Alien Worlds : How Insects Conquered the Earth, and Why Their Fate Will Determine Our Future

A beautifully illustrated journey into the hidden realm of insects Life on Earth depends on the busy activities of insects, but global populations of these teeming creatures are currently under threat, with grave consequences for us all. Alien Worlds presents insects and other arthropods as you have never seen them before, explaining how they conquered the planet and why there are so many of them, and shedding light on the evolutionary marvels that enabled them to thrive. Blending glorious imagery with entertaining and informative science writing, this book takes you inside the hidden realm of insects and reveals why their fate carries profound implications for our own. Spectacular photos provide a rare, up-close look at the alien worlds of insects Sheds light on the origins and wondrous diversity of insects Discusses how insects first took to the air and colonised the far corners of our planet Explores the extraordinary sensory world of insects Explains the remarkable success of social insects, from termites and ants to bees and wasps

A beautifully illustrated journey into the hidden realmof insects Life on Earth depends on the busy activities ofinsects, but global populations of these teeming creatures arecurrently under threat, with grave consequences for us all.Alien Worlds presents insects and other arthropods as youhave never seen them before, explaining how they conquered theplanet and why there are so many of them, and shedding light on theevolutionary marvels that enabled them to thrive. Blending gloriousimagery with entertaining and informative science writing, thisbook takes you inside the hidden realm of insects and reveals whytheir fate carries profound implications for our own.

• Spectacular photos provide a rare, up-close look at the alienworlds of insects
• Sheds light on the origins and wondrous diversity ofinsects
• Discusses how insects first took to the air and colonised thefar corners of our planet
• Explores the extraordinary sensory world of insects
• Explains the remarkable success of social insects, fromtermites and ants to bees and wasps

An ambitious and beautifully illustrated account of the evolution and biology of insects. Insects are the busy, teeming arthropods on whose activities much of life on earth depends, and whose global populations are currently under the gravest of threats – with unimaginable consequences for us all. In Alien Worlds , Steve Nicholls explores nothing less than a complete natural history of insects, bringing us on a journey through a world of a million species and their phenomenal and extraordinary diversity. A fantastically authoritative and congenial guide, led by a fluent and entertaining writer with the ability to make complex ideas comprehensible, it is not only a feast for the curious mind but also contains beautiful and visually arresting imagery of the tiny beasts whom we depend on greatly. "Life on Earth depends on the busy activities of insects, but global populations of these teeming creatures are currently under threat, with grave consequences for us all. Alien Worlds presents insects and other arthropods as you have never seen them before, explaining how they conquered the planet and why there are so many of them, and shedding light on the evolutionary marvels that enabled them to thrive. Blending glorious imagery with entertaining and informative science writing, this book takes you inside the hidden realm of insects and reveals why their fate carries profound implications for our own."--Dust jacket flap