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Insects Did It First
This is a fascinating account of more than eighty insect "firsts." Velcro, bungee jumping, air-conditioning, and chemical warfare are a few of the firsts covered in this book authored by two professional entomologists. The text is illustrated with humorous anthropomorphized insects. It is written for a general audience but is of special interest to teachers and entomologists.
156 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2018
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57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 19, 2025
This book was not at all what I expected.
I thought it would be a story with interconnectedness between different types of insects, but it is simply a paragraph on each insect's activity or trait.
Also, it's unclear whether it's intended for children or adults; there are cute illustrations, but it also delves into many scientific details and terms.
I just finished it and already can't remember 95% of what I read.
I thought it would be a story with interconnectedness between different types of insects, but it is simply a paragraph on each insect's activity or trait.
Also, it's unclear whether it's intended for children or adults; there are cute illustrations, but it also delves into many scientific details and terms.
I just finished it and already can't remember 95% of what I read.
December 4, 2024
A book I was so excited to read, especially because I have an interest in evolution, and I know that studying insects can provide valuable insights into evolutionary processes. However, while the premise was intriguing, I found the information presented to be neither detailed nor particularly engaging. The book didn’t delve as deeply into the connections between insects and evolution as I had hoped, and it failed to capture the complexity and fascinating traits of insects in a way that would hold my interest. It left me wishing for more depth and a clearer exploration of the subject matter.
January 1, 2022
This is a great book the insects deserve more respect in this world.
July 19, 2022
An unusual book as it is unclear as to whether it is pitched toward juvenile or adult audiences. On one hand, it is mostly illustrated with cartoons and each idea is covered in only a few sentences. However the author does not shy away from detail, being precise as to chemical and physical specifics, noting the binomial names were possible and including references for most statements.
Thermal regulation of termite nests is amazing with the temperature of the center of the nest never varying by more than a few degrees. At the same time, the CO2 is regulated to 2.7 percent and enough oxygen is provided to support the colony. Two million termites need about 240 litres of oxygen per day.
A number of ant species depend upon slaves for survival, the best known being Polyergus. They raid the colonies of other ants (frequently species of Formica), bringing pupae back. Some are eaten, but some are raised to be workers. Polyergus has mandibles designed for raiding, but poorly suited for other tasks.
The leaf-cutting ants, Atta, secrete a fungicide (myrmicacin) to control weed growth in their fungal gardens.
Social insects have been shown to exhibit dominance hierarchies. In some cases, multiple females will work to establish a nest, but one female will do most of the egg laying. Even cockroaches have dominance hierarchies.
Many ants have different castes of workers. Illustrated are the queen, the winged male, major, medium and minor workers of the carpenter ant.
Queen ants and bees produce "trophic" eggs that are eaten by the brood and workers until the colony is established.
Temperature affects the rate at which crickets chirp. The emergence of adult codling moths is influenced by the degree-days of heat - which allows orchardists to predict when to use pesticides effectively.
The bot fly delivers its larvae to mammalian skin by capturing mosquitoes in the air, attaching eggs to it and releasing it. When the mosquitoes land on warm skin, the eggs hatch and the larvae burrow into the skin.
The small cricket Myrmecophila is able to duplicate the touch pattern used by ants to request food, allowing it to live in ant colonies as a beggar.
A short book with some interesting ideas.
Thermal regulation of termite nests is amazing with the temperature of the center of the nest never varying by more than a few degrees. At the same time, the CO2 is regulated to 2.7 percent and enough oxygen is provided to support the colony. Two million termites need about 240 litres of oxygen per day.
A number of ant species depend upon slaves for survival, the best known being Polyergus. They raid the colonies of other ants (frequently species of Formica), bringing pupae back. Some are eaten, but some are raised to be workers. Polyergus has mandibles designed for raiding, but poorly suited for other tasks.
The leaf-cutting ants, Atta, secrete a fungicide (myrmicacin) to control weed growth in their fungal gardens.
Social insects have been shown to exhibit dominance hierarchies. In some cases, multiple females will work to establish a nest, but one female will do most of the egg laying. Even cockroaches have dominance hierarchies.
Many ants have different castes of workers. Illustrated are the queen, the winged male, major, medium and minor workers of the carpenter ant.
Queen ants and bees produce "trophic" eggs that are eaten by the brood and workers until the colony is established.
Temperature affects the rate at which crickets chirp. The emergence of adult codling moths is influenced by the degree-days of heat - which allows orchardists to predict when to use pesticides effectively.
The bot fly delivers its larvae to mammalian skin by capturing mosquitoes in the air, attaching eggs to it and releasing it. When the mosquitoes land on warm skin, the eggs hatch and the larvae burrow into the skin.
The small cricket Myrmecophila is able to duplicate the touch pattern used by ants to request food, allowing it to live in ant colonies as a beggar.
A short book with some interesting ideas.
June 3, 2021
This entertaining book presents some basic insect natural history in terms of how it relates to things we often think of as only being done by humans. The chapters include whimsical drawings to illustrate some of the behaviors.
The book includes a dedication, about the authors, a preface to the second edition, an introduction, 10 chapters (subdivided) with a reference section, and an epilogue.
This book is a treasure and a great way to introduce young readers to insects. The references in each chapter are scholarly in nature and can be used as background for further study and for school work.
The book includes a dedication, about the authors, a preface to the second edition, an introduction, 10 chapters (subdivided) with a reference section, and an epilogue.
This book is a treasure and a great way to introduce young readers to insects. The references in each chapter are scholarly in nature and can be used as background for further study and for school work.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews