The Complete Insect

Insects number roughly 3.5 million species and live in nearly every habitat on the planet. This illustrated volume uses that variety as its starting point, moving from the familiar bumblebee to the predatory mantis to show how these animals work. It covers the full sweep of insect natural history, including body structure, internal function, evolutionary origins, roles within ecosystems, and behavior.

Hundreds of color photographs and drawings accompany the text, which draws on a wide range of examples. Readers encounter everyday ants as well as jewel beetles with shimmering, iridescent shells, so the book moves easily between the common and the spectacular.

The book is aimed at devoted insect enthusiasts and at readers who enjoy observing the natural world from an armchair. It offers a broad, richly visual introduction to the complexity of insect life.