The Extraordinary Lives of Insects: A Hidden History of the World

Insects comprise roughly half of the animal kingdom, and they live everywhere. Most of us think life would be better without bugs. In fact, life would be impossible without them. Without the pinhead-sized chocolate midge, cocoa flowers would not pollinate. The fruit fly is essential to medical and biological research experiments. Insects turn dead plants and animals into soil. They control organisms that are harmful to humans. Sverdrup-Thygeson shows us that there is more variety among insects than we can even imagine, and the more you learn about insects, the more fascinating they become. -- adapted from jacket "An enthusiastic, witty, and fascinating introduction to the world of insects and why we--and the planet we inhabit--could not survive without them. Insects comprise roughly half of the animal kingdom. They live everywhere--deep inside caves, high in the Himalayas, inside computers, in Yellowstone's hot springs, and in the ears and nostrils of much larger creatures. There are insects that have ears on their knees, eyes on their penises, and tongues under their feet. Most of us think life would be better without bugs. In fact, life would be impossible without them. Most of us know that we would not have honey without honeybees, but without the pinhead-sized chocolate midge, cocoa flowers would not be pollinated. No cocoa, no chocolate. The ink that was used to write the Declaration of Independence was derived from galls on oak trees, which are induced by a small wasp. The fruit fly was essential to medical and biological research experiments that resulted in six Nobel prizes. Blowfly larvae can clean difficult wounds; mealworms can digest plastic; ants have been essential to the development of antibiotics. Insects turn dead plants and animals into soil. They pollinate flowers, including crops that we depend on. They provide food for other animals, such as birds and bats. They control pests that are harmful to humans. Life as we know it depends on these small creatures. But recent years have brought disturbing reports of extensive declines in insect numbers and diversity, which could have serious consequences for us and the planet. With ecologist Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson as our capable, entertaining guide to the insect world, we'll learn that there is more variety among insects than we can even imagine, and the more you learn about insects, the more fascinating they become. Buzz, Sting, Bite is an essential introduction to the little creatures that make the world go round."--Dust jacket.… (more)