely when you are near a fence you may hear a "scratching sound" made by a wasp who is collecting wood.Once she scrapes away bits of wood she "mixes it into a soft pulp in her mouth" and makes it into paper for a nest, a nest that is made by many wasps.Ants make their nest underground and "finding an ants' nest is easy: First find an ant. . .and follow it."How easy is that?

Once you learn about where and how an insect lives you will be treated to a few interesting facts.Take for example, the leaf-miner caterpillar.When you spot "squiggly lines" on a leaf you will learn that the insect "protects itself by living between the top and bottom layers of leaves."Some insects like the Herald moth camouflage themselves by staying in places where they can easily blend in with their surroundings.In this book you will learn to tell the difference between insects and other creatures, you'll learn about ground beetles, dragonflies, how you can become an "insect detective," and many other fascinating facts about the natural world of insects.

All the young bug lovers out there will be fascinated by the facts they find in this book.One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how it relays to a young person how they can search for and find insects.The book's setup is in an appealing picture book format, a format that will encourage even the most reluctant reader to take a peek.Offset print (much smaller than the regular text) gives additional factual material to browse.For example, when dragonflies are discussed we also learn that "Dragonfly nymphs are the young, wingless versions of adult dragonflies."The artwork is delectably soft and quite appealing.In the back of the book is an index and several fun ways to become a competent "insect detective."

Wonderful nonfiction fact filled book in a picture book format
Ants, wasps, dragonflies are all around and you can find them if you are an insect detective. This informative nonfiction book reads like a picture book but provides age appropriate facts like a topflight nonfiction book. The illustrations are a delight and enhance the reader's experience as one joins the author on a walk discovering insects and finding out wonderful pieces of information about each.At the end of the book readers get several nifty tips about how to collect and observe insects. A reader friendly index is a welcome surprise as well.
... Read more

Product Description
What is it? Why is it in your garden? How can you make it go away? Or should you try to keep it there? Use this book to know what's what in your garden, lawn, and landscape. Uncover the identity of each garden mystery you meet, them learn exactly what-- if anything-- to do about it. From banishing pests and diseases to wiping out weeds to creating a haven for garden good guys, you'll find safe, sensible, all-organic recommendations to help you make the best choices for our garden.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Insect disease & Weed
/this book was also purchased for my sister who lives in Missouri. I am sure that she enjoyed it and found it very useful and informative. She had another copy of it but gave it to someone else in her garden club so wanted another one exactly like the one she gave away which is this one.

insect and weed i.d.
not enough info on Arizona weeds and insects.i.e., nutgrass, scorpions, etc.

Excellent Reference
Very good illustrations and easy format make it simple to find what's invading your garden whether it be an insect, disease or weed.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Offering a complete accounting of the insects of North America, this handbook is an up-dated edition of the first handbook ever compiled in the history of American entomology.By using American Insects, A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico, Second Edition, the reader can quickly determine the taxonomic position of any species, genus, or higher taxon of insect known to occur in America and Canada. Every order, family, and genus is conveniently numbered and indexed, making this volume the only complete single source for all of the names of orders, families, and genera currently available. This book fills the need for an accurate way toidentify, with the several hundred drawings and photos, the common insects of all orders.Now there is a tool available to those working without a major collection and library; and those who would like to have a general knowledge of insect life without becoming overwhelmed by the vast number of minute insect species.This usable guide provides sizes, shapes, color patterns and salient features of some species of each major family by pointing out those groups most likely to be encountered, including all North America pests.WHAT'S NEW IN THIS EDITION?oCaptions are restoredinto the text and all are present!oResearchers in many orders use the results of cladistics, a new tool for determining the relationship of orders, families, genera, and species of organisms, including plants as well as animalsoSpecialists have provided lengthy lists of generic changesoMany of the identification keys have been revised by adding more illustrations and making sure all description terms are in the GlossaryoThe bibliographies of each Order section have been updated to include all important works that have appeared since the original edition ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Beware the description of this book
This is a supplement to my earlier review.Note that the description of American Insects, by Arnett,... is based on the first edition, in which "Every order, family, and genus is conveniently numbered and indexed" and you could "quickly determine the taxonomic position of any species, genus, or higher taxon of insect known to occur in America and Canada."This is not the case in the second edition.You can look up major genera only.

Subfamilies are listed under an entry for the family, not under the subfamily name, which means you _can't_ quickly determine their taxonomic positions. You have to know the taxonomic position in order to look up the subfamilies.This defeats one major purpose of the book, and renders it not very usable.

Whoever provided the text for the book description apparently just carried it over from the previous edition, without taking into account the changes in the new edition.This isn't by a long stretch the same book.

Once excellent book devalued
As a naturalist and amateur entomologist, I found the first edition of this book especially useful for looking up unfamiliar genera and species of insects, to find out where they fit in the scheme of insect taxonomy.

Unfortunately, CRC Press, the publisher of the second edition, has cut corners by reducing the size of the index from 128 pages for 714 pages of text in the first edition to 57 pages for 931 pages of text in the second edition.This was accomplished by eliminating all but the major genera from the index.In my opinion, this seriously diminishes the value of the book.The best information in the world is useless if you can't access it efficiently.A book like this lives or dies by the quality of its index.

After purchasing the book in early January, 2001 and quickly discovering the problem, I wrote to the publisher to complain and to ask that they make available a complete index as a supplement.I have yet to receive a response from them.The book's author, Ross Arnett, was upset when the publisher of the first edition inadvertently left out the photo captions in proof and wouldn't restore them.I have to think he is spinning in his grave over the gutting of the index in the second edition, a much more serious affair.

I'd love to be able to recommend the second edition of this book. However, unless the publisher remedies the index problem, I can't.Unless you want it primarily for the keys, I suggest looking for a used copy of the first edition. ... Read more

Product Description

Insect Behavior is the second edition of the text that for thirty years served as the fundamental introduction to a field of study that has been growing enormously. Today, new technologies and understandings are allowing questions to be shaped—and answered—in ways that once could not have been envisioned. However, massive new information also can overwhelm and obscure the broader perspectives needed to put new discoveries into context. Thus, the times fairly demand that students and non-specialists seek a wider understanding of diverse proximate and ultimate forces that cause animals to behave as they do.

This book provides that opportunity. The authors strike a balance between modern developments and historical insights, between new examples and old, between empirical work and theory, and between pertinent conclusions and the dynamic field and laboratory experiences from which such discoveries arise. Considerably updated and expanded, this edition includes 26 case studies, as well as 45 new color plates and 173 figures (over 40% of them new) with detailed legends that add richness to the well-written, accessible text.

Like the course that originally inspired it, Insect Behavior will find utility at the graduate and senior undergraduate level for college and university students. However, although some background in entomology or animal behavior is helpful, an in-depth knowledge is not a prerequisite. Thus, the book also invites comparative psychologists, science educators, and all others with an interest in the physically small but inestimably important creatures that comprise three-quarters of all animal life on our planet.

Customer Reviews (3)

GOOD PHOTO GUIDE, SHORT AND SWEET DESCRIPTIONS
This book is a very short photo guide book of insects in the Amazon.In 160 short pages (each page is about 1/2 of a regular page's size), the author covers some of the most picturesque species of insects one is likely to find in the Amazon.

In a recent trip I brought the guide along to see if I could distinguish some of the species I encountered.Though I found many insects similar to the ones in the book, I noticed that the book did not describe the most common ones, such as regular flies and mosquitos.These are the most abundant and bothersome kinds, but are out of the book probably because they are not very interesting.

Overall, this is an interesting guide and the pictures are definitely amazing.Would benefit from the addition of the more boring insects.

A pocket delight
A pocket-sized gem that makes a great companion for the Amazon traveller or armchair enthusiast alike, opening up a world of breathtaking - if Lilliputian - diversity. No, it's not a dry scientific compendium, but the author says as much at the start of the book. It's an easily accessible intro: perfect for the vast majority of travellers to the region. The color photos are superb, and make for easy identification of this selection of the region's most fascinating and emblematic insects. Check out the mimicry of these little marvels -- you may find yourself being drawn into their little world with more passion than you'd ever have expected!

Field Tested
This past summer I had the opportunity to visit the amazon rainforest and scoured the net and bookstores for literature about amazonian insects.I found this selection @ amazon.com and eagerly anticipated its arrival.The book is small and nicely writen.I appreciated the bilanguality of it, and found a nice sampling of insects within.Unfortunitly, as a serious entomologist, I found the book little more than entertaining.With the sheer diversity of life in that region, I'm not sure if several volumes worth of pictures and data could justify.Though a nice conversation piece, this book is not for the serious traveler or professional interested in a realistic sampling of insect life from the amazon region. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the physical characteristics, lifestyles, and environmental effects of such insects as ants, beetles, flies, and spiders. ... Read more

Product Description

*Crickets, katydids, shieldbacks, coneheads, trigs, and angle-wings across the northeastern United States

*Full-color illustrations depict each insect in extraordinary detail

*Enclosed audio CD features songs and calls

The mysteries behind the musical chirps, buzzes, and songs of the night are revealed in this guide to night-singing insects. Includes in-depth information on the three main families of these insects-the katydids, mole crickets, and true crickets-as well as full-color illustrations showing the unique features of each species. Readers will learn where to find each species, what colors and physical attributes are important, how species compare with one another, and how various sounds can help identify a particular insect. Complete with an audio guide and CD, this package is the only resource readers will need to study these small yet amazing insects of the night.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

EXTREMELY COMPLETE GUIDE AND A BEAUTIFUL CD
This book with accompanying CD seems perfect to me.The author, John Himmelman, is an author/illustrator of children's books (I have one on my shelf waiting to be read entitled Who's at the Seashore?).For this particular book he did the line drawings, but enlisted a wildlife artist and friend of his, Mike DiGiorgio, to paint the plates.It is a collaborative effort that took eight years to complete.Both of them seem to have made the recordings.

The drawings are very detailed and very clear, the text carefully informative, and I particularly found helpful drawings of the katydid anatomy and the cricket anatomy.In them you can really see their similarities and differences.At the back of the book, there is an audio guide to follow while listening to the CD, and also a glossary, index of scientific names and an index of common names.I point this out to demonstrate how really precise, thorough and planned out this book is.It covers more than 70 species of night-singing insects.

I have always loved cricket sounds, but I confess that I purchased the CD to entertain my canary and my Senegal parrot, as I felt that as they are housebound, it would be nice to introduce them to the sounds of nature.It didn't take long before both of them were vociferously joining in, finding the CD sounds most exciting.The sounds of the insects are fascinating to me also.They almost give one a mystical feeling.

The author and the illustrator are to be commended for their commitment to this wonderful work.

Amazing guide
I've been waiting for this book. I can now put a name to the "face" and the song of these night critters. Illustrations are beautiful watercolors, created with loving care, and accurate to the tiniest details. The accompanying CD of all of their songs, identified by species, and with brief song description, is an invaluable help to learn to associate the song with the insect. I highly recommend this guide.

Stop DON'T MISS THIS BOOK
74 SPECIES of Katydids and Crickets by Jiminy!!!
Each with a real life jump out of the book color plate!!!
Recordings of each insect that puts you in a childhood memory of a summer night field.
8 years it took towrite this story putting your eyeball at ground level visiting in the living room with your favorite Orthoptera.

Kids, Teachers, Grandmas, Families at Camp, Cats, Birds, and Fellow Katydids and Crickets; Don't Miss this Book!!!

A great addition to a nature library
A while back I purchased "The songs of insects" by Lang Elliot and Hershberger, a beautiful book in its own right. Night Singing Insects addresses a more specific region than the forementioned book, and is illustrated with excellent paintings rather than photos. This book is an obvious labor of love (By two amatuer entomologists) and I cant wait for warmer weather to take it out and use it. I live in North Eastern Pennsylvannia so I am assuming that this book covers my region fairly well. My only quible is that the ranges are vague, but Im not sure that definative range maps would work with insects. My only other quible (Im writting them in) is that the excellent sound recording corellation numbers arn't listed by page with the insects they apply to. Congratualtions gentleman on an excellent field guide to a somewhat neglegted insect group. ... Read more

Product Description
A humorously illustrated collection of funny and thought-provoking poems about insects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not your average children's book!
From "not your average author," multi-talented Barry Louis Polisar, comes this not-your-average children's book. It presents a lively collection of some common and not-so-common insects (among them the dungbeetle and the praying mantis). One reason I liked it: it's funny stuffabout REAL insects, not made-up, fantasy bugs. It also has nice big print(for early readers) and humorous illustrations in rich, beautiful color byDavid Clark (1996 winner of the Rubin Award for Newspaper Illustration fromthe National Cartoonist Society). The terse wit of Polisar's poems bringsOgden Nash to mind, as in "Take my advice / Avoid all lice. / Theysimply are / Not very nice." Enough said?--Editor, Montessori Life ... Read more

Product Description
Guide to capturing butterflies, spiders, bees, ants, and even scorpions on film. Provides expert instruction in close-up photography and new fill-flash techniques. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good book for newbees
Nice book wish I had read this first. If you are new to macro or just shooting bugs this book should help you out a lot I did get a few things out of this book I would recommend it for anybody just starting out.

Getting Close to Insects
One would think that with all of the changes that have occurred on the technical side of photography in the last 10 years, a book on macrophotography published 10 years ago would be out of date.Well this one isn't, and if one keeps a few concepts in mind, is almost as good as anything one can find on the subject of close-ups of insects.

After a brief introduction, the author promptly launches into a discussion of the equipment that one needs to take insect close-ups.Luckily, TTL flash, one of the boons of modern technology, was already on the scene, so the equipment discussion, whether of macro lenses, close-up diopters or tripods, is still applicable.The only thing that has changed is the availability of digital media.As long as one remembers that digital photographers have the ability to change the ISO speed of the media with each shot, and that exposure may be easily checked with histograms and "blinkies" there is no cause for concern here.

Although the author's excellent pictures are used throughout the book, the second section is a portfolio of the author's insect and spider pictures, where he describes the circumstances surrounding the taking of each picture in detail.

In the third part of the book the author discusses what he calls "Photographics", that is, the techniques to be applied for the use of the equipment which he previously discussed.He dwells on exposure and tonality and talks about the differing requirements for using three types of light: natural light, fill flash and total flash.

Finally West talks about finding subjects, including the ethics involved in photographing insects.

The author's words are simple, clear and concise and if you follow his instructions you should be able to take good pictures of insects.I have only a few quibbles.

I believe that his discussion of total flash photography could have emphasized the importance of making sure that the flash was far stronger than any ambient light to prevent blurred images.Thus, even though all of the pictures in the book of the author taking photographs in the field show his flash on a mount that places the flash as far forward as the front of the camera lens, he did not make it clear that this was to help overcome the ambient light or tell you in the text that this position was desirable.Similarly he could have suggested that using a low ISO with flash also helps to reach this same objective.

I was also disappointed that there was no significant discussion of taking pictures of flying insects, since this is far more difficult than taking pictures of stationary insects, and yields far more exciting pictures.

John Shaw, in his "Nature Photography Field Guide" covers the same ground as this book, although with less emphasis on insects and more instruction on other aspects of outdoor photography.If you really want to see terrific insect macrophotography, see John Brackenbury's "Close Up".There's not much instruction there, but lots of inspiration.

West's book is a fine guide for insect macrophotography, with excellent pictures to serve as an example.

Insects & Spiders; beautiful
Yes, I have bought a book "How to photograph Insects & Spiders" by Larry West with Julie Ridl. The mentioned book includes five parts which spread across main problems concerning the macro-photography. The authors write about special accessories for this photo-category and they show their photo-macro gears inclusive the special tools.How use a tripod, tripod heads, an extension rings, multipliers and flash. The book describes a negative/positive film differences and shortly look at the E-6 and K-14 developing process. Larry West has opened own Portfolio with many, many beautiful color photohraphies (mailny spiders - Misumena vatia, Geolycosa turricola, Lycosa gulosa,...). He describes a tonal tricks for take a shot on slides. Where to meter a background and meter some white part photography field. The book includes a magnification table for Area Covered, Subjects and Equipment.
I can recommend this book for beginners even for pros too (Rene Novak, studio er67 - prague).

The secrets are very simple
Thanks to West for an extra-ordinary work and interest to publish this book of his experience. The depth of coverage was excellent! This is a sort of bible for amateur and pros for taking insects.Simple instruments (costeffective) suggested by West.I could afford to buy the recommendedaccessories next day of receiving the book, locally.Believe me, I havegone through the book (about 175 pages) in one breath, overnight,sacrificing my sleep for the excellent creatures of God. I rate this 5star, because you need to estimate my review only after you read the book.

Great Advice from a Great Photographer
One thing I love about this book is that West talks about techniques such as stacking supplementaries that John Shaw advises against. It just shows there is more than one way to achieve your desired magnification. West doesa great job of outlining subjects such as exposure and equipment, both ofwhich are vital in this type of photography. However,he also provides indepth coverage on his approach to finding and working with insects in thefield-a topic of at least equal importance. He backs up his advice withsuperb examples of his work. A great book that pleasantly surprised me! ... Read more

Product Description
The combined work of over seventy leading scholars, each an authority in his or her field, under the sponsorship of CSIRO - a project of international significance - an entirely updated edition. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London ; New York : T. Nelson and SonsPublication date: 1875Subjects: InsectsNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Uses photographs and simple text to explain the definition of an insect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good illustrations
The book is set up in a picture format that has an insect on one side and something else (worm, frog, crab etc) on the other. There are plenty of openings for discussions about insects and what they are and why they are classified as such for the four to eight year old. If you turn to the last few pages there is more of an explanation about insects (just in case your memory is rusty).

Great for ESOL and beginning readers!
Enjoy and make use of these books.Beginning readers get a lot of support from these books. ... Read more

Product Description
Photographed in full color. Discover butterflies who taste with their feet,

an aphid that produces its young without mating, and honeybees who talk to each

other by dancing. "Don't miss this book."--Science Books & Films.




... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very basic coverage!
This book has very basic coverage of some arachnids, myriapods and insects. The title is completely inappropriate because there are a total of 3 scorpions covered when the region has more than 30! A more fitting title would have been "An overview of some stinging and biting arthropods of the southwest." Has some drawings, a few color plates in the center but mostly black and white photos of relatively poor quality. Each species account has a common and scientific name, identification, range, habitat, reproduction, food and bite/sting. May be useful to hobbyists and people living in the southwest for avoiding bites and stings of these creatures. ... Read more

Product Description
"Insects get a bum rap." So says world-renowned entomologist Gilbert Waldbauer, whose enthusiasm and engrossing writing on the subject of insects have been praised by the New York Times Book Review, the Times Literary Supplement, and many other prestigious publications. In this fascinating, beautifully illustrated book, Dr. Waldbauer explains that the "bum rap" is mainly due to the small percentage of bugs that are a nuisance or harmful to humanity, the pests that make up less than 2 percent of all insects. He profiles twenty such "troublesome bugs," showing how the study of these creatures has led scientists to many basic discoveries that have enhanced our understanding of life.

The reader learns how an American entomologist was awarded France’s gold medal of honor for rescuing the French wine industry from destruction by the aphid-like "grape phylloxera"; how the World Health Organization almost completely eradicated malaria through the use of DDT before the insect adapted to the insecticide and became resistant; how some insects disguise themselves to avoid detection; how others survive the subzero temperatures of winter; why some flies have a uterus and a mammary gland; and many more strange and tantalizing true tales about these wonderful, troublesome "pests"—pests that have taught us vital lessons about survival, nature, and the environment. A natural storyteller, Dr. Waldbauer has written a bug book that you won’t be able to put down. Whether you relish every story from cover to cover or thumb through to find your "favorite," most resourceful insects, you’ll come away with a new appreciation for the marvelous tiny creatures that are essential to the web of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Lessons from the Real Owners of the Planet!
Gilbert Waldbauer has written several entertaining and informative books on insects, but "Insights from Insects: What Bad Bugs Can Teach Us" may well be his best, both from the importance of the subject and because of the clarity with which he expounds it.Insects have always fascinated me and Waldbauer explains why we all should at least pay attention to these real owners (along with worms, microorganisms and plants) of planet earth.

Starting with the most dangerous insects on earth- mosquitoes (malaria kills about a million people a year worldwide and is now re-invading the United States, and it is just one of the diseases that mosquitoes vector) - and going on through the house fly, the "fruit fly" (used in laboratory genetics studies), aphids, the tsetse fly, the bagworm, the black swallowtail (a pest of carrots and relatives), the cabbage white, the corn earworm, the gypsy moth, the grape phylloxera, and several others, ending with the screwworm fly, Waldbauer explains the trials and successes of human attempts to tame"bad bugs."From the failures and environmental disasters of DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons to the success ofsterile male release for screwworm and the successes and failures of biocontrol, scientists have learned a great deal about the insect world, natural selection, genetics and protecting our crops and our health and the health of our domestic animals. Waldbauer covers each of his subjects in an entertaining and informative way, leaving you with the satisfaction of knowing an amazing amount about each of the insects discussed.

If you only have time for one book on economic insects, this would be it. I recommend it without reservation!

A good read
This book is a pretty fun read. It has all kinds of fun comparisons, and a few interesting pictures. I also like pretty books, and this one has a very vivid cover, and made well. This book covers mosquitoes, house flies, drosophila, corn rootworms, fruit flies, aphids, tsetse fly, evergreen bagworm, black swallowtail butterfly, cabbage white butterfly, corn earworm, gypsy moth, grape phylloxera, codling moth, european corn borer, japanese beetle, chinch bug, hessian fly, cottony cushion scale, and the screwworm fly.

A delightful compendium of insect facts
From casual readers who enjoy natural history and bugs to students at the high school and college levels, Insights From Insects: What Bad Bugs Can Teach Us provides a delightful compendium of insect facts. Twenty chapters on twenty insects move from swallowtail butterflies to moths and worms as they provide fun facts and natural history. ... Read more