We are told from the time we are children that insects and
spiders are pests, when the truth is that most have little or no
effect on us--although the few that do are often essential to our
existence. Arthur Evans suggests we take a closer look at our
slapped-at, stepped-on, and otherwise ignored cohabitants, who
vastly outnumber us and whose worlds often occupy spaces that we
didn't even know existed.
"What's Bugging You?" brings together fifty unforgettable
stories from the celebrated nature writer and entomologist's
popular "Richmond Times-Dispatch" column. Evans has scoured
Virginia's wild places and returned with wondrous stories about the
seventeen-year sleep of the periodical cicadas, moths that evade
hungry bats by sensing echolocation signals, and the luminous
language of light employed by fireflies. He also visits some
not-so-wild places: the little mounds of upturned soil scattered
along the margins of soccer fields are the dung beetle's calling
card.
What does the world look like to a bug? Evans explores insect
vision, which is both better, and worse, than that of humans (they
are capable of detecting ultraviolet light, but many cannot see the
color red), pausing to observe that it is its wide-set
forward-looking eyes that imbue the praying mantis with
"personality." He is willing to defend such oft-maligned creatures
as the earwig, the tent caterpillar, and the cockroach--revealed
here as a valuable scavenger, food source for other animals, and
even a pollinator, that spends more time grooming itself than it
does invading human space.
Evans's search for multilegged life takes him to an enchanting
assortment of locations, ranging from gleaming sandy beaches
preferred by a threatened tiger beetle to the shady, leaf-strewn
forest floors where a centipede digs its brood chamber--to a busy
country road where Evans must dodge constant foot and vehicular
traffic to photograph a spider wasp as its claims its paralyzed
prey. His forays also provide the reader with a unique window on
the cycles of nature. What Evans refers to as the FBI--fungus,
bacteria, insects--are the chief agents in decomposition and a
vital part of regeneration. Evans also takes on many issues
concerning humans' almost always destructive interaction with
insect life, such as excessive mowing and clearing of wood that
robs wildlife of its food and habitat, as well as harmful bug
zappers that kill everything "but" mosquitoes.
The reader emerges from this book realizing that even seemingly
mundane forms of insect and spider life present us with unexpected
beauty and fascinating lifestyles.
General
Imprint: |
University of Virginia Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
February 2008 |
First published: |
March 2008 |
Authors: |
Arthur V. Evans
|
Dimensions: |
216 x 140 x 19mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
170 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8139-2698-8 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-8139-2698-X |
Barcode: |
9780813926988 |
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