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Insects: A Very Short Introduction

Simon Leather

December 2021

ISBN: 9780198847045

152 pages
Paperback
174x111mm

Very Short Introductions

Price: £8.99

This book explores the extraordinarily diverse and beautiful world of insects, from tiny wasps to giant beetles. It analyses insect evolution, and describes their behaviour, their environments, and the interactions they have with other animals. It also discusses their vital role in all land ecosystems, and their importance for our own survival.

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Description

This book explores the extraordinarily diverse and beautiful world of insects, from tiny wasps to giant beetles. It analyses insect evolution, and describes their behaviour, their environments, and the interactions they have with other animals. It also discusses their vital role in all land ecosystems, and their importance for our own survival.

  • Introduces the extraordinarily diverse and beautiful world of insects
  • Highlights the crucial role insects play in ecosystems across the world
  • Discusses insect evolution, taxonomies, and behaviour
  • Considers the challenges facing insects, leading to alarming trends of decline in numbers, and explores potential solutions
  • Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over ten million copies sold worldwide

About the Author(s)

Simon Leather, Professor of Entomology, Harper Adams University

Simon Leather is Professor of Entomology in the Department of Crop & Environment Sciences at Harper Adams University, where he leads the newly launched Centre for Integrated Pest Management. In the past he has worked at the Forestry Commission Northern Research Station and also Imperial College London, with a focus on agricultural and forest entomology. His books include The Field Course Handbook, (2021, co-authored with Tilly Collins & Patricia Reader).

Table of Contents

    Introduction
    1:In the beginning
    2:Prolific procreators - reproduction and host selection
    3:On the move - finding somewhere to live and something to eat
    4:Living together - social insects, parental care, mutualism
    5:Aquatic insects - skaters, divers, and bottom dwellers
    6:Mimicry, crypsis, and blatant advertising
    7:Against the odds - behaviour and survival in extreme conditions
    8:The good, the bad, and the ugly - how insects help and hinder us
    9:Ecological Armageddon - insects in decline?
    References
    Further Reading
    Index

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