Book Description

This book is a compilation of techniques and devices for collecting and rearing insects that should appeal to educators as well as professional or amateur entomologists. Insects are easy to collect and raise and have a fascinating array of life histories, which make them great for classroom studies. With minimal space and costs, colonies of insects can be raised in classrooms for use in behavioral and physiological studies. The small size and tremendous reproductive capacity of insects are ideal for ecological studies of dispersion, predation, parasitism and reproduction in compressed timeframes and small areas relative to similar studies of larger organisms. This book explains the various techniques of how to build rearing devices and use insect collecting to stimulate insect exploration.

Anyone with basic hand tools, a little skill, and patience can construct these devices. A materials list, instructions for assembly, construction tips, and photographs are included for each device discussed in the text. Most of them require less than 1 hour assembly time and cost very little because they can be made from recycled items. There is also a review of simple statistics for use in the classroom, and, if appropriate, suggestions for classroom projects including simple statistical analyses.

Book Description

With habitats ranging from sea level to over 3,800 meters, the small Neotropical country of Costa Rica encompasses more than fifteen distinct life zones and contains a large percentage of all the butterfly species known from Central America. In this field guide, a sequel to the volume on Papilionidae, Pieridae, and Nymphalidae, Philip DeVries provides the first detailed treatment of over 250 species of Costa Rican butterflies in the family Riodinidae. Drawing from his extensive fieldwork, museum research, and surveys of scientific literature, DeVries presents the means to identify riodinid butterflies to the species level and gives an overview of their natural history. This guide illustrates nearly all of the Costa Rican species in color and provides a large sample of detailed line drawings and scanning electron micrographs of riodinid early stages for the first time ever. The book's coverage makes it useful for identifying riodinids throughout Mexico, Central America, and substantial portions of South America.

The introductory chapter brings together a large body of material that applies directly to understanding riodinid butterflies in general. The taxonomy, distribution, and natural history of each taxon is discussed in detail. The author also provides sections on ecology, evolution, behavior, symbioses with ants, caterpillar acoustical calls, systematics, collecting and preserving, hostplant relationships, and the comparative diversity of riodinid butterfly faunas. A section on butterfly biologists of the last century provides a historical perspective to the basis of our understanding of Neotropical butterflies.

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Reviews (4)

butterly museum
This book along with the photo essay book "Costa Rica : The Last Country the Gods Made" should be owned by anyone who loves Costa Rica, even if they think they despise nature studies as dry and limited. Buy it just for the color plates. This book's spirit is undeniable.

A Butterfly Museum
This book along with the photo essay book "Costa Rica : The Last Country the Gods Made" should be owned by anyone who loves Costa Rica, even if they think they despise nature studies as dry and limited. Buy it just for the color plates. This book's spirit is undeniable.

Not meant for your daypack
This hefty book is not a book you would like to drag along in you daypack (I tried, so I know). Yet, you will need it around (so, in your lodge or tent) when you're walking the rainforests and trying to make out what you've seen. It gives a clear description, added to clear drawings, of all the butterflies in the described families. That leads me to the only drawback: it's "just" a number of famlies described here, so the title is somewhat misleading. I'm eagerly awaiting the follow-up with the rest of the Lepidoptera, hoping that they will be covered in a similar way.

Butterflies for the whole family
For all of you who are looking for a good quality source book for your art projects this is the book that will provide you, not only, with detailed drawings but also with beautiful color images of Costa Rican butterflies. I only wish there were more color photographs of the insect, but since I researched line drawings to incorporate them into design this book even exceeded my needs. It also helped my seven year old daughter to understand and appreciate the complexity of this species not only its beauty. The text is easy to understand and can make a good vacation reading ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fascinating!!!
Really neat info on how insects keep warm/cool down and why they move in those ways - shivering, bouncing, etc. The text is really easy to read and interesting to get into - the drawings sprinkled in throughout help make understanding that much easier. I don't have a science background - just have an insatiable hunger to learn about our natural world and this book definitely filled one corner of that hunger......Ever see a dragonfly stand up like its doing a headstand? Well its not because it like the head rush (or maybe that too but the book doesn't talk to that) - the reason they do that is on p. 66 - "When the sun is directly overhead some dragonflies assume the 'oblisk' position, which minimizes surface area exposed to solar heating while maximizing the area available for convective cooling." ....all to say, it was a hot day and the dragonfly needed to cool down :) Excellent book!

Unusual topic well presented
The thermodynamics of insects, from flight and thermoregulation to "thermal wars" between predator and prey. This is fascinating hard science presented in a user-friendly format. Short and pithy.

Excellent information, easy to understand
Bernd Heinrich has brought us yet another book that appeals both to the complete layperson and the scientist and provides enough detail and entertainment to keep both happy. The Thermal Warriors provides a fascinating look into the details of insect thermodynamics. Did you know that bees and most other flying insects have to shiver their muscles to warm-up their engines before flying because their flight muscles are adapted to work best at flight temperatures? Did you know that some butterflies have to stop and rest frequently on even moderately sunny days to keep from overheating?

Heinrich has taken his in-depth experience in this field and created a summary version for those that want to know more, but don't have any interest in wading through a 600 page monolith. The book is split up into different "problems" that insects must overcome to achieve flight, be active in different environments, and utilize different body shapes and sizes. He explains the physics of the various problems encountered and adaptations to overcome the problems in an easy to read manner. He frequently uses car engine analogies to help things make more sense.

My only qualm with this book is that it was over too soon! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent!
I've gotten interested in insects just because of my own curiosity but wanted to learn a bit about their Families and species so I picked up this book (recommended by a teacher of a naturalist class on insects). It is an incredibly complete book with excellent drawings, discussions of common species, easyu to understand layout of orders and families without getting tooooo technical. Just what I needed to get my feet wet in being able to id and learn about specific insects I come across in the garden and elsewhere.

Review of How to Know the Insects
I have owned a copy of this book for many years and consider it to be the best classification guide available for undergraduates and serious amatuer collectors. An index\glossary provides hundreds of terms related to external morphology that can be memorized and the identification procedure is both simple and efficient. There are plenty of detailed illustrations.
The only downside is that this book has not been revised in many years. It most likely contains errors, because systematics is an ever-changing field. Most of it is accurate, however, and any serious insect collector can compensate for the outdated information by visiting a public library or museum.
This book is probably out of print. Get it now!

A Great Book for Insect Collectors!
I bought this book for my summer Etomology class. It is a very helpful book when you are trying to identify insects, however some of the insect characteristics are hard to see in the diagrams compaired to the real insect. A disecting microscope is strongly recommended when useing this book, since most of the characteristics deal with segments on the legs or antennae, as well as wing veins. These structures hare very hard to see with the naked eye. If a mistake is made in classification it is easy to back track and find your mistake, becuase each step has the number of the previous step. This book also gives you a good description of the insect's charachteristics, habitat, and other usefull information to verify the insect being classified. With this book I was able to classify all of my insects for my collection. I did need some help from the professor and the proctor, however most was just to double check myself. I also used the Peterson's Insect Guide to double check my classification. If you are looking for a book to identify insects for a collection, I strongly recommend this one. However, if you need a book for quick identification in the feild, this isn't the best book for that purpose. For feild purposes use a insect feild guide. ... Read more

Book Description

The compound eye of Drosophila is used as a model for human disease and homology to eyes in other taxa. This book covers the major discoveries on the development of the compound eye of Drosophila melanogaster over the last 25 years. These include aspects of the biological mechanisms of pattern formation in the nervous system, the specification of neuronal cell types, unexpected phylogenetic conservation and many new insights into the function of several signal transduction pathways. All chapters in this book have been written by leading experts in this field who have made significant contributions to our understanding of fly eye development. ... Read more

Book Description

In almost every location and every season, California is a birdwatchers' paradise. One can search Sierra meadows for a Great Gray Owl, the autumn estuary for a Black-bellied Plover, or spring willow thickets for the effervescent song of the Yellow Warbler. Closer to home, backyards, neighborhood parks, and cities abound with many of the state's 600-plus bird species. This beautifully illustrated book, the first based on the relationship between birds and their habitats, is the definitive introduction to California's varied birds and the lives they lead.
Introduction to California Birdlife describes the representative birds in California's seven major bioregions: ocean, seashore, coastal ranges, Central Valley, mountains and foothills, Great Basin, and deserts. It explains key relationships among weather patterns, plant communities, and the ecological rhythms of these habitats and shows how these factors relate to the distribution, behavioral adaptations, and environmental challenges of its birds.

* The perfect book for beginning and intermediate naturalists, and in-depth enough for experienced naturalists who would like to learn more about the habitat affinities, ecological niches, and seasonal cycles of California birds
* 150 color photographs bring to life many of the birds described
* Introduces the basics of avian biology
* Includes a list of all California's known bird species and a glossary of birding terms ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Incredible amount of breadth, really good degree of depth
This book has some of everything and I mean in terms of all sorts of insects and all sorts of aspects of their lives. It talks to the different orders of insects, fosilized insects, their bodies, inside and out, diversity, mating, metomorphosis, caring for offspring, escaping from predators, etc etc. The text is set up such that a question is posed (e.g. How fast can insects run?) and then there is an anwer (e.g. One of the fastest running insects is the American cockroach.......which has been clocked at running at a rate of about 32 inches per second or 1.8 miles per hour......) Lots of really fun infomation and it just seems to cover everything - some parts are more technical that others. Great pictures/photographs as well.

All your bug questions answered
I really enjoyed this book. It has a very wide scope, and is broken down into these sections: 1)bug basics 2)bugs that are not insects 3)fossilized insects 4)insect bodies; the outside 5)insect bodies; the inside 6)insect diversity 6)growth and metamorphosis 7)finding a mate & mating 8)caring for offspring 9)insect behavior 10)social insects 11)eaters of insects 12)escaping from predators 13)beneficial insects 14)insects that people eat 15)pest insects 16)contolling pests 17)the downside of insecticides 18)more interesting insect info I discovered many answers to questions I had wondered about for years: "do insects feel pain?" "how is the silkworm cocoon coverted to silk fiber?" "how do insects survive the winter?" "is there any concrete evidence that large eyespots frighten birds?" "do people eat insect products other than honey?" "are centipedes venomous?"...and many more. The answers range in length from a few sentences to half a page, just enough to satisfy your curiosity. There are also some good, close-up color photographs.

An Encyclopedia Of Bug Trivia
After listening to Dr. Waldbauer's interview on Public Radio I was captured by his passion for the interesting world of bug trivia, and bought the book. A compendium of bug facts and fables, presented in a format that allows you to read the book from cover to cover as well as use it as a quick reference guide. Both educational and entertaining, it answers questions that range from "how does a spider spin a web?" to "how do mosquitoes locate their victims?". Also includes a very useful index and exhaustive references. ... Read more

Download Description

Does the insect know beforehand the sex of the egg which it is about to lay? When examining the stock of food in the cells just now, we began to suspect that it does, for each little heap of provisions is carefully proportioned to the needs at one time of a male and at another of a female. What we have to do is to turn this suspicion into a certainty. ... Read more

Book Description

Garden Butterflies of North America is a vivid color portfolio of 40 of North America's most treasured and colorful garden butterfly varieties. It's also loaded with natural history vignettes of the individual butterflies as well as illustrated information on how to design and manage gardens and backyards to attract them. You will find numerous charts and plans for all types of gardens, from a container garden to a full-sized formal garden, specific details on plants that attract butterflies, how-to diagrams for building a butterfly hibernating box, and water sources such as ponds, fountains, mud baths, and waterless ponds. Rick Mikula is the founder of the Hole-in-Hand Butterfly Farm where he's been breeding and selling butterflies in seven greenhouses since 1980. His work has been profiled in People magazine, The Wall Street Journal and on the Discovery Channel. In addition, Mikula serves as the butterfly habitat consultant for many universities, zoos, museums and aviaries. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wonderful, informative book
I checked out several books from the library to complete my research on a butterfly garden for my backyard. This one book was the best, most informative, easiest instructions I found. I had a small area to work with, and 2 years later my butterfly garden is a beautiful sight to behold, and my personal treasure to work in and with. It's design follows Mr. Mikula's basic instructions, and to date we have had several different types of butterflies visit our garden. What a joy. Thank you, Mr. Mikula!!

Beautiful book but misleading title
The photos are superb and the text interesting; if the title were "Common Garden Butterflies of the United States" I'd give it 5 stars. The existing title is very misleading, however. Only the most common U.S. butterflies are included and coverage of Canada is neglible.

bunt@duke.usask.ca ... Read more

Book Description

All across the country, butterflies are becoming as popular as birds and wildflowers, especially among people seeking to enjoy the rich natural resources that Texas possesses. John and Gloria Tveten have been studying butterflies in Southeast Texas for thirty-five years, and here they offer their considerable knowledge to everyone who shares their passion for butterflies.In this easy-to-use field guide, the Tvetens describe and illustrate more than 100 species of butterflies that live in Southeast Texas and can often be found across the state. Striking color photographs of living butterflies and caterpillars (a unique addition) show the key marks and characteristics necessary for field identification. The Tvetens' enjoyable and authoritative text describes each species' life history, habits, flight patterns, and characteristic markings.An account of the different butterfly families, from swallowtails to longwings to skippers, precedes the descriptions of the species within each family. The Tvetens also include an interesting discussion of butterfly biology, a complete checklist of area butterflies, an index of butterfly-attracting plants, and pointers to other butterfly resources.This field guide is the first to focus exclusively on Southeast Texas butterflies. It will be the essential reference for everyone seeking a reliable way to identify these butterflies, from field observers to apartment dwellers who wonder what is fluttering around the pot plants on the balcony. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best
The Tvetens have written the definitive account of butterflies in eastern Texas. John's photos are incredible and show the key field makes needed to identify each species. Most accounts of each species also include a photo of the larval stage. All account include a description of the egg, larva, male and female adult and seasonal variations. I use this book all the time.

excellent field guide to Texas butterflies
This is a beautifully illustrated guidebook. What makes it particularly useful and informative are the outstanding photographs of butterflies in different stages of their life cycle and different color phases, together with the extremely well-written text which thoroughly describes the natural history of each variety. ... Read more

Book Description

This book focuses on drosophila as an especially useful model organism for exploring questions of evolutionary biology in the full range of evolutionary studies: population genetics, ecology, ecological genetics, speciation, phylogenetics, genome evolution, molecular evolution, and development.The author presents an integrated view of evolutionary biology as elucidated in this single organism.Special effort is made to point out holes in our knowledge and areas particularly ripe for new investigation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

INDISPENSABLE
This is one of the finest books in evolutionary biology in the last ten years. Powell covers an extraordinary range of topics--and writes in a pleasant, unassuming style that makes a lot of information easily accessable. Probably no one has such first hand knowledge of virtually every topic covered. Authoritative in the best sense! All evolutionists must have a copy. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A wonderful and much-needed new perspective
Thomas Berry, the famed theologian and cultural historian who wrote the introduction to this book, makes a perfect statement: "The time has come for humans and insects to turn toward each other. Such is our way to wisdom, the source of our healing, our guidance into the twenty-first century." Joanne Lauck has made a wonderful contribution to those of us seeking to transform ourselves as we travel our spiritual pathways. This book (herein referred to as The Voice) is not a study of insects, it's not a scientific book and it doesn't pretend to be. It's more than that. The Voice offers a new perspective to life, to all that is beautiful and wonderful on this planet; it opens the doorway for us to consider insects in all their splendor and beauty and as necessary beings for the balance of all life. The many stories and myths, woven into facts about insects, make for fascinating reading. For me, reading The Voice brought to my attention the dusty corners of my mind, those places that held prejudices I didn't even know existed. Not just against certain insects--I was forced to look beyond them. Reading The Voice proved to be exciting, educational, rewarding, eye-opening and, finally, a critical step on my spiritual journey. Since then, I've gifted others with the book. An acquaintance named Robert, who reads The Voice while sitting with the insects, tells me time and time again that he looks at the world differently now; his vision is much larger than it was before he began establishing a relationship with insects. The insects welcome him. The bees especially have been offering their friendship--they walk back and forth along the top of his glasses in greeting, then explore the gentleness of Robert's hands. Robert is in the healing profession, and he admits that as he is changing, so also is his work changing. Such is the impact of Ms. Lauck's book. I highly recommend it!

A book for animal lovers
I am going to buy this book for every animal lover on my Christmas list! It changes your mind and heart about insects and spiders without preaching or giving you a bunch of boring scientific facts. It could have been called "Insect Angels" like the Animal Animals book since its major theme of insects as messengers weaves through all the chapters. My favorite chapter was on insects in dreams because the author explains how even frightening dreams can have a positive message that can help you. I'll never look at an insect in the same way after reading this book.

Highly unusual approach to these creatures
The Voice of the Infinite in the Small is a psychological and spiritual look at one of the most broken relationships we have with nature, namely our relationship to insects and related creatures. Turning the spotlight on people, instead of on the insects, Lauck reveals a blind spot in the culture, our fear-based hatred of what is different and our cherished and unexamined perceptions which in essence deny the creature. Lauck is a layperson and a storyteller-not a scientist or entomologist-and is clear about her motives for writing this unusual book-to raise awareness about our projections that have made these creatures our enemies and to return them to the role of messenger, both in the environment and in the human psyche. The connections she makes to the spiritual traditions are wise and illuminating and the writing eloquent. The cover is a bit misleading as it looks like a traditional resource book on insects. In fact it looks like a book by an entomologist and that is unfortunate. Those drawn to looking at insects as specimens and who believe entomologists are the only ones who should write about these kinds of creatures are not going to like her approach at all. I loved it though and so will anyone who accepts that life is not random but is driven by an unseen world and spiritual forces that are ultimately benevolent. I would highly recommend this book. It is truly one of a kind.

Overly vague book stops short
I actually stopped reading this book after the first several chapters. I very seldom will stop reading books until giving them a fair shake, but I was so unimpressed with this book that I had to move on.

The book spent alot of time examining the roots of why insects have been looked down upon for years. And they were interesting, except that the reasoning often used such cliches as "many native tribes believe..." Which native tribes? How do you define many? Then, at about the point the book seemed about to follow up the debunking of theories with proof, it would stop short with something like "the reasons why the fly is good are beyond the scope of this book, suffice it to say that...". I wanted proof and logic, not just 'believe me because I said so and overgeneralized in the process.'

Insects need a voice, but perhaps not this one.
I agree with the premise of this book; that we should reconnect with insects. However, Lauck seems to need connections that include telepathy with ants, Jungian synchronicity, spiders that warn people of danger, and an out-of-body experience as a butterfly. She seems willing to accept these individual antidotal accounts, but does not accept, or seek a deeper understanding of ecological thinking. The book works best at discussing insect mythology and she covers a wide variety of cultures. Kritsky and Cherry's "Insect Mythology" is also a useful source of these myths. The stories promote enthusiastic awareness and compassion, and avoiding thinking of individual insects as adversaries. She off-hand dismissed the "male dominated Judea-Christian tradition", but I think a deeper reading of the Bible (e.g. Noah's Arc, and "Consider the Ant), would help people of that tradition to connect also.

She rejects some preventative health advice, and I think it is irresponsible to advocate "sharing your blood" with mosquitoes in this day of West Nile virus. I think it is possible to connect with insects by trying to understand them on their own terms, and as part of the ecosystem, rather than as a human centered signpost. Sue Hubbells' "Broadsides from the other orders", promote a connection with insects without the sensationalism. My own studies in dragonfly migration, promote my connection to insects, and I think readers would do well to study insects directly. The scientific references are often vague, and "Discover" magazine seems to be her main scientific reference. ... Read more

Amazon.com

With cheese skippers, bluegrass billbugs, thrips, bagworms, walkingsticks, mange mites, fire ants and sweat bees, what's not to like?These fine bugs, plus 91 more, are depicted, explained and otherwise featured in all their glory. Berenbaum seems to know everything there is to know about insects, and she imparts her wisdom in humorous, engrossing, elucidating prose. ... Read more

Book Description

Combining authoritative, easy-to-read essays with accurate illustrations and full color photographs, this encyclopedia covers all of the families that encompass the million-plus species of insects and spiders. A unique and thoroughly current volume, it includes:
- Specially commissioned articles written by a team of scientists, zoologists and expert researchers
- Insightful and up-to-date information on insect and spider biology and behavior
- The latest scientific findings and interpretations
- Features that explore and discuss in depth topics that are of particular interest and importance, for example, Beetles as Agents of Biological Control

In addition to a comprehensive text, each species entry also has a Factfile for quick retrieval of essential data:
- Scientific Order and Population
- Distribution and Habitat
- Size, Color and Features
- Reproduction, Life Cycle and Longevity
- Conservation Status

Scientists, zoologists and expert researchers have contributed specially commissioned articles. These specialists, all experts in their fields, are actively involved in conducting frontline scientific or behavioral research. The inclusion of their latest findings and interpretations sets this title apart. ... Read more

Book Description

The book is a new compendium in which leading termitescientists review the advances of the last 30 years in ourunderstanding of phylogeny, fossil records, relationships withcockroaches, social evolution, nesting, behaviour, mutualisms witharchaea, protists, bacteria and fungi, nutrition, energymetabolism,population and community ecology, soil conditioning,greenhouse gas production and pest status. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Termites naked
For those who works with termites, this book cames just in time because little was done until now to make a synthesis of the knowledge about termites, with an exception of Grasse book, in French language. Although it comprises only some aspects, I hope that this book make another termitologists write your results and publish them in a compendium like that. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is a valuable reference to turfgrass consultants and representatives of a variety of agribusinesses that serve the turfgrass industry. It contains both the technical and practical information necessary for decision-making and the day-to-day operation in all areas of turfgrass culture and management. Coverage is provided on maintenance of turfgrasses. other pertinent topics include biology and management of weeds in turfgrasses biology and management of diseases in turfgrasses as well as biology and control of insects and related pests in turfgrass. coverage is also included on the application of equipment and the safe use of pesticides.For Turf Managers, Landscapers, Lawn Care Managers, and Golf Course Superintendents. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great book for understanding lawn care thoroughly.
This book hit all the aspects of lawn care.The best part about this book was it gave good instrucitons on how to cure disease, weeds, and fungusproblems without chemicals.I highly recommend this book for lawn careprofessionals interested in learning about the industry.This book is wellworth the money. ... Read more