BLANCA HUERTAS is the Senior Curator of Lepidoptera at the Natural History Museum, London. GAVIN BROAD is the Principal Curator of Insects at the Natural History Museum, London.
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"Curators from the Natural History Museum in London present a
fascinating gallery of insects in this richly photographed work.
[...] It is rewarding just to peer at the handsome photographs and
to discover, for instance, that the Goliath beetle resembles an Art
Nouveau brooch, or that the leaf beetle is downright cute. The text
accompanying each photograph is rarely longer than five sentences
and offers facts about, among other topics, distribution (the
ubiquitous stink bug is “almost cosmopolitan” in its dispersion
around the world) and size (the Atlas moth sports a 10-inch to
12-inch wingspan), as well as humor (lantern bugs are “supposed to
taste like bacon, ” according to aficionados in Madagascar). [...]
this book of little creatures will be a welcome arrival for amateur
entomologists."
CHOICE
Broad (Natural History Museum, London) draws on the collections of
his home institution for the featured insects. Between the
single-page introduction and the final page of the book are
vignettes of some 100 insect species, each one represented by a
stunning photograph of the adult form. Text on each facing page
provides the common and scientific names, distribution, and size
along with pithy yet authoritative remarks, thoughtfully edited to
provide an interesting profile unique to that species. The two-page
layout devoted to each species allows for succinct presentation
that is distinctive for every species included. The arrangement of
species appears eclectic: whether influenced by pure whimsy, the
status of contributing author(s), or the overall design of the
volume remains obscure. This nevertheless provides for a surprise
with every turn of the page. The book's intent is to celebrate the
existence of the intriguing and attractive insects with whom we
share this planet, broadening readers' understanding of nature.
This approach will surely whet the appetite of the budding
naturalist, while also informing general readers unfamiliar with
particular species. The book would be delightful to find on a
coffee table or in a waiting room, as a source of edifying facts
for consumption in just a few minutes.
--M. K. Harris, emeritus, Texas A&M University
Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.
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