Insects Books

I am a fourth-year biology undergrad at the University of Toronto. My program has consisted largely of ecology, evolution, and behavior, and throughout it I have attempted to incorporate my lifelong fascination with dragonflies into many of my research projects, essays, etc. Recently, while drafting a paper on the conservation of rare/significant dragonflies for a Conservation Biology class, I came across (and relied heavily upon) P.S. Corbet's book, Dragonflies: Behavior and Ecology of Odonata. I was beyond impressed. Having sifted through as much primary and secondary literature as I could get my hands on, his book quickly found the top of the pile, being by far the most current, comprehensive, and well-written study of dragonfly ecology and life history. In fact, my enthusiasm for his work must have been quite apparent, as my girlfriend thoughtfully gave me a copy for Christmas, so I could avoid any further library fines for a book I simply couldn't give back! I consider this book a must-have for any aspiring odonatologist, and highly recommend it to anyone who is awed (as I am) by these wonderful insects. Dragonflies: Behavior and Ecology of Odonata affords not only an educational, but a truly pleasurable read--a combination that only someone with personal enthusiasm and lifetime experience in a subject could produce. Anyone with a copy of Walker on the shelves should be sure to place Prof. Corbet's work next to it, as it truly represents a new standard in Odonatological literature.

Cory Robertson University of Toronto Hon. B.Sc. Biology

I bought this book as soon as it was published as a reference for my undergraduate senior thesis and it has since become one of my most invaluable sources of odonate information. As an entomologist with a passion for odonates, this book has always been a favorite of mine and for good reason. Corbet is one of the foremost odonate scientists in the world and after reading this phenomenal book, you will understand why. It is clear that the author knows an extraordinary amount of information about the ecology and behavior of these insects. He loves his subject and clearly wishes to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject with others. In Dragonflies, Corbet presents a huge amount of information in an informative, yet straightforward manner, making excellent use of tables and illustrations where needed. This book is an awesome collection of a hundred years' worth of odonate research condensed into one concise, staggeringly complete volume. This is the sort of work all scientists should dream of writing. If there is anything you want to know about odonate behaviors known to science, you will find it in this book. Don't be put off by the price or the length - if you're seriously interested in dragonflies, it doesn't get any better than this.

It is a masterpiece, bound to remain indispensable to biologists for years to come.

We have a huge library of children's books for my two boys ages 2 years and 10 months, and this is an all time favorite! It has a great rhyming story and the illustrations are hysterical.....My older son asks for it almost every night as his bed time story.....a really wonderful book!

My 10th grade child loved this book it helped him write a 10 page research paper for english. The imagry and personal connections were plentyfull.

My 3-year-old son really enjoys this book. Fun illustrations with simple sentances. Not too text heavy which is perfect for toddlers. His favorite part is when a tick yells Mayday! mayday...Danger ahead! A good lesson about the consequences of a selfish and bad lie.

We bought this board book for our 16 month old daughter at the art museum in Chicago because it was so colorful and cute. My daughter loves this book so much. She is almost 2 now and she can say many of the words and loves to say and mimic the things that cleo is doing on each page. We were so happy to find that more Cleo books exist at the library too! There isn't a night that goes by that we don't read this book before bed. It ends with Cleo going to sleep and is very good for reading before bedtime.

My son got this book as a Christmas present when he was 9 months old. The book was a great read then, and we still enjoy it now that he is almost 2. I think it has a lot more use left in it. The book has really nice pictures, and a nice rhyme. We are cat lovers here, so this book was an especially big hit.

I love looking at children's books now that I have had my first child. But as I have shopped, I've learned that many books marked Baby to Preschool are not always appropriate for a baby under 1 or even 2 (aside from being excellent for chewing) because the topic or text is too advanced. But sometimes, it's nice to find a book that conceptually works for the little ones. And this book is perfect. Very simple text about a little cat who wants to find a friend and a home. The story is not too cloying, and it's not silly. But it is humorous, cute, and sweet. The colorful artwork matches the sweet, rhyming text. Highly recommended.

One evening in bed Eric, a third grader studying for a test on insects, magically enters grandfather's painting that depicts a meadow filled to the brim with insects. When Erik understands what actually has happened, he decides to start his search for the frame of the painting, so that he can jump back to his room. This quest will get him in contact with a colorful world of friendly and sometimes not so friendly insects. The wasps, bees, butterflies and other critters are all intrigued by that strange creature that calls himself Erik. As he gets invited to their homes, Erik discovers that in the end the difference between man en insect is not that big. You can indeed learn a lot from the insects, although they themselves have also quite a lot to learn.

Godfried Bomans published this Dutch novel (Erik of het klein insectenboek) originally in 1941. Meanwhile it has been translated in English as Eric in the Land of the Insects. Although the style is a bit outdated, most obvious in the old-fashioned dialogues, it still is an enjoyable read. The comparison with Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is easily made, because the undertone of absurdity is present throughout the whole story. Nevertheless Erik is less forceful in advertising a certain sense of morality and good behavior. After reading the story you get more the impression that Godfried wanted to us to more enjoy the little things of life. A message that can never get outdated anyway.

Eric was going to sleep for the Insect test the next day. When Eric was about to fall asleep he saw his grandfathers picture come to life and started talking to Eric. Then eric got out of his bed and went to see his grandmothers picture and she wasn't there. Eric then touched the corner of one of the grassy places of the picture and got sucked into the frame. There he landed on a petal and was sitting next to a wasp. the wasp invited eric to his house, the inside of the flower. Then the wasp asked Eric to stay but Eric knew he couldn't. So then the waso called for a taxi bee that took him to a snail apartment villige. There he lift the bee and met a snail that took him around showing his apartments. The daddy longleg, caterpiller, horsefly, and etc. then one day the caterpiller didn't come to eat so they all went in his room and saw a cacoon. Then the snail wanted to kick the cacoon out but Eric said that it was okay and he will pay the bills. A few weeks later a butterfly came in and said "where am I?" Eric then payed the bill by taking a piece of his paper and giving it th the snail. That night eric and the butterfly flew off together untill the butterfly saw another female butterfly. The two butterflys got engaged and then Eric was by himself again doing his journey to get out of this world. Then Eric met a gigantic spider and in a few moment it was about to stike. then Eric woke up and saw the spider dead and three beetles standing in front of him. The leader beetle then asked eric to come with him and Eric did so. they went underground and then Eric ran away into a maze of tunnels. Then Eric met a group of ants that needed to hatch the larvas. Then Eric told the ants too take it outside and Eric went with them. Then the ants called Eric to go to a meeting about a great battle. Eric wanted to and went to battle withe the ants. Then another tribe of ant went into battle with them and just when the ants were going to kill Eric. He woke up and went to take his test at school. He failed it and had to sleep an hour early that day. When he was growing up he never told anyone about that experience. From that day forward he cared for the insects and always wandered that if that dream was real.

This book was very interesting and exiting. It takes yoou on an adventure that you will never go in you life. It makes you want to read on and has interesting details that you might catch. I can't describe this book well enough because it's too good of an adventure book.

My favorite part is when he runs away from everyone that he meets and how it ended. These parts are my favorite because first he has to run from everyone because he isn't an insect and the ending summarized the story.

This book is absolutely delightful! I am afraid that the targetted audience (ages 9-12, grades 5-8) are just that segment of the population that will, temporarily, not really appreciate it. I read it aloud to my five year old daughter and I would be hard pressed to say who enjoyed it more. She loved the fantasy and adventure. I was charmed by the quaint language and usage and amused by the satire. My husband is now reading it and says it's a great way to relax at the end of the day - it puts all the quotidian nonsence into perspective! I suggest getting this book to read to your toddlers and then putting it away until they are ready for a bit of fun to unwind while studying for college finals: it will awaken fond memories, and be something they can continue to go back to for a pleasant "time out" from "fast-paced modern-day living".

I was somewhat surprised to learn that there are dragonfly-watchers (like bird-watchers, but with their binoculars refocused). I assumed that different species of dragonfly couldn't be told apart, except perhaps by a specialist under microscope. Besides, I usually run when I see these large, sturdy insects, some of which seem to be larger than a House Sparrow! Their somewhat smaller cousins, the damselflies, don't appeal to me either.

In reality, it often *is* possible to identify dragonflies, although it probably takes more training (and guts) than identifying birds or butterflies. Dragonfly species can be told apart by their color, size, wing color, habitat or general behavior. Often, similar species occupy different, non-overlapping ranges. Occasionally, however, it is necessary to catch a dragonfly and take a closer look at its appendages to place it in the correct species (the appendages are used by dragonfly males to catch and hold the females).

This book is a field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of Europe, northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) and western Turkey. The guide also covers the Canary Island, Azores, Madeira and Cyprus. Please note that Russia isn't included, while Belarus and the Ukraine are. About 160 species live in the area covered by the book, and they are all included. The illustrations are in color, and there are also color photos of many species. There are detailed range maps for every species, and descriptions to aid identification, including information on flight season, habitat and general habits. The guide also contains identification keys.

Perhaps most importantly, the guide also contains an extensive chapter on exactly where the dragonflies can be found. Of course, dragonflies can be found pretty much everywhere, but some places are better than others, especially if you want to find rare species, or as many different species as possible in one single location. Where should the avid dragonfly-watcher go if he or she visits Tunisia, Slovakia or Sweden? Apparently, my closest haunt would be Lake Mårdsjön north of Stockholm, where one can find 17 species of dragonfly and damselfly, including the Green Hawker, the Bog Hawker and the Arctic Bluet! (I will avoid that lake from now on.)

Recommended.

PS. Dragonflies and damselflies are, of course, harmless to humans...

;-)

I was most pleased with this volume. The illustrations are large and beautiful and the very clear range maps are conveniently located on the same pages with the discriptions. When a species is found in the new world it's American name is given also. This is the near perfect guide to European Odonates and is well worth every penny I paid for it.

This brand new guide is now the top guide to the Odonata of Europe. It covers the 120 species found in Europe, plus 40 more from western Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Azores, Canaries and Madeira. The key attraction, for me at least, is the plates by Richard Lewington. We have come to expect the very highest standards from this artist and we are certainly not disappointed here, either by technical prowess or aesthetic impact. The text is firm, concise and authoritative too.

The guide begins with preliminary chapters such as 22 pages of introduction to identification of sub-orders, families and genera and a handy 28 page regional guide to the best sites for observing Odonata written by Europe's leading experts.

The body of the guide is organised as follows. Each genus is treated to an Identification section covering diagnosis, separation from other genera, separation of the species, and behaviour. A similar identification section is devoted to each species, this time comprising a general statement, field characters, hand characters, variation, and behaviour. The general statement is helpful for the beginner. For example, the text for Anax imperator reads "A common and conspicuous dragonfly of African origin, which only recently has colonised large parts of northern Europe. Patrolling males are easily recognised by their size, unmarked green thorax and blue abdomen with a black mid-dorsal stripe." Identification is followed by a section on Occurrence: range & status, habitat, flight season. The range is plotted on a large, clear map some 5.5 cm square.

Nearly 1000 large, annotated, full-colour illustrations depict males, females and any variation. Annotated pointers draw the reader's attention to key identification marks. Line drawings and monochrome sketches depict further critical detail such as genitalia. Each species is usually afforded a photograph too.

Note that the identification of larvae and exuviae - an entirely different proposition - is not covered by this guide.

This book is essential to anyone interested in dragonflies. It will become the standard guide for European dragonflies and of key relevance to the observer in Britain too.

This book is easy and fun to read. I gave one to a 10 year old girl who reads it every day !! I also gave it to a 5 year old who loves to read it and look at the great illustrations (pictures). It has a great story line and can keep you busy for hours.

This book is a great reminder that helping each other is what life should be about. Fiona the "bug" becomes a little brighter w/ each good deed until she becomes a beautiful firefly. I wish there were more children's books out there that have a cute story while teaching a lesson at the same time. I'm anxious for more books from this author!!!

Fiona the Firefly is simply one of the most adorably illustrated, heartfelt books for children I have read in years. Fiona is a firefly who doesn't feel "special," and wonders why she isn't like the other bugs. But she learns how to "let her light shine" in her own delightful way. Most enchanting about this book are the elderly ants, the "Pest Shop" and the acts of kindness Fiona dreams up.
Add this to your book shelf!

Very few humans, accept for some aboriginal communities, respect earth's natural processes. Walter gets it. It is us humans, who want to exploite the earth to our benefit that is throwing the planet out of balance. Dr. Walt realizes that fire ants have learned to thrive on our disturbances of the ecosystem. Anyone who is willing to take the time to write a 750+ page large format, fine print book on such a hated insect must be respected. What a phenomenal composition. Take a chance on this book.

Southerners hate fire ants. Let alone that they are convinced that fire ants ruin land and ravage gardens: fire ants hurt. Anyone stung by just one knows that they deserve their name, but so often people are not stung by just one, but by a cluster. So it is alarming to find a southerner who ardently feels another way about the creatures. "I love fire ants," is the first sentence in chapter one of _The Fire Ants_ (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) by Walter R. Tschinkel, who says he has written it for "professional biologists and for people still open-minded enough to be intrigued, charmed, or fascinated by the many results of biological research on fire ants." Besides, the stings aren't so bad. He cites the Pain Rating Scale of Justin O. Schmidt, a venom specialist. Bullet ants get a 4+ rating ("like walking over flaming charcoal with a three inch nail imbedded in your heel") but fire ants muster only a 1.2 ("Like walking across a shag carpet and reaching for a light switch." I think he understates!) People who are allergic to stings of insects must beware, but even thousands of stings don't do any real damage: "Inebriated persons using a fire-ant 'bed' have sustained over 5000 fire-ant stings without signs of general toxicity (other than that of alcohol)." That sort of writing is typical of the amused, light touch that Tschinkel has brought to a 700 page, three pound volume which Edward O. Wilson declares in the foreword "a masterpiece". (Wilson was responsible, in 1962, for steering Tschinkel from biochemistry and organic chemistry to his current studies.)

There is much more to the fire ant than just the sting, and it is hard to imagine that this volume has left anything out, except for all the research that there is still to do about still-mysterious details. Fire ants were imported accidentally from South America between 1933 and 1942. They moved out concentrically from Mobile, and there is a famous map of their expanding range as the years went by, but it wasn't just a simple matter of expansive growth by a species that liked the new real estate. They had help from the same vector that brought them to the United States, the humans which Tschinkel says fire ants must regard as benevolent gods. Distant foci of infestation were established "when obliging nurserymen unwittingly gave rides to hitchhiking fire ants." Fire ants would have had trouble crossing the desert, for instance, without our help, and so they got to California. There are lovely essays on the behavior of ant researchers interspersed among the more numerous and scientifically dense chapters. It is really rather astonishing all that Tschinkel and his fellows have been able to ask the ants experimentally and get them to reply. They have used remarkable techniques, such as tagging individual ants permanently with little wire belts around their waists: "Tying a wire around an ant's waist is simple, at least in principle."

Tschinkel is often confronted by people who want him to tell them how to get rid of the ants. If you have a hypersensitive member of the family, yes, it might be time for poison baits, he suggests, but otherwise he advises simply leaving them alone. After all, he says, they don't do any harm. Now, anyone who has been stung by these critters might question that, but Tschinkel provides ample data to show that there is little demonstrable harm done by fire ants, and even some good; Louisiana sugarcane farmers, for instance, recognize that fire ants go after sugarcane borers and thus improve crop yields. There have been efforts, waves of chlordane and Mirex, that humans have used to eliminate the ants, and when that failed, just to control their spread, and when that failed, there was nothing for the humans to do but give up. The Ant Wars were "a complex brew of science, politics, journalistic hyperbole, public hysteria, and legal maneuvering" and the humans lost. Fire ants will be around for at least as long as we keep making them at home, it seems, and in reading this impressive volume, it is hard not to admire the sophisticated ways they have evolved to keep themselves going. Even if you have no chance of becoming a myrmecologist yourself, you will find it hard not to admire the cleverness and hard work of the researchers devoted to them. Tschinkel's volume is a beautiful monument to fire ants and to science.

Not only is the author, Walter Tschinkel, an expert on Fire
Ants he is a skillful writer. His ability to spinkle humor
in every chapter makes the book enjoyable even to the non-
scientific reader. He will expell many false claims of the
Fire Ant menace and enlighten the reader with facts gathered
from over 30 years of observations and experiments. The text
documents the larger problems caused when uniformed political
groups try to fix a problem they don't understand. This book
should me mandatory reading for all environmentalist!
Bill Denni

This has become one of my favorite children's stories of all time. The story of a boy who can't seem to do anything right but in the end saves the town - by accident. And also of a town that learns not to judge people, but rather to accept them for who they are. I have read this to many children in the grade school I work at and they all love it. In their own way, each of them can feel what it is like to walk in Jackie's shoes. The illustrations are wonderful too.

This is a sweet book with a lovely moral tale to it. It is also beautifully illustrated by Wayne McLoughlin ~~ perfect short story to share with all kids ~~ old and young.

Jackie is so clumsy that he trips over his feet all the time. He doesn't mean to but he just does. No matter what he does, he falls or disturbs something. One year, the fireflies that always bring spring never came. People started losing hope that summer would never come again. Jack gets teased by some kids in town when he kept falling on the ice while ice-skating. So he runs away. And that is the beginning of a lovely story.

This story brings to the point of how sometimes when you're the most clumsiest, that is when you are full of life and grace. It doesn't matter who you are ~~ and no matter how clumsy you are, there will always be someone who loves you. This story illustrates that.

It is a lovely story ~~ perfect to give to the one you love and to your children to share over and over. It'd make a wonderful Christmas present...

Our son (who is 9) really enjoyed this story of a 9 year old boy who discovers firelies. It is a quick read, and the illustrations are lovely.

Also ten stars, if possible! No more words needed, this an excellent compilation on insects and arachnids. Beautiful pictures, tons of information, diagrams and charts. Just like the other book from Firefly "Reptiles and Amphibians", this is one of the best encyclopedias to have in your personal library. Marvelous book, indeed.

The Firefly Encyclopedia series are uniformly excellent. There are several current volumes (Insects & Spiders, Reptiles & Amphibians, and Birds). With luck additional volumes will be added (I'd be especially keen to see one on fishes). The series picks up the tradition started with the David Macdonald's "Encyclopedia of Mammals" by having numerous experts contribute information about the organisms they study. Thus, each species or group of organisms is described by the scientists who know them best. The result is a truly amazing compilation of information about each type of organism.

The Insects and Spiders volume contains information from 23 separate contributors about all types of insects and spider-like creatures. Contents include:

Overview of Arthropods: 6 pages
Millipedes and Centipedes: 6 pages
Insects, general information: 14 pages
Separate sections on (sections without indicated page lengths usually 2-3 pages long): Bristletails, Mayflies, Dragonflies & Damselfies, Cockroaches (4 pages), Termites, Mantids (4 pages), Earwigs, Stoneflies, Crickets & Grasshoppers (12 pages), Leaf & Stick Insects, Booklice and Webspinners, Zorapterans & Thrips, Parasitic Lice, Bugs (16 pages), Snakewings & Alderflies, Lacewings, Beetles (16 pages), Scorpionflies, Fleas, Flies (16 pages), Caddisflies, Butterflies & Moths (24 pages), Wasps & Ants & Bees (24 pages)
Arachnids, general information: 4 pages
Spiders: 14 pages
Mites & Ticks: 6 pages
Scorpions & other Arachnids: 4 pages

The book is lavishly illustrated. There are tons of amazing photographs and lots of beautifully rendered drawings. The text is well written and generally easy to follow. Some sections are fairly technical (I have a Ph.D. in Biology and got lost a few times), but probably 90% or more should be accessible to anyone. I strongly recommend this book for biologists, naturalists, and people interested in wildlife. It would make an excellent gift for a young person (probably junior high +) who likes animals.

finally i found it. THE BEST INTRODUCTORY ENTOMOLOGY BOOK! My father has a new-found interest in insects, and I spent all of the Christmas season trying to find an entomology book that was informative, yet concise and visually stimulating. This book is FAR OUT. It has great photographs and HIGHLY educational, without going into boring list/description jargon. This book is great for anyone interested in insects or just an entertaining read.

The insect cards are very informative and the picures are great, I have really enjoyed reviewing them. I think they are a definate for the field investigator.

I am a medicolegal death investigator, and these forensic entomology cards are a great. The size and shape are perfect for field work, and the color photographs are wonderful for positively identifying insects. They are a must for any crime-scene kit.

The forensic insect identification cards are a tremendouslyhelpful item for me as a crime scene technician. Their small designallows them to fit easily into a pocket, and they are one of the fewitems dealing with forensic entomology that have color photographs ofthe most important insects at a crime scene. Particularly helpful tome is the small silhouette on the bottom corner of the cards thatindicates the actual size of the insect. Lacking a great deal ofexperience in entomology, I often have no idea how large these insectsmay be, particularly the beetles. The life-size diagram, used withthe photo enables me to quickly identify some of the adult insects Ioften encounter at a decomposition scene. The brief description ofthe insect on the back of the card is also helpful to me whenattempting to identify the insects I have collected. I have a copy ofthe first edition of the cards, and have purchased the revised set forthe other officers in my unit.