Inlcudes an in-depth look at the evolution and incredible diversity of insects, and presents a selection of the most common as well as the most unusual species around the world.

Describes the life cycles, physical characteristics, and behavior of a variety of insects, including the swallowtail butterfly, ant, cricket, and mayfly.

The first book on entomophagy written in this manner, Edible Insects of the World is an enumeration of 2,141 species of edible insects. For the reader’s convenience, insect names are arranged much like a dictionary, first by taxonomic group and then by country. In addition to taxonomic and location information, entries contain applicable details about the history of entomophagy, collecting, cooking, and medicinal uses.

As we follow the path of a giant water bug or peer over the wing of a gypsy moth, we glimpse our world anew, at once shrunk and magnified. Owing to their size alone, insects’ experience of the world is radically different from ours. Air to them is as viscous as water to us. The predicament of size, along with the dizzying diversity of insects and their status as arguably the most successful organisms on earth, have inspired passion and eloquence in some of the world’s most innovative scientists. A World of Insects showcases classic works on insect behavior, physiology, and ecology published over half a century by Harvard University Press. James Costa, Vincent Dethier, Thomas Eisner, Lee Goff, Bernd Heinrich, Bert Hölldobler, Kenneth Roeder, Andrew Ross, Thomas Seeley, Karl von Frisch, Gilbert Waldbauer, E. O. Wilson, and Mark Winston—each writer, in his unique voice, paints a close-up portrait of the ways insects explore their environment, outmaneuver their enemies, mate, and care for kin. Selected by two world-class entomologists, these essays offer compelling descriptions of insect cooperation and warfare, the search for ancient insect DNA in amber, and the energy economics of hot-blooded insects. They also discuss the impact—for good and ill—of insects on our food supply, their role in crime scene investigation, and the popular fascination with pheromones, killer bees, and fire ants. Each entry begins with commentary on the authors, their topics, and the latest research in the field.

Enter the kingdom of bugs and their close relatives for a magical journey through the forest floor, down into the deepest caves, and even across the open ocean... Insects, arachnids, worms, and mollusks are crawling across the pages of this colorful bug book, which combines gorgeous illustrations and photos to help young animal enthusiasts spot and learn all the main bug groups. From dancing bees to cartwheeling spiders, from butterfly athletes to the beetles that eat poo, they'll learn all about the incredible secret world of creepy-crawlies. And they'll find out how bugs help to look after our planet too. The Book of Brilliant Bugs, written by insect expert Jess French and illustrated by Claire McElfatrick, takes children on a fascinating journey of exploration, showing them just how amazing creepy-crawlies are, what they do for our planet, and how we can help them. It includes bug relatives such as slimy slugs, web-spinning spiders, and scuttling centipedes, plus amazing facts on how bugs pass on messages, compete for food, seek true love, and fill the air with buzzing wings.

The number of species that make up insects, arachnids, and myriapoda (centipedes and millipedes) is uncountable and has evolved to fill every possible ecological niche. This visual encyclopedia is a fascinating and informative study of these tiny and amazing creatures. Written by two brothers who have devoted their careers to investigating bugs and insects, this book even features a species never before documented.