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

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE COMPLETE 2023 English
• VerfasserIn: Nicholls, Steve,
• Author: Nicholls, Steve,
• Place / Publishing House: Princeton, NJ : : : Princeton University Press, , [2023]; ©2023
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (496 p.) :; 179 color photos.

A beautifully illustrated journey into the hidden realm of insectsLife 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 insectsSheds light on the origins and wondrous diversity of insectsDiscusses how insects first took to the air and colonised the far corners of our planetExplores the extraordinary sensory world of insectsExplains the remarkable success of social insects, from termites and ants to bees and wasps

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Orders of Insects -- Family Tree of Arthropods and Insects -- Geological Periods and the Origin of Different Insects -- Introduction -- 1 Teeming Hordes The extraordinary diversity and abundance of insects -- 2 Origins The long history of insects -- 3 Hexapods How evolution gave insects a leg-up -- 4 First in Flight How insects conquered the air -- 5 Wings over the World Insect migration -- 6 Flower Power The complex relationships between insects and plants -- 7 The Mating Game How insects make more insects... and lots more insects -- 8 The Next Generation Insects as caring parents -- 9 Living Together Insects as social creatures -- 10 For Queen and Colony Bees and wasps - the journey from solitary to social -- 11 Superorganism Ants and termites - from colony to supercolony -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index