Insects through the seasons

by Gilbert Waldbauer

The remarkable success story of insects, unparalleled in evolution, is the story told in this delightful and eminently readable book. How do these often tiny but indefatigable creatures do it? In a nontechnical style that will appeal to readers young and old, to amateur naturalists as well as curious browsers, Gilbert Waldbauer pursues this question from hot springs to Himalayan slopes, from lightless caves to the Great Salt Lake, from roadsides to forests, scrutinizing insect life in its many manifestations. As we pass through the seasons, we learn of the incredible diversity of mechanisms by which insects attract and court their mates (and ensure their fidelity!), provide for their offspring, satisfy their often highly particular food requirements, and avoid becoming food themselves. We see the sexy side of a mosquito's buzz, the unexpected meaning of a tiger moth's chirp, the antics of a butterfly besotted with fermenting fruit.