**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** One man's quest to save the bumblebee... Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees. Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee is now extinct in the UK, but still exists in the wilds of New Zealand, descended from a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century. A Sting in the Tale tells the story of Goulson's passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land and contains groundbreaking research into these curious creatures, history's relationship with the bumblebee, the disastrous effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.

This photographic identification guide to the 280 butterfly species most commonly seen in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High-quality photographs from the area's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, vegetation, habitats, behaviour, opportunities for naturalists and the main sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is a classification of butterflies found in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, from their superfamilies down to the level of genera to give an understanding of the relationships of butterflies

They appeared on earth 400 million years ago, long before the first reptile, bird, or mammal. They make up about 75 percent of the 1.2 million currently known species of animals. As many as 30,000 of them coexist and interact in one square yard of the top inch of a forest's soil. The unparalleled success of insects is the story told in this highly entertaining book. How do these often tiny but indefatigable creatures do it? Gilbert Waldbauer pursues this question from hot springs and Himalayan slopes to roadsides and forests, scrutinizing insect life in its many manifestations. Insects through the Seasons will educate and charm the expert, the passionate amateur, and the merely curious about our most populous and tenacious neighbors.

Colony Collapse Disorder, ubiquitous pesticide use, industrial agriculture, habitat reduction-these are just a few of the issues causing unprecedented trauma in honeybee populations worldwide. In this artfully illustrated book, Heather Swan embarks on a narrative voyage to discover solutions to-and understand the sources of-the plight of honeybees. Through a lyrical combination of creative nonfiction and visual imagery, Where Honeybees Thrive tells the stories of the beekeepers, farmers, artists, entomologists, ecologists, and other advocates working to stem the damage and reverse course for this critical pollinator. Using her own quest for understanding as a starting point, Swan highlights the innovative projects and strategies these groups employ. Her mosaic approach to engaging with the environment not only reveals the incredibly complex political ecology in which bees live-which includes human and nonhuman actors alike-but also suggests ways of comprehending and tackling a host of other conflicts between postindustrial society and the natural world. Each chapter closes with an illustrative full-color gallery of bee-related artwork. A luminous journey from the worlds of honey producers, urban farmers, and mead makers of the United States to those of beekeepers of Sichuan, China, and researchers in southern Africa, Where Honeybees Thrive traces the global web of efforts to secure a sustainable future for honeybees-and ourselves.

'Written in clear, easily readable language and relying little on jargon, this coffee-table-style book will interest anyone captivated by this unique group of insects. Highly recommended. All library collections' Choice. 'This gorgeous book reveals a wonder on nearly every page and will enthrall natural history enthusiasts both amateur and expert alike' Library Journal (starred review). This visual feast reveals a multitude of butterfly and moth species from around the globe. Here are some of the most colourful, spectacular and sometimes weird examples of the world’s butterflies and moths. Vibrant colour photographs and macro images complement the enlightening text written by zoologist Ronald Orenstein, who explains the scientific curiosities of these amazing insects. He makes clear how to differentiate between butterflies and moths; how caterpillars camouflage themselves; and how their feeding strategies and evolutionary adaptations help them prevail in the wild. Butterflies has seven sections which provide comprehensive coverage of Lepidoptera. It includes the following and much more: Introduction to Butterflies: What are butterflies? Colour Patterns, Courtship, Migration and Climate Change. Butterfly Diversity: Swallowtails, Skippers, Whites, Sulphurs and Yellows, Milkweed Butterflies, Fritillaries, Emperors, Gossamerwinged Butterflies, Metalmarks. Butterfly Wings: Flight, Colour, Tails and Ornaments, Eyespots. Butterfly Life History: Mating, Eggs, Caterpillars, Metamorphosis. What Butterflies Eat: Feeding Apparatus, Flowers, Rotting Fruit, Drinking, Puddling. Butterflies in their Environment: Predators, Camouflage, Mimicry, Overwintering. Myriad of Moths: Day-Flying Moths, Silks, Giants, Mimicry, Wing Pattern, Defence. With stunning photography, authoritative natural history and an elegant design, Butterflies brings to abundant life the unfathomable beauty and variety of butterflies and moths.

Dinosaurs, however toothy, did not rule the earth-and neither do humans. But what were and are the true potentates of our planet? Insects, says Scott Richard Shaw-millions and millions of insect species. Starting in the shallow oceans of ancient Earth and ending in the far reaches of outer space-where, Shaw proposes, insect-like aliens may have achieved similar preeminence-Planet of the Bugs spins a sweeping account of insects' evolution from humble arthropod ancestors into the bugs we know and love (or fear and hate) 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 buggy tales by turns bizarre and comical-from caddisflies that construct portable houses or weave silken aquatic nets to trap floating debris, to parasitic wasp larvae that develop in the blood of host insects and, by storing waste products in their rear ends, are able to postpone defecation until after they emerge-he not only unearths how changes in our planet's geology, flora, and fauna contributed to insects' success, but also how, in return, insects came to shape terrestrial ecosystems and amplify biodiversity. Indeed, in his visits to hyperdiverse rain forests to highlight the current insect extinction crisis, Shaw reaffirms just how crucial these tiny beings are to planetary health and human survival. In this age of honeybee die-offs and bedbugs hitching rides in the spines of library books, Planet of the Bugs charms with humor, affection, and insight into the world's six-legged creatures, revealing an essential importance that resonates across time and space.

This publication is an account of the distribution, morphology, biology and classification of those scorpions considered to be of medical importance. The book also contains information on the clinical aspects of scorpion envenomation, and on methods for scorpion control.

Though the scope of this book is clearly delineated by its title, "Scorpions of Medical Importance," Professor Keegan does consider those genera and species of scorpions that are not of medical importance, but commonly occur in association with man, and are often greatly feared. He has done so because of the scorpion's potential as a stimulus for entomophobia. While this fear, created in part by folklore, dramatic but inaccurate literature, and television and motion picture sequences, is useful in areas where dangerously venomous scorpions exist, it has also created much needless apprehension. It will surely be a revelation to many readers that of approximately 800 species that have been described, only about 50 have been reported as being dangerous to man.

A valuable feature of "Scorpions of Medical Importance" is the outstanding drawings that have been used to illustrate the species. It is not often that one comes across drawings so striking in their precision and attention to even the most minute details.

As one of the very few books dealing solely with the general subject of scorpions of medical importance, this publication should be a useful reference for all of those interested in the distribution, biology, and control of dangerously venomous scorpions, and in clinical aspects of scorpion envenomation."The book also contains an index, bibliography, and pertinent references to related species not discussed in the book.

**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** The Garden Jungle is a wonderful introduction to the hundreds of small creatures with whom we live cheek-by-jowl and of the myriad ways that we can encourage them to thrive. The Garden Jungle is about the wildlife that lives right under our noses, in our gardens and parks, between the gaps in the pavement, and in the soil beneath our feet. Wherever you are right now, the chances are that there are worms, woodlice, centipedes, flies, silverfish, wasps, beetles, mice, shrews and much, much more, quietly living within just a few paces of you. Dave Goulson gives us an insight into the fascinating and sometimes weird lives of these creatures, taking us burrowing into the compost heap, digging under the lawn and diving into the garden pond. He explains how our lives and ultimately the fate of humankind are inextricably intertwined with that of earwigs, bees, lacewings and hoverflies, unappreciated heroes of the natural world. The Garden Jungle is at times an immensely serious book, exploring the environmental harm inadvertently done by gardeners who buy intensively reared plants in disposable plastic pots, sprayed with pesticides and grown in peat cut from the ground. Goulson argues that gardens could become places where we can reconnect with nature and rediscover where food comes from. For anyone who has a garden, and cares about our planet, this book is essential reading.

Stouts, millers, and forky-tails (a.k.a. deerfly, moths, and earwigs) are just three of more than 200 fascinating insects, spiders, and other arthropods profiled in this book. Youll also meet weevils, flesh flies, aphids, dragonflies, ticks, bees, giant water bugs, and many mosquitos. These are the creepy-crawlies in your garden and in your basement, the annoyances and the biters, the disease-carriers and the pests. But they are also the pollinators and the insect friends that are crucial to healthy ecosystems. Organized by habitat and order, each description gives key identifying features, life cycle details, as well as the specific habits and quirks that make each one worthy of study. The pages are filled with stunning full-colour photographs of each creature, from gross to gorgeous. Includes up-to-date information about each species distribution in this province, as well as quick hits about the latest local research, folk tales, and insect lore. Insects are the most dominant animal group on the planet. Getting to know some of this species richness is a journey every nature-lover or curious mind will enjoy.