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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Wild animals > Insects & spiders
**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.
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Thrips
(Paperback)
William D.J. Kirk; Illustrated by Anthony J. Hopkins
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R651
Discovery Miles 6 510
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Ships in 12 - 19 working days
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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.
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