An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles
An\ Inordinate Fondness for Beetles is an authoritative reference in a breathtakingly beautiful volume, one that will leave every reader with a deeper understanding, appreciation, and—yes—fondness for these amazing creatures and their place in nature.\ In terms of numbers, beetles are the most successful creatures on earth: about 350,000 species of beetles have been described since 1758. They range from tiny to gigantic, occupy sundry habitats, and eat everything—plants, animals, and their...
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An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles is an authoritative reference in a breathtakingly beautiful volume, one that will leave every reader with a deeper understanding, appreciation, and—yes—fondness for these amazing creatures and their place in nature. In terms of numbers, beetles are the most successful creatures on earth: about 350,000 species of beetles have been described since 1758. They range from tiny to gigantic, occupy sundry habitats, and eat everything—plants, animals, and their own remains. An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles provides an engaging look at these magnificent yet poorly understood creatures and highlights the absolutely essential role they play in the dynamics of nearly every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. And, as this book beautifully demonstrates, the aesthetics of beetle design are amazing. The fantastic colors and shapes of these creatures warrant the gorgeous color photography lavished on them in this book. E Magazine These two scientists not only display some of the most spectacular specimens, but also give fascinating accounts of the strange life cycles and morphologies of these often ignored arthropods.
Prologue8Ch. 1A Question of Numbers10Ch. 2Where Do Beetles Live?30Ch. 3The Beetles - Yesterday and Today72Ch. 4It's a Beetle's Life94Ch. 5Beetles and Humans136Ch. 6Beetlephilia162Epilogue193App. IFamily List194App. IIMajor Beetle Collections196App. IIIColeoptera Societies and Journals199Selected References200Acknowledgments204Index205
\ E MagazineThese two scientists not only display some of the most spectacular specimens, but also give fascinating accounts of the strange life cycles and morphologies of these often ignored arthropods.\ \ \ \ \ BBC Wildlife MagazineHere is the non—specialist's chance to be inspired. Evans' and Bellamy's journey through beetle ecology is everywhere enhanced by Watson's bright pictures of some of nature's most exquisite creatures. Seek fondness, yes; find wonder and awe.\ \ \ Library JournalBeetles (Coleoptera) are the most diverse and successful insects that ever lived on Earth. They appeared before the dinosaurs, the ants, or the flies, and today there are more than a quarter million species of them. Their recipe for success? An armored skeleton that protects the entire body, including the flight wings, allowing beetles to enter and flourish in every habitat on Earth. This work introduces the lay reader to these extraordinary creatures through a readable text that conveys the enthusiasm of those who study beetles, and splendid color photographs, by Lisa Charles Watson and others, of more than 220 species. The six chapters cover beetle numbers and diversity, their body plan and functions, their life histories, habits, and defenses, their evolution, their interactions with humans, and their aesthetic importance and conservation. An excellent addition to public libraries. [This title was chosen as one of LJ's Best Reference Books of 1996; see p. 36-40.]Annette Aiello, Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst., Panama\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalYAA beautiful and thorough look at the entire realm of beetles including the locales in which they are found, history, anatomy and physiology, and their relationships with humans. The incredible full-color photographs bring readers up close without a magnifying lens at hand, and the seemingly infinite variations within the species due to size, structure, and color are easily seen. Diagrams clarify concepts that could not be photographed. If the outstanding, large, colorful photos do not grab browsers' attention, the opening statement will: "Beetles...representing a fifth of all living organisms...." While the text is scientific, it is very readable. The appendixes supply information not found in other books. While this title will not serve as a guide for identification, it is an excellent resource for naturalists.Gary Fillmore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA\ \
