ALIEN WORLDS: How Insects Conquered the Earth

An ambitious and 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, from flower power and flight to mating, the Queen, colonies and superorganisms. A huge, bug-eyed African Mantis greets you in the opening pages! "Entomological information is couched within Steve's personal anecdotes that detail his excursions to film insects across the globe. These notes form a film maker's diary detailing the places and people as well as the insects that he has filmed and are laced with a wry humour. It is full of the most impressive photographs; there are very few double-page spreads without one." It discusses how insects first took to the air and colonised the far corners of our planet and explores the extraordinary sensory world of insects explaining the remarkable success of social insects, from termites and ants to bees and wasps. Spectacular colour full page photos provide a rare, up-close look at the alien worlds of insects. 496 pages.