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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Wild animals > Insects & spiders > General
In much of North America, crickets and katydids provide the
soundtrack to summer nights, and grasshoppers frequent the fields
and roadsides of midsummer days. Although insects from this group
have long been the bane of those who make their living from the
land, grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets are themselves crucial
food sources for many species of birds, reptiles and amphibians,
and other creatures.Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and
Crickets of the United States introduces readers to the biology,
behavior, and ecological significance of one of the most obvious
(abundant, large, and colorful) and important (ecologically and
economically significant) insect groups in North America, the order
Orthoptera. A simple, illustrated identification guide assists the
reader in distinguishing among the various groups and narrows down
the options to expedite identification. The book treats more than a
third of the species found in the United States and Canada in
brief, easy-to-understand sections that provide information on
distribution, identification, ecology, and similar species.
Distribution maps accompany each profile, and 206 species are
pictured in color. Black-and-white drawings highlight
distinguishing characteristics of some of the more
difficult-to-identify species. Sonograms provide a graphic
representation of the insects' distinctive sounds, which may be
heard on Thomas J. Walker's website: Singing Insects of North
America.This is the first treatment of North American grasshoppers,
katydids, and crickets to portray the insects in full color, and it
will be the first time many amateur naturalists and students have
the opportunity to see the amazing and colorful world of
Orthoptera, because many are cryptically colored (their bright
colors evident only in flight) or cryptic in behavior (nocturnal in
their habits). John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, and Thomas J.
Walker designed their book for amateur naturalists who wish to know
the local fauna, for students who seek to identify insects as part
of entomology and natural history courses, and for professional
biologists who need to identify invertebrates. This invaluable
field guide will be a useful supplement for laboratory and field
activities and a reference for classrooms at every level.
Butterflies immediately catch our attention with their beautiful
wing patterns and colors. They exemplify metamorphosis with the
creeping caterpillar transforming into a soaring butterfly. They
have also come to be creatures of science, revealing much to
biologists about evolution and the ecological processes and
historical accidents that have generated the diversity of life on
Earth.In Butterflies, Dick Vane-Wright provides a complete
introduction to the biology, natural history, and classification of
this major group. Using examples from around the world and
eye-catching photographs, he explores what it means to be a
butterfly, from how the yellow birdwing finds a mate to why the
African gaudy commodores produce adults of different colors.
Bee hives. They might look at first glance like seething anarchy,
but the bees know exactly what they are doing. With astounding
skill, precise expertise and impressive teamwork they carry out
their plans. The Honey Factory plunges the reader into the life of
a colony of bees and takes them on a tour of their 'factory'. This
is a world inhabited by headstrong individuals with clever methods
and an amazing set of rules. Why aren't male bees allowed to stay
in their colony just as it is getting cosy? What lies behind the
sexual excesses of a young queen bee? And how do all the bees in a
hive come to collective decisions? The Honey Factory answers these
questions and more. Combining the most fascinating discoveries and
greatest secrets in bee research, it ultimately shows readers why
bees are so precious and why humans and bees cannot survive without
each other.
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