This “excellent guide to the history of our planet” offers a bugs-eye view of evolution, biodiversity, and todays ecological crises (The Guardian, UK). According to entomologist Scott Richard Shaw, dinosaurs never ruled the earth—and neither do humans. The true potentates of our planet are, and always have been, insects. Starting in the shallow oceans of ancient Earth and ending in the far reaches of outer space—where insect-like aliens may also reign—Planet of the Bugs spins a sweeping account of insects’ evolution from humble arthropod ancestors into the bugs we know today. Leaving no stone unturned, Shaw explores how evolutionary innovations such as small body size, wings, metamorphosis, and parasitic behavior have enabled insects to disperse widely, occupy increasingly narrow niches, and survive global catastrophes in their rise to dominance. Through bizarre and buggy tales—from caddisflies that construct portable houses to parasitic wasp larvae that develop in the blood of host insects—he demonstrates how changes in our planet’s geology, flora, and fauna contributed to insects’ success, and also how, in return, insects came to shape terrestrial ecosystems. And in his visits to hyperdiverse rain forests to highlight the current insect extinction crisis, Shaw reaffirms how crucial these tiny beings are to planetary health and human survival.

Animal Planet introduces information-packed nonfiction chapter books that are just right for pleasure reading and schoolwork. Fly away on a fascinating journey to the world of Bugs!. Meet the fastest flyers and the long-distance travelers--from huge moths and colorful butterflys to busy bees and annoying fleas. Learn about massive locust swarms and hungry caterpillars. Bugs! is the perfect overview for developing readers ready to explore this popular animal subject on their own. Special features include full-color photography throughout, "Meet the Scientist" sidebars, and "In Your Newsfeed" articles about amazing new discoveries. Don't miss the other books in the Animal Planet Chapter Books series: Snakes!, Dinosaurs!, and Sharks!.

Discusses some of the wildest, craziest bugs in some crazy categories.

Who would have thought that eating a peanut butter sandwich and an apple would change your life? Let alone get you mixed up with an old alien research project, and transform you into the superheroes your village never needed. For two young South Yorkshire lads, Alex Adams and Ian Harris, it was a geeky comic book dream come true, but it wasnt everything it was cracked up to be in the real world. They discover there are many layers between good and evil, and with great power, comes an embarrassing amount of gas!

'A fascinating welcome to the wonderful world of insects' - LoveReading4Kids 'Fun, inspiring, and well researched.' - Kirkus Reviews, starred review A beautifully illustrated tour of some of the world's most fascinating insects, perfect for readers 8+. Did you know that without insects, humankind could not survive? This illustrated, fact-filled title explores the huge variety of insects, with a focus on what makes an insect an insect, the differences between the groups, and why insects are the most important animal group on Earth. Broken down into sections exploring each of the main types of insect, each section takes a different, playfully visual approach to really capture the character of the insects in the order being explored. As well as including practical advice for observing insects safely, a section at the back of the book describes ways to help insects and encourage them into a garden no matter how small.

The fantastic superhero adventure that began with The Bug Boys continues! Alex Adams and Ian Harris take on Blake Blackhart, a disgraced Oxford professor. He discovers the boys source of power and plots to use the Sectis alien technology to wreak havoc across the galaxy. With a proper real-life supervillain in the village, the boys must step up their superhero game if they are to put a stop to the professors nefarious schemes. Along the way, they make new friends, and they encounter new bugs and superpowers. With the fate of the galaxy in the balance, the boys dig deep within themselves to truly understand what it means to be a hero!

A beautifully illustrated exploration of the world’s most extraordinary animals With an astounding 3.5 million species occupying virtually every habitat on Earth, insects are one of the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, from the humble bee to the agile praying mantis. Taking you inside the extraordinary world of insects, The Complete Insect explores all aspects of the natural history of these remarkable creatures, providing a close-up look at their fascinating anatomy, physiology, evolution, ecology, behavior, and more. It features hundreds of stunning color photographs and illustrations and draws on a broad range of examples, from familiar ants to iridescent jewel beetles. A celebration of the rich complexity of insect life, The Complete Insect is a must-have book for insect enthusiasts and armchair naturalists. An absorbing, wide-ranging, and beautiful exploration of the fascinating natural history of insects Features a wealth of stunning full-color photographs from the field Includes photomicrographs and electron micrographs that offer a rare view of normally invisible structures Examines the complex relationship between humans and insects Integrates physiological adaptations with ecology and behavior

Insects live alongside us in great profusion – sometimes even in intimate proximity. Their importance to the ecosystems of our world, and to our own survival, cannot be overstated. But it can be challenging to relate to them as fellow living beings when their bodies' structure and function are so dramatically different from our own. This excellent RSPB guide to insect anatomy aims to demystify the way that insects live, from the fine detail of their internal processes to the way they co-exist with all other forms of life. Insects exhibit dizzying diversity across their millions of species. Among them are mighty hunters, voracious plant defoliators, deep divers, high-fliers, master builders and devoted parents. Within the vast nests of honey-bees, ants and termites, we see them come together to form a huge, complex, multifaceted living machine. All this variation and potential has come about through evolved modification of a simple but perfectly elegant body plan. Each chapter of this book tackles a particular body system or aspect of insect biology, from respiration to digestion, movement to metamorphosis. Using a step-by-step approach, the book breaks down structures and processes and explores the myriad ways these are expressed in different insect groups. Separate pages delve into particular aspects of insect biology and ecology, such as how their colours are formed and the biology behind their remarkable migratory behaviour. Featuring numerous diagrams and more than 200 colour photos, this user-friendly guide is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about these extraordinary animals that – in terms of numbers, if not size – dominate our planet today.

Volume One of the thoroughly revised and updated guide to the study of biodiversity in insects The second edition of Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society brings together in one comprehensive text contributions from leading scientific experts to assess the influence insects have on humankind and the earth’s fragile ecosystems. Revised and updated, this new edition includes information on the number of substantial changes to entomology and the study of biodiversity. It includes current research on insect groups, classification, regional diversity, and a wide range of concepts and developing methodologies. The authors examine why insect biodiversity matters and how the rapid evolution of insects is affecting us all. This book explores the wide variety of insect species and their evolutionary relationships. Case studies offer assessments on how insect biodiversity can help meet the needs of a rapidly expanding human population, and also examine the consequences that an increased loss of insect species will have on the world. This important text: Explores the rapidly increasing influence on systematics of genomics and next-generation sequencing Includes developments in the use of DNA barcoding in insect systematics and in the broader study of insect biodiversity, including the detection of cryptic species Discusses the advances in information science that influence the increased capability to gather, manipulate, and analyze biodiversity information Comprises scholarly contributions from leading scientists in the field Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society highlights the rapid growth of insect biodiversity research and includes an expanded treatment of the topic that addresses the major insect groups, the zoogeographic regions of biodiversity, and the scope of systematics approaches for handling biodiversity data.

This handbook presents a comprehensive overview of insect conservation and provides practical solutions to counteract insect declines, at a time where insects are facing serious threats across the world from habitat destruction to invasive species and climate change. The Routledge Handbook of Insect Conservation consist of six sections, covering all aspects of insect conservation, containing contributions from academics, researchers and practitioners from across the globe. Section I addresses the fundamentals of insect conservation and outlines the reason why insects are important and discusses the greatest drivers of insect decline. The chapters in Section II examine the approaches that can be used for insect conservation globally, such as protected areas and agroecology, while highlighting the importance of insects in the composition and function of ecosystems. The chapters in Section III focus on insect populations in the major biomes around the world, from temperate and tropical forests to savannas and grasslands, with the chapters in Section IV focusing on natural and manmade ecosystems of the world, including mountain, soil, urban, island and agricultural habitats. They discuss the unique pressures and challenges for each biome and ecosystem and offer practical solutions for conserving their insect populations. Section V focuses on the assessment and monitoring of insects for conservation, discussing how we can implement practical monitoring protocols and what options are available. A wide variety of methods and tools are examined, including citizen science, bioindication, the role of taxonomy, drones and eDNA. The book concludes by examining policy and education strategies for insect conservation in Section VI. The chapters discuss key issues around social and policy strategies and conservation legislation for ensuring the long-term protection of insects. This book is essential reading for students and scholars of biodiversity conservation and entomology as well as professionals and policymakers involved in conservation looking for real-world solutions to the threats facing insects across the globe.