Insects Through the Seasons

by Gilbert Waldbauer

Book Overview

They appeared on earth 400 million years ago, long before the first reptile, bird or mammal, and they may well last 400 million more. They make up about 75 per cent of the 1.2 million currently known species of animals and no-one knows how many millions of them have yet to be discovered. As many as 30,000 of them co-exist and interact in one square yard of the top inch of a forest's soil. The success story of insects, unparalleled in evolution or...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 067445488X
• ISBN13: 9780674454880
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 289 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.5"
• Grade Range: Grades 10 to 12

Customer Reviews

Great story!

At first blush, this might just sound like a book with stories about insects but its so much more than tyhat! The chapters weave into each other, starting in April with the cecropia moth emerging from the cocoon and ending in the last chapter with the cecropia again in hibernation for the winter. Thhroughout the chapeters, the seasons change and life changes with it. Honey bees emerge, insects reproduce, polliation happens, colonies grow, and then fall/winter return and hibernation/preparation for the next generation ensues. Its a really neat book. Also, there's a drawing at the bottom of each page of a moth in flight so if you flick the pages fast its like cartoon moth flying throyugh the air - really neat. The writing is conversational and enjoyable, other neat authors like E.O. Wilson are referenced, there are a few poems/quotes sprinkled in. I learned a lot while ready but was also bitten by the bug to learn even more. I'm fascinated by the change in seasons and all that happens in our natural world! Definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in reading through the seasons from an insects' perspective. Lots of different insects talked about throughout.

Readable, worthwhile

This is one of several books by Dr. Waldbauer I've read. I thoroughly enjoy his books. The book is divided into chapters that follow insect activities through a year. Each chapter covers a type of activity that is appropriate for the time of year, such as breeding, getting enough to eat, hiding out, keeping warm (these are my paraphrases, not actual chapter titles). The book covers a variety of different species. It's extremely readable. Only disadvantages I can see are that it is not organized well for reference, and it may not offer as much depth as you want if you are particularly intrigued with one of the dozens of subjects he discusses. You'll have to go to other sources for an all-in-one-place focus on one species. On the other hand, the book makes no pretense of being a comprehensive reference work--It is a readable overview, and never pretends to be anything else. So if that's what you are looking for, this book will serve very well. Recommended for anyone with a non-academic interest in the subject.

"It was not until 1989 that humans first communicated

with honey bees through the dancing and buzzing of a robot bee."Five stars for that sentence all by itself.

Beautifully written, awakening a sense of wonder

This was the first book I'd read devoted to insects, and I was so enthralled that I've gone on to read a good many others on the subject. Still, _Insects through the Seasons_ remains my favorite "bug" book. Waldbauer's prose is clear and yet has a lyricism that surprised me. He packs an incredible amount of interesting information into the book, yet I was never overwhelmed. Best of all, his enthusiasm is infectious.