Planet of the Bugs by Scott Shaw

Planet of the Bugs by Scott Shaw

Dinosaurs, however toothy, did not rule the earth - and neither do humans. But what were and are the true potentates of our planet? Insects, says Scott Richard Shaw - millions and millions of insects. Starting in the shallow oceans of ancient earth and ending in the far reaches of outer space - where, Shaw proposes, insect-like aliens might have achieved similar preeminence - Planet of the Bugs spins a sweeping account of insects' evolution from humble arthropod ancestors into the bugs we know and love (or fear and hate) today. Leaving no stone unturned, Shaw explores how evolutionary innovations such as small body size, wings, metamorphosis, and parasitic behavior have enabled insects to disperse widely, occupy increasingly narrow niches, and survive global catastrophes in their rise to global dominance. Through buggy tales at turns bizarre and comical - from caddisflies that construct portable houses or weave silken aquatic nets to trap floating debris, to parasitic wasp larvae that develop in the blood of host insects and, by storing waste products in their rear ends, are able to postpone defecation until after they emerge - he not only unearths how changes in our planet's geology, flora, and fauna contributed to insects' success, but also how, in return, insects came to shape terrestrial ecosystems and amplify biodiversity. Indeed, in his visits to modern earth's hyperdiverse rain forests to highlight the current insect extinction crisis, Shaw reaffirms just how critical these tiny beings are to planetary health and human survival. In this age of honeybee die-offs and bedbugs hitching rides in the spines of library books, Planet of the Bugs charms with humor, affection, and insight into the world's six-legged creatures, revealing an essential importance that resonates across time and space.

"A very enjoyable readPlanet of the Bugs is packed full of really great information from a unique 'buggy' perspective and is done with humor and fun." -Dena M. Smith, University of Colorado at Boulder

Scott Richard Shaw is professor of entomology and Insect Museum curator at the University of Wyoming, Laramie. He has discovered more than one hundred and fifty insect species.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780226163611
ISBN 10	022616361X
Title	Planet of the Bugs
Author	Scott Shaw
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	University Of Chicago Press
Year published	2014-09-11
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable