Book Description

Book Description

- Raise your own butterflies!

- Create a butterfly habitat o 15 projects and activities

- Close-ups of 40 favorite North American butterflies

Everyone enjoys seeing butterflies flitting about on a warm summer day, but few people realize that ma ... Read more

Reviews (5)

My kids love this book & so do I!
My 3 year old sat & studied this book for hours, literally! I am completely fascinated by all the facts & pictures in the book, & have had fun learning about butterflies along with my kids. We have caught 3 caterpillars since first reading this book, & have released one swallowtail after it emerged from its chrysalis. What fun!

Lots of information and projects for families
This book is unbelievable. The paper is glossy and heavyweight. There are photographs throughout. The text is interspersed with sidebars, tidbits, and photographs.

Mikula dispels myths such as the one about butterflies will die if you touch their wings. Easy to understand information is given about the life cycle of the butterfly with photographs of every stage. How to raise butterflies in various ways, even how to catch butterflies in the wild and help them mate are given in such easy to follow methods that Mikula has me believing I can do this! Project instructions for making a homemade butterfly net and a hanging butterfly cage are included. We even learn how to properly hold a butterfly and how to hand feed them! I thought only butterfly specialist-scientists could do this stuff! You will be surprised to learn that not only does Mikula recommend raising butterflies to release into the wild, but also raising them indoors and letting them fly around your house (and never go outdoors)!

Information about the plants, shrubs and trees that the caterpillars and butterflies need is provided, which plant material for which species of butterfly is all outlined. Mikula explains that the use of herbicides and pesticides as being poisonous to butterflies and encourages organic gardening. Some garden designs for butterfly gardens are provided.

Mikula's passion for butterflies is apparent throughout the book as the text just cries out his enthusiasm. There are so many detailed hints and tips such as what color clothing to wear when approaching butterflies in the wild, to not use fabric softener when approaching butterflies, and that the wooden butterfly boxes don't work as their sellers would have you believe. And did you know that butterflies would benefit from a water source in your yard? Of course full instructions for the best water feature for butterflies is given.

Full color illustrations of different species of butterflies are provided with illustrations of not only the butterfly, but the caterpillar, larvae, eggs, and chrysalis. This is along with listing of the host plants, nectar plants, size and the regions they live in. This section comprises about 50 pages of the book and is very helpful.

This book is a great reference to learn about butterflies and a great source of butterfly projects.. Of course you can take the plunge and go full tilt and raise your own butterflies! If you choose to do so, all the information is right here.

Must-have for Butterfly Loving Families!
If you have a child in your family that loves butterflies, this is a book you must own. Rick Mikula covers every aspect of butterflies in the colorful pages. You'll learn ways to raise butterflies at home with your family, best ways to watch them, plants they like and so much more!

I am a nature center director. We use this book all the time. We give copies to our volunteers, show it to families that come in to see our butterfly displays, recommend it to teachers, and use the ideas included on a regular basis.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Rick Mikula speak, don't miss it! Once you meet the "grandfather of butterflies," you'll be hooked on butterflies forever!

Gorgeous and special!
I didn't know there was a grandfather of butterfly farming, but I found this book and what a gem it is! This detailed book is a beautiful guide to learning about butterflies. The author provides information about butterflies and then shows how to attract and study them. The experience is quite extensive and provides projects to enhance creative study. Fantastic for home and classroom!

The BEST Book on Butterfly Gardening!!!
I could go on and on about this book! It's a wealth of information for the beginning butterfly gardener! Great info, colorful pictures, everything you need to know to get started attracting butterflies into your yard. Highly reccomended reading! :o) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

good, but incomplete
The only problem i have with this book is that, as a Texan living in Texas, i keep encountering spiders not identified or even remotely mentioned in this book. To top it off, neither can the county agent.

Somewhat good pictures and descriptions but not very helpful
This book has some good pictures of a few spiders but in most cases they aren't too great. There is a large amount of information on each type but not what I was looking for just information on location, taxonomy, and biology. I was most interested in finding out the damage that the poison can do to me if I am bit by a certain spider. For instance, the Texas Field guide to snakes by Tennant is split into two sections venomous and nonvenemous and that is the type of organization I was expecting here, but no luck. There is the mention of the broad classes of spiders that can cause you the most harm in the beginning pages but not for each specimen. I believe that it is essential for a field guide to provide this information and that is why i've rated it 3 stars. This book provides more scientific knowledge than anything which is of no use to me personally.

Finally! A real regional Field Guide for Arachnids!
Dr. Jackman is a well-known entomologist/naturalist at Texas A&M University. This handbook is a well-researched guide to its subject and he enlisted the help of leading authorities (including W. David Sissom for the scorpion section) for information in areas in which he is not familiar. The book lacks in several areas, such as in the Orders Mygalomorphae, Pseudoscorpiones and Solifugae, but this is due in part to a general lack of literature and knowledge in that field for Texas. The full-color photographs, mostly by the author, are excellent, yet small. A great addition to the Texas Monthly Field Guide Series! ... Read more

Book Description

Over 600 drawings and 65 color paintings portray representative species of the 111 families of North American beetles. Includes information on collecting and preserving beetles. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

greatly informative
I was so impressed with the information provided in this book. I am A 34 YR Old female going back to school,in the Fall to study Forensic Entomology, and I am doing my own research from home at this time. I found the book to be very informative on the description of the certain beetles and to where they can be found. I was so impressed that I bought the insect book by the same Author as well.

A good addition to my bookshelf
Really, when considering whether or not this book is any good, you've got to consider what you want out of it. If you want a field guide that you can use to easily identify beetles that you find, this really isn't the best choice. If you want a book with lots of nice photos or illustrations, again, this isn't the one you're looking for.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for a book that will give you a slightly more in-depth information on beetles than you generally get in a general insect field guide, then this may be what you're looking for. That's my two cents, anyway.

disappointing flaw in otherwise solid field guide
There are approximately one million species of animals on our planet; about three quarters are insects; and approximately 40% of those are beetles. There are 30,000 kinds of beetle in North America. They are plentiful and varied -- a real joy to observe or collect. This Peterson field guide begins with two chapters on collecting and preserving beetles, and then delves into their identification. An anatomical flow chart on the endpages directs you to the various beetle families, and there you will find a physical description, similar families, and information about numbers, range, habits, collecting methods and examples. There are about 600 line drawings and 65 color plates.

This is a solid field guide, but the meager percentage of color pictures is problematic. Beetles are quite colorful and that should be the most salient identifying characteristic, but neither the black & white drawings nor the often color-free descriptions help in that regard -- a real weakness for a guide to these beautiful insects. I would rather pay more for an all-color guide.

Pretty good.
For the price this book is very good, but certainly not complete. For the low price one could not really expect much more information. I recommend it as a guide in purchasing further more expensive books on beetles.

A must have for beetle enthusiasts
A great companion to the Peterson Field Guide to the Insects. Lots of great illustrations. Many picture examples from each family of beetles. Great descriptions of each beetle. A MUST have for collectors of Coleoptera. Good for layman, also. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this handsomely illustrated volume, entomologist Jill Silsby and a team of colleagues introduce readers to the little-explored world of dragonflies and their damselfly cousins, the order Odonata.

The odonates, Silsby writes, are among the oldest of the earth's living creatures, ancient even by the age of the dinosaurs. That they have survived while so many other species of the time did not hinges on several adaptations, including the development of large compound eyes, wings that move independently of one another, and a highly streamlined body shape, all of which have made odonates "superb hunting machines." Strictly carnivorous, dragonflies are also wide-ranging--some species have been known to travel across oceans--and are found in most parts of the world; one family, the Synlestidae, or sylphs, are distributed throughout southern Africa, Australia, China, and the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, but, strangely, nowhere in between. (For all its ubiquity, though, the dragonfly figures little in the world's art, literature, and mythology.) But all 6,000 species of dragonflies depend on one habitat in particular that is becoming ever more rare: clean, usually slow-moving bodies of water. The volume closes with a consideration of conservation measures that are needed if the odonates are to survive beyond the present age, including the establishment of protected areas worldwide.

A pleasure to read and constantly informative, this compendium makes a welcome addition to any nature buff's collection. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Open Window on Remarkable Insects
Dragonflies have always been among my favorite insects and I was somewhat aware of their variety and beauty, especially in North America. However, Jill Silsby has produced a book that amazed me with the complexity of dragonflies and the closely related damselflies worldwide. These amazing creatures are now starting to get the appreciation they deserve and this book amply demonstrates why they should be appreciated for their ephemeral beauty, their astonishing variety, their remarkable life histories and their interesting behavior. From spider-catching Forest Giants (damselflies) to the primitive Petaltails (dragonflies) they are all here in this book. I wish that such an introduction had been available to me when I was beginning in entomology!

The excellent photographs should also be mentioned. These are just wonderful and I cannot express my full admiration for the selection! Every insect and arachnid order should have a similarly well-illustrated tome written about it in the same format.

If you have even a remote interest in these fantastic insects, get this book!

Everything about dragonflies
Being an amateur and looking for good books on dragonflies is hard. This book gives plenty of facts and pictures. A great alternative if you are not ready to spend $... on some of the the more well known books. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Excellent book for the tarantula hobbyist
This book is excellent from cover to cover. Detailed information on care, breeding, food, species, and biology are all in "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide". I was given a Chilean Rose tarantula as a gift 9 months ago and considered myself ignorant of their required care. "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" was the most informative book out of 6 purchased. I now have over 35 tarantulas consisting of 28 species and consider myself much more knowledgable about their care and biology. I have even started breeding some of my tarantulas. You won't find a better book in print if you're a beginner or expert.

The most in-depth and detailed book on tarantulas to date!!
The Tarantula Keeper's Guide by Stan and Marguerite Schultz is by far the most informative book on tarantulas to date. Whether for the amateur fancier or professional arachnologist, this book will pay for itself in no time at all. Aimed primarily towards those interested in captive husbandry of arachnids, this book gives extensive information on care, housing, and feeding for spiderlings, juveniles, sub-adults and adults. In chapter 1, the anatomy and physiology of tarantulas are covered in great detail. Chapter 2 deals with taxonomy and scientific names; chapter 3 covers the life histories and ecology of these arachnids. Chapter 4 involves the uses of tarantulas throughout history while chapters 5,6, and 7 cover the "pet" aspect of tarantulas; this covers such subjects as housing, feeding, handling, breeding, medical emergencies, and much, much more. The final three chapters cover conservation issues. This well-designed book is packed with tons of colo! r photographs, greatly illustrated drawings, and accurate (up-to-date) names of many species commonly kept as pets. Unlike other tarantula books I've read--and I've read plenty--this book gives the first detailed description of how to catch your own tarantula. Other books have attempted this same task, but have not got the point across like this book. In all, this 288 page piece of art is the best book on tarantulas ever put together. Anybody with the slightest interest should purchase this book because it will spur one with mere curiosity into an out-of-control collector/hobbyist (such as me) and take you to the realm of the tarantula.

The T Bible
This is generally regarded as the tarantula keepers bible, which is a just assesment. Info on EVERY aspect of tarantula keeping from rearing, sexing, breeding feeding etc. VERY worthwhile investment for anyone who wants to keep tarantulas.

Excellence without equal...
If you have even one tarantula, the invaluable nature of this book cannot be stressed enough. It addresses almost every issue you could think of and some you possibly wouldn't. Filled with detailed information, beautiful color photographs, excellent illustrations this book is truly a bargained that should not be passed up, even by the passing fancier. All tarantula enthusiasts agree, if you own one book on them, it should be this one.

THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER HAD ABOUT TARANTULAS
This is the best book I have seen about Tarantulas.
It makes everybody an "expert" when you follow the "rules". ... Read more

Book Description

Here is the first and only guide to a subject of great interest to gardeners, small children, and lepidopterists: caterpillars, the immature form of butterflies and moths. This guide describes 120 common species of these fuzzy creatures. All the caterpillars, their adult forms and many of their host plants are illustrated. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Very Comprehensive and Useful!
Our childrens librarian recommended this book to us and it has been so helpful. We are always finding caterpillars, cocoons, butterflies and have found the illustrations in this book very helpful in identifying them. My son is five and the illustrations are good enough so that he can identify the caterpillars and butterflies even though he can't read yet. I would highly recommend this guide!

Great reference book on Caterpillars
Our 6-year old daughter is a budding entomologist, and has been fascinated with butterflies in particuluar for the last two years. Each spring she has a great time running around our garden collecting caterpillars and raising them into butterflies. The problem we always had was how to identify them before they actually became butterflies...

Well, this book is a great help in that respect. It lays out the various broad categories of caterpillars in order to simplify identification. A very nice feature is that it also often includes information on the plant species that both the caterpillar and the adult butterfly feed upon.

Also, a great small size - perfect as a "field guide". We keep a copy in the glove box of our VW camper so that it is always handy on family outings.

The Only Caterpillar Field Guide!
If you've been looking for a book to help you identify caterpillars, you may have noticed that field guides for butterflies and moths are nearly useless in this regard. Entomologists don't seem to be nearly as fascinated with the larvae of these creatures as they are with the adults. But this is the guide you've been looking for! Although the First Guides are written for children, this book is suitable for adults as well and is by no means remedial. The book is made to take along at 3 3/4x7 1/4 inches in size and 128 pages long. It begins with an introduction to caterpillars which explains their structure, life cycle, protective mechanisms, and gives brief instructions for attracting and caring for caterpillars. This is followed by pictures and descriptions of 120 caterpillars. Each caterpillar is clearly illustrated for easy identification. Illustrations of the adult moths and butterflies are included, so you will know what the little critter will turn into. (All illustrations are drawings.) There is a description of each caterpillar which includes details of its appearance, size, diet, and where it is found. A few caterpillars that are dangerous to handle are marked with don't-handle signs. (They won't kill you; they cause skin irritation, pain, and rashes, at worst.)

Recommended for everyone who would like to know just what those caterpillars are and what they will become. A great gift for kids who like the outdoors. The book's only real shortcoming is that it is not comprehensive. We can always hope that the publisher will add more species in a later edition. In the meantime, this guide will enable you to identify most common species of caterpillar.

Good beginners guides.
I foun this one a very good book, it doesnt have any photos, but color illustrations are very descriptive and useful.
Its a must have for beginners because you will find almost any caterpillar out therem of course so many of them are not in this book, but the common ones seen around there are in this book.
You wont find any problem to identify among them, they are very well differenced in the book.

It is a good book considering its size, and its price, youll find it practical.

Wonderful
The kids have a wonderful time identifying all those catterpillers. They used to bring each one to me to help them identify what they were. Now they can do it themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An excellent, comprehensive review of shells.
I'm a Michigan snowbird. I didn't know one shell from another until I purchased this highly interesting, informative book. I have derived many hours of pleasure from looking at the colorful, spectacular photgraphs of the amazing creatures that make the depicted shells. When one combines these with a text that is readable, finely detailed, and which closely follows the photographs, a book that should be part of any Florida visitor's library is obtained. Get it, and read it, before you go, and enhance your trip!!

I might note that my high recommendation extends to all books in this series. Since purchasing this and other volumes in the series, I have been able to discard a lot of lesser quality materials purchased on earlier trips, and yet increase the quality of my library.

Awsome view of Florida's shells and seashore life
We use this book on all trips to the beach. I am now purchasing 4 for gifts. It contains wonderful photos and descriptions of Florida shells, as well as, where to find them, and how to clean them. It gives great quick information regarding much of Florida's Seashore Life. It is an excellent reference- written well for a quick reference. I thumb through the beautiful photos over and over and never get bored! Truly a 5 star book at a very reasonable price.

An Indispensable Guide
Years ago, on vacation in Florida, we stopped for a night in a motel by a rocky beach at Cedar Key, a bit north of Tampa. After dark my wife and I walked over to the beach and we heard a wierd snapping and crackling sound. We looked down with our flashlight and saw a whole herd of small crabs that were slowly on the move, thousands of them! Had no idea what they were or what they were doing. Later we went back to the motel, but we never forgot what we saw, it was so amazing. Many years later a person who lived all their life in Florida told us they were Fiddler Crabs. Just recently, when I got this book I looked them up, and it had a complete description of them, their habits, and many great pictures.

This large oversized volume includes a wealth of information on shells and animal life likely to be encountered on Florida shores. It is very informative with excellent color photographs, and the price is right. I just wish I had it years ago!

Was very surprised and pleased with this book!
I am only sorry I didn't buy this book sooner and that there is no hardcover edition available. It's photographs are breathtaking, the snippets of history and seashell collecting information are fabulous as is the whole presentation. I loved looking through it and reading it, and I am 35 years old in case you're wondering.

A thorough and entertaining book with good color photos.
I have used this book on my visits to Florida a couple of times now, and have found it informative but not so detailed so as to put one to sleep. The color photos are well done and helpful. Winston Williams provides interesting information about many of the shells to be found in Florida, including how the various mollusks live. I highly recommend it if you plan to spend some time on the beaches of Florida. ... Read more

Book Description

Living Jewels The Natural Design of Beetles

Poul Beckmann Introduction by Ruth Kaspin

Living Jewels presents stunning close- up studio photographs of one of the most varied and beautiful species on the planet: the beetle. Page after page of glorious color illustrations show how beetles have evolved a range of astonishing shapes and colors, scarcely to be matched by any other living creature. The vivid patterns seen in Living Jewels will be a constant source of inspiration to professional designers and of visual wonder to the general reader. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A work of art
This is a beautiful and unique book; the photography and printing are outstanding, and the images of the beetles are simultaneously gorgeous and bizarre.

Amazing. Nature exceeds fantasy.
This book contains a most colorful collection of creatures.I had never realized that the family of beetles encompassed such variety in colors, shapes, and forms. As an artist, I would recommend this book to anyone who delights in images celebrating the bizarre and the beautiful in nature.

A gorgeous piece of work!
Living Jewels shows just that: the tremendous variety of jewels that make up the population of beetles. Upon closer examination of the photographs, the "jewels" have a tremendous amount of detail, showing tiny hairs, fuzz and various protuberances. How can that much detail show up in a photograph?
The text at the beginning of the book contains many fascinating, and at times hysterical, facts about beetles. I got a good laugh about the treatment of beetles in medieval times! ... Read more

Book Description

Whether you are a novice or experienced collector, student, farmer, or weekend gardener, you will find Simon & Schuster's Guide to Insects a highly authoritative, startlingly beautiful field guide to 350 insect species commonly found throughout North America.

The introduction to the text explains the anatomy and behaviors of these amazingly diverse creatures, as well as the easiest, most efficient manner in which to preserve and mount your insect collection. Each entry is stunningly complemented by one or more color photographs and contains information about the habitat, distribution, length, recognition marks, and other pertinent details concerning the particular species. A three-part visual key provides instantaneous identification of the insect's primary activity, its habitat, and its ecological significance. This is an indispensable reference tool for anyone fascinated by the insect world. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent insect field guide
This guide is awesome, pictures and illustrations are from very high quality, I found this guide comparable to those guides from Audubon.

Two illustration of insects come on left page, and on the right page you have the theorical info, so It easy to read and look at the picture at the same time. Insects are very easy to find, theyre grouped in orders, and by similitudes of course.

This is a must have for any insect enthusiast, no mether if a begginer or if an expert on this field.

It is very complete.

Great for the Casual Nature Fan
Great general reference guide with photos by renowned insect photographer Dr. Edward Ross. A well done eighty-three page introduction covers such topics as classification, anatomy, behavior and collecting. Not for real die hards as the number of species is limited. Great though for students, naturalists, nature photographers and others interested in a good general introduction that uses top quality photography.

An invaluable quick reference guide for organic gardeners!
It would be impossible for any single book to be a total guide (and I have many!), but this book has EXCELLENT photographs - which is especially helpful with hemiptera (true bugs), since there is a shortage of identifying guides for them. I not only found photos of insects that I (and my county ag agent) had been unable to identify, this book is wonderfully keyed to indicate whether insects are beneficials, pests, neutral, etc. This "at a glance" keying (by color, symbols and single alpha's) is very helpful for gardeners since most books do not give good information on what insects eat (a predator can develop into a pest as an adult, and vice versa), etc., but rather only provide physical identification information. Organic gardeners can frequently find information only on the worst (most common) pests, and may live in areas where they have worst pests that are not indigenous elsewhere, or identification of the most common predators, that may not be universally common. The author give life histories and other valuable information frequently lacking in "identification" books. Scientific names are provided for the more serious reader - and to help in identifying similiar insects in more complete but poorly illustrated books. Because of the beautiful photos, it would be a good "beginner book" for a budding entomologist too! This book is a real bargain! ... Read more

Book Description

A delightful look at the science of butterflies-and our obsession with them-by an acclaimed nature writer.

Butterflies have always served as a metaphor for resurrection and transformation, but as Sharman Apt Russell points out in this lyrical meditation, butterflies are above all objects of obsession. She reveals the logic behind our endless fascination with butterflies and introduces us to the legendary collectors and dedicated scientists who have obsessively catalogued new species of Lepidoptera. A luminous journey through an exotic world of passion and strange beauty, this is a book to be treasured by anyone who has ever experienced the enchantment of butterflies. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Full of Color, Full of Life
We generally do not like insects; when they come to our notice, it is usually because they irritate, pain, or impoverish us. But everyone loves butterflies, and everyone has done so since early childhood. They are fascinating natural specimens, and their colors fill us with admiration and wonder. It isn't surprising that they have caused obsessions in many people in many centuries. In _An Obsession with Butterflies: Our Long Love Affair with a Singular Insect_ (Perseus Publishing), Sharman Apt Russell has packed some taxonomy of butterflies, and also biology, but also a history about the obsessed and a chronicle of butterfly culture. Russell reveals that she is obsessed herself, but her obsession translates into an enthusiastic and poetic look at science and history that is full of life and color.

Anyone who reads this book will come away with admiration for the cleverness of tactics which evolution has given to butterflies. Caterpillars are especially vulnerable in a world that is out to get them; fungi, pathogens, wasps, ants, birds, and lizards all find caterpillars a tasty meal (oh, and humans, too). The Western Tiger Swallowtail's caterpillar is only a speck when it comes out of the egg, but as it grows and molts, it takes on the appearance of a bird's droppings. No one is interested in bird droppings. Caterpillars have enemies, but friends, too; some have developed a symbiosis with ant colonies. The butterflies get protection and nourishment, and the ants get honeydew secreted by the caterpillars. The color of butterflies may be enchanting to us, but like all the other characteristics of the insect, it is merely an evolutionary tool. Often males are more brightly colored than females; they are attracted to the drab coloration of females and repelled by the bright males, so that they spend their time with the right group to get the genes into the next generation. Darker colors help high altitude butterflies keep warm. Eyespots scare birds. Bright colors warn of unpalatability. Edible butterflies mimic toxic ones, and toxic ones mimic each other, just to make sure the birds got a clear message.

It isn't just butterflies that are examined in this book; humans are pinned here, too. Lady Glanville sent cases and cases of butterfly specimens in the early eighteenth century for the naturalists to record and keep. When she died, the will was voided because she was thought to be insane over butterflies; she would beat the hedges for "a parcel of wormes," neighbors reported. One entomologist admitted, "None but those deprived of their Senses would go in Pursuit of butterflyes." Among those similarly deprived of their senses was Lord Walter Rothschild, who hired an army of professional species-stalkers to collect butterflies from all over the world. He donated over two million specimens to the British museum. His niece Miriam was famous for producing a six-volume inventory of her father's flea collection, but she demonstrated how Monarch caterpillars become toxic by storing the poisons of milkweed plants. She wrote that butterflies are like dream flowers "...which have broken loose from their stalks and escaped into the sunshine. Air and angels." We have pinned these angels, collected them, categorized them, and studied them for hundreds of years, and they are still full of surprises. Russell's book, too, is full of surprises; did you know that the male Tiger Swallowtail has eyes on his genitals to guide them into just the right slot on the female? Readers of Russell's elegant and poetic (yet fact-filled) book will have a new appreciation for the insect that humans love.

Rewarding and entertaining read
I picked up this slim volume for a quick read and was treated to a meditation on the subject of butterfly species, as well as the insect and plant world. The book overflows with information, but the wealth of details never seems dry or textbookish. I laughed out loud at times with the insights about the subject's mating and survival behaviors revealed with wonderfully wry comparisons to everyday events. I'm left with the feeling that while seemingly a fluke of nature ("if all butterflies disappeared so would a few flowers-but not many"), the butterfly fits in nature's web through complex relationships with the plants and insects that inhabit its domain: Ants that become the children to the caterpillar's Pied Piper and plants whose leaves mimic the appearance of ones that have been ravaged by the caterpillar. And perhaps, most telling our own relationship to these singular creatures: as eccentrics, as collectors, as art appreciators, as naturalists, and as scientists. I count myself among a select group of those who have taken the time to learn about the natural world from the point of view of the butterfly. This is the rare book that is greater than the sum of the details due to the author's exceptional, wide-angle approach to a multifaceted puzzle. A pleasure to read for the humor and insight.

A Lyrical Exploration
This lyrical exploration of butterflies has an amazing range. The author's depth and breadth of research is equaled by her ability to sweep us into a very special world, the world of those who are obsessed with butterflies. Butterfly biology and ecology, the focus of this book, are clearly presented in beautiful language. The details of butterfly anatomy and behavior are sometimes bizarre and always interesting.

The author adds depth to the book by including the human view of butterflies. Her profiles of contemporary and historical scientists and ordinary people who have been obsessed with butterflies are riveting. (Some of the people are as peculiar as the insects!) She includes the incredible variety of meanings that societies have assigned to butterflies and moths. I had a hard time putting down this unusual blend of science, biography and mythology.

Truly a love affair with butterflies
Before reading An Obsession with Butterflies, a butterfly was something that caught my attention as it flitted across a meadow. Russell's beautiful writing and in-depth research makes high level science accessible while still keeping the focus on the wonder of nature. This book not only increased my knowledge about the life events and diversity of butterflies but gave me insight into the what butterflies have meant to mankind across cultures and to individuals both obsessed and enthralled with these beautiful creatures. This is a great book for expanding your perspective on many fronts.

A Pleasure to Read Such Smart and Stunning Prose
I love this book! Where else would I learn that most butterflies taste with their feet, that a stage of caterpillar life is an "instar," and that ghost plants really do exist? As a poet, I appreciate the rhythm of Russell's lines. I learned not only about butterflies but also about the eccentric characters, Lepidopterists, that explore the world in search of new species. However, it is the way Russell connects us with the Painted Lady and the sex life of the Sharp Whites that I most admire. She bridges our daily lives with that of artful instruments of flight in such a way that we can't help but be changed for the better by the wisdom this book brings. An Obsession with Butterflies makes me glad to be alive. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first time that a single book has attempted tocover the whole of the fossil history of insects so comprehensively.The volume embraces the history of insect palaeontology, methods forstudying fossils, the taphonomic processes leading to their formation,the diagnostic features of all insect orders, both extant and extinct,the major fossils of each order, and the implications that can bedrawn from the palaeoentomological record about past ecology andclimates. Many new insights are presented. It is the product principally of the largest palaeoentomological groupin the world, in Moscow, and makes full use of the remarkablecollection that these workers have developed. It includes a very largenumber of illustrations showing both real fossils and reconstructionsof extinct taxa. The systematic part is treated in a phylogeneticframework, with information on fossil groups being used to helpinterpret relationships. An appendix provides information on virtuallyall sites where fossil insects have been found. This book is essentialto all students of palaeoentomology and contains a wealth ofinformation that will be of interest to students of insectevolutionary relationships and of palaeontology in general. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A brief survey of some otherworldy creatures living on earth
An entire book about beetles, houseflies, worms, moths, and leeches? With an entire chapter on slime eels--aka hagfish--which burrow into dead fish and consume them from the inside out? You bet. As the author points out, the above-named creatures are but a few of the species that belong to the group of animals known as invertebrates, which not only lack a backbone, but also, pound for pound, far outweigh any other form of life on earth. "There are only 4,500 or so mammal species on the planet. There are, however, between ten million and thirty million invertebrate species. They represent more than 99.5 percent of all animal species. A spaceship visiting the blue planet would take them, not us, as the typical earthlings."

And invertebrates are often far more interesting than us boring old mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Take a fire ant queen, for example, who reproduces so wholeheartedly that her human equivalent would be a 120-pound woman giving birth to 500,000 babies each year. Or how about the mysterious giant squid--at sixty feet long and with eyes the size of headlights, the largest invertebrate alive--who lives five hundred fathoms beneath the ocean waves. (Nobody has ever seen one in its natural habitat.)

So who's the audience? Any adult with a taste for the more slithery residents of earth--or any parents who want to wow their own offspring with bizarre true-life tales of the scaly and slimy. (Twelve-year-olds on up, or ten-year-olds with a deep curiosity for all things gross, should have no trouble with it, either.

an ode to invertebrates
There is more to the world of nature than cuddly koalas, magnificent whales, and beautifully singing birds. Most of the animal kingdom, and much of the biomass on the planet, are invertebrates! Insects, spiders, centipedes, molluscs, crustaceans, echnioderms, worms, all greatly outnumber vertebrates and are absolutely vital to continued life on earth, and all are greatly unappreciated by the average person.

Richard Conniff takes us on a representative tour of several members of the invertebrate world. Though he only scratches the surface, he shows us some of the most fascinating of the "creepy crawlies," creatures that often have few admirers in the media or popular culture. From the fascinating world of flies to the invaluable leech to the hated fire ant to beetles, fleas, and giant squid and beyond, Conniff shows us the astounding world of invertebrates.

Strictly speaking, Conniff includes one vertebrate in the mix, the lowly but extremely unusual hagfish, so it is not only invertebrates. Having said that though this was an excellent book, one well worth reading. Popular science writing at its best.

Beach Reading for Geeks
Contained in this book are tales of things like leeches, moths, and an assortment of other spineless creatures. Each chapter is devoted to one such creature. Coniff is good writer, easy to read, and engaging. That being said he makes the perfect author to turn rather grim subjects into light reads. So while you're camping out this summer and swatting mosquitos you can read this book and marvel at the sheer amount of mosquito species out there and wonder which one is sucking your blood.

Book everyone needs to read.
Richard Conniff's writing style is fun and easy to read. And although some of the facts he pours into the book may be gross, it's so interesting you are riveted. I think everyone-science lover or no-needs to read this book. I couldn't put the book down until I was done. Just to give you some extra info on what's in the book-he discusses many invertebrates such as flies, hagfish, moths and tarantulas, devoting a chapter to each invertebrate. He includes his adventures with these creatures along with it. Even the hardened scientist will find something new in this book!

fascinating subject, and the writing is OK
Conniff's book _Spineless Wonders_ had me fascinated, for the most part. His subject: invertebrates, with about ten different chapters on different creatures, such as leeches, dragonflies, tarantulas, etc. NOT ALL POPULAR INVERTEBRATES ARE COVERED IN THIS BOOK. In fact, if there is not a chapter devoted to your favorite invertebrate, there will be little or no information on that beast. There are many examples. Jellyfish, starfish, bees, crabs, clams, octopuses and lobsters are but a few that Conniff chose not to cover.

If you need detailed information about an invertebrate not covered in this book, or if you need more detail, I advise you to seek out a book on that specific beast. Also, you can look into Robert Barnes' book _Invertebrate Zoology_, but that book...is best used at a public or college library.

On the plus side: there aren't many good books on invertebrates for a general audience, and _Spineless Wonders_ is one of them. Most folks, while they might be able to stomach ten or twenty pages on leeches, don't want an entire book on leeches. In fact, most full length books on leeches, dragonflies, etc. are indeed academic tracts targeted at serious collectors or graduate students and professors.

Conniff's writing is usually lucid and entertaining. He held my attention until the end of each chapter... almost. Still, there isn't much popular writing on invertebrates in general, so _Spineless Wonders_ is well worth a look.

ken32 ... Read more

Book Description

Honeybees in the flowers, fire ants in the yard, roaches in the kitchen--the good, the bad, and the ugly bugs are all over Texas! And they're here in the Texas Bug Book, your complete guide for identifying and organically controlling all of the most common Texas insects.Drawing on years of practical experience and research, organic gardening experts Malcolm Beck and Howard Garrett give detailed instructions on how to identify, understand the life cycle of, and control or protect Texas insects, mites, snails, slugs, nematodes, and other critters. They also include striking color photos and black-and-white drawings to help you identify each bug.What sets the Texas Bug Book apart from other insect guides is the authors' organic approach to pest control. Beck and Garrett highlight the many useful roles that bugs play in nature and offer proven organic remedies for infestations of pest insects. Most importantly, they explain how to create a balanced, healthy environment in which infestations are much less likely to occur. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Worthless Reference Book
My wife and I agree this book is worthless as a reference book, but it does have some pretty pictures. Great as a coffee table book, but you will never use it as a reference book.

Not worthy of the trees that had to die.
This behemothian piece of excrement is a slap in the face of any ligitimate work on insects in general, or growing organic gardens specifically. The book is fraught with inaccuracies and outright misinformation. Case in point, the kissing bug did not get its name from biting people when it accidently flies into your face, it got it from its habit of biting sleeping people on the lips. This information is not critical to the book, but it exemplifies the slothful approach to gathering information the authors obviously used to write this book. The "Stories" are nothing more than opinionted drivel, although some of them are slightly humorous. The authors have no credentials in Entomology (they state that in the Introduction) and although they claim to have consulted "...many other books and research papers..." on the subject, nowhere did I find a reference to such information when something other than common fact was stated (as is necessary in REAL science books), such as aphids "...help to eliminate unfit plants." That is the single most ludicrous thing I have heard in a decade or more! Fortunately for me I didn't buy this waste of sawdust or recycled paper (whatever the case may be), but obviously some did because this "thing" is now in its fourth printing. The one good thing about this book is that the authors advocate the use non-chemical control. Believe me, save your money, you can get much better, less opinionated, advice from a simple Internet search.

Bugs at their best
I never knew bugs could abe so interesting. The authors combine factual information on insects with entertaining stories of buggy encounters. This book reaches my kids on a level they can understand (they are 8 - 12 years old), yet provides me with plenty of good factual information that helps with gardening. The kids were thrilled to discover that the funny things they had seen "growing" on the fence were actually lacewing eggs. We are eagerly anticipaing their hatching. I also appreciated the recipes for home-made, natural insecticides.

My Kids and Our Bugs
When my two and four year olds starting bringing me bugs from outside, I decided it was time to determine if they were harmful. This book had excellent photographs that helped me identify the bugs. I used it as an educational tool for my two little bug hunters. I am happy to report we have had no dangerous bugs gathered.

Really good
I love this book. It has been really helpful in identifying several types of bugs that live in my yard. I use it on an almost weekly basis to help identify this bug or that. I think it's a must have for any Texas gardener. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Look to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise," says the proverb. Bert Hölldobler and E.O. Wilson have joined together to tell how they took this advice and to share the fruits of their wisdom. As Nature said, they "have done for ants what Levi's did for denim." Not just a good-parts version of their magisterial, Pulitzer-winning The Ants, Journey is also a double autobiography--the history of how early enthusiasm developed into an enormously fruitful scientific collaboration. "We, having entered our bug period as children, were blessed by never being required to abandon it," the authors write. Their devotion to their chosen field shines through.

Journey to the Ants gives an outstanding overview of the enormous variety and fascination of myrmecology, from the primitive bulldog ants of Australia to the complexities of weaver ant societies, slave-making ants and agriculture, army ants, and the social parasites concealed within anthills. There is an appendix with practical instructions for collecting individual ants or whole colonies, dead or alive. Hölldobler and Wilson clearly want other children to follow in their footsteps, growing from simple bug love to insights into evolution and society. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Evolution Throughout
This book is quite a work. Fascinating. The description refers to the Biblical Proverb ""Look to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise"but the book is 100% evolution theory. Everything you could possibly want to know about ants except the spiritual is here. Too bad they missed the spiritual significance. It is on high school level not for children. If you're a Christian homeschooler you can use it for the facts and explain the holes in evolution theory. Easy to water down for younger children.

The best and only book on ants I've ever read
It's like a 200-page nature show. Completely fascinating. The authors are big-time, famous ant guys, and they've written some of the textbooks on ants. This is kind of an Ants for Dummies, or a book for people who just want to know all the cool stuff about ants. It's scary sometimes, the level of sophistication in ant colonies. As a being, one ant is pretty powerless, but ants' social behavior has evolved to rival, in some instances, the ingenuity and organization of early man. This book's probably not for everyone, but if you can watch an hour-long documentary on Animal Planet, you might like this book.

Interesting and fun, but not for kids...
I read someone say that this book could be for kids. While I suppose that kids could read it, some of it would certainly be over their heads like the jokes: "When Marx came up with his theories, he just had the wrong species" (referring to the Marxist behavior of ants.)
Anyway, this book is fun and interesting and EO Wilson has a talent for telling good stories. Ants are simply fascinating creatures and this will leave you wanting to read more about them.

fascinating journey
What a fantastic journey this book was!The myriad adaptations that these creatures have made to various different challenges is truly fascinating.The photos of different ant species and the many detailed behaviours are very exciting.I would recommend this book to anyone with the slightest bit of curiosity.My only complaint (and certainly not a criticism) is that the writing in this book is clearly aimed at a 12-14 age level.Others may find the descriptions of behaviours and experiments a tad facile...

A magnificent pilgrimage through time and space
There are only a few writers who truly capture the natural world's complex structure,presenting it in a readable manner.Edward Wilson is one of these.Here, he's joined by BertHolldobler in picturing one of our world's more enigmatic creatures - the ants.This book is ajoy to read, whether you seriously study evolution or simply want a grander picture of life'smysteries.This book is a collector's item in reviewing what is known about ants and callingon students to consider how much remains to be studied.

The ants are one of the dominant forms of life on this planet.They've spread to nearly everyenvironmental niche, adapting their habits and colony structure successfully.Wilson andHolldobler willingly convey their awe at this variety to anyone wishing to share it.Amongthe amazing accounts they relate, perhaps two stand out.The finding of the earliest knownfossil specimens by a New Jersey family, and the night-foraging ants of Australia.Holldoblerand Wilson's journeys have taken them to remote sites around the planet.They have a finesense of how to bring the reader into their camps and excursions, sharing their discoveriesand their tribulations.

Along the way, we learn how ants form their colonies, breed, forage, make war and enslaveor absorb their fellows or other creatures."Ants all look the same to the naked eye" they state,then show what a fallacy it is to continue believing that outlook.Beginning as solitaryground wasps, the ants have become one of the most complex social creatures in life.Theircolonies range from simple bivouacs to huge structures.They can remove tonnes of soil tobuild a nest or range over extensive territories, terrifying even people with waves ofmigrating insects.

Anyone seeking to understand even a little of the diversity of life should own this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Great French entomologist’s charming essays on insect life combine scientific rigor with the style of a literary classic. Beautifully written passages reveal the intricate, fascinating worlds of the beetle, cicada, praying mantis, glow-worm, wasp, grub, cricket, locust, and other creatures as they hunt, build nests, feed families, and more. Rare volume will delight any naturalist.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

NO ILLUSTRATIONS!!!
Warning, there is not one picture in this book save a crappy watercolored cricket on the cover. There was an earlier edition with exquisite illustrations, so I thought I'd take a chance with this one. *sound of gameshow buzzer* I'm sorry, no pictures. Anyway it is a good book, I enjoyed it. It's not a scientific description of insects and their habits, it's a regular guy's observations of and adventures with the insect world throughout his life and it's pretty interesting. It was Surrealist director Luis Bunuel's favorite book, although his copy had illustrations!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Field Guide to Texas Insects
I found this book to extremely useful for quick field identifications. The pictures are great, as is the accompying descriptive text. The book is well organized so looking up a particular insect is easy. Also the book not only describes various insects but also gives vital information about them, such as their life cycles, impact on man and the enviroment, where they can be found, and what they eat. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

honest, strong and well written
Once in a great while an author tells a story that is both awe inspiring and down to earth at the same time. , Dayton O. Hyde, author of "Don Coyote" has compiled such a work. His tale is the great American novel that not only speaks, but also sings from the heart, Hyde's story is told from his own point of view, and is about his life as a struggling cattle rancher in Oregon and the amazing friends one can meet thru tolerance and understanding. His is a tale of the brilliance one gains when one stops and listens to his environment instead of destroying it. It teaches that one can live in harmony with all of its creatures. In Hyde's life he has experienced the hardship of honest work, the toils and troubles of dreams not working out, and the friendship of one extraordinary creature. When Don Coyote first came into Hyde's life he was but a nuisance, a so called "threat" to his cattle, a threat that by all of the old laws of the west needed to be poisoned and snuffed out of existence imeadetly. Hyde was a good rancher, a good husband to his wife and a good father to his children, an over all a good person. So when it came time to raise his rifle in Don's direction Hyde couldn't kill him, no matter the old myth that coyotes live to only kill sheep, and should be destroyed on sight .Hyde didn't know it then, but that simple decision to not take an "animal's" life would change his own forever. The New York Times Book Review says, "Mr. Hyde is an engaging writer, and he portrays his coyote characters as charming, quirky and almost irresistibly appealing. He also convincingly demonstrates the senselessness of those who kill the wildlife he loves." Experience the extraordinary true story of a man who decided to observe nature with not just his eyes but also his heart, therefore discovering that man is not the controller of his environment but very much controlled by it. Welcome one and all to a tale of true friendship and

camaraderie. "Don Coyote" was published by Ballantine Books and is available wherever Ballatine Books are sold. Also by Dayton O. Hyde: "The Major, The Poacher and The Wonderful One-Trout River," "One Summer In Montana" and "Thunder Down the Track." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bees can talk by Xavier Lesage
This book unveils a marvelous language between animals. After reading it you can not any more smash a bee!

The content of the discovery is impressive : one bee can tell her colleague that there is food at 1 300 meters in the North-West direction... Animals can talk using a symbolic language and we know their words.

The thorough methodology used by Karl van Frisch and his students is very impressive as well. No place is left for doubt. 20 years of experiments are described with a German luxury of details. This is a scientific lesson in those time where we do not accept response time exceeding 2 seconds when browsing the web desperatly looking for information. ... Read more