United States
£ GBP
Bugs Rule! provides a lively introduction to the biology and natural history of insects and their noninsect cousins, such as spiders, scorpions, and centipedes. This richly illustrated textbook features more than 830 color photos, a concise overview of the basics of entomology, and numerous sidebars that highlight and explain key points. Detailed chapters cover each of the major insect groups, describing their physiology, behaviors, feeding habits, reproduction, human interactions, and more.
Ideal for nonscience majors and anyone seeking to learn more about insects and their arthropod relatives, Bugs Rule! offers a one-of-a-kind gateway into the world of these amazing creatures. It places a greater emphasis on natural history than standard textbooks on the subject. It covers the biology and natural history of all the insect orders. It provides a thorough review of the noninsect arthropods, such as spiders, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans.
Bugs Rule! features more than 830 color photos. It highlights the importance of insects and other arthropods, including their impact on human society. It is an online illustration package is available to professors.
PREFACE ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi
1 Introduction to the Arthropods 1
2 What One Sees on the Outside--External Features of Insects 14
3 The Internal Organization 39
4 Growth and Metamorphosis 58
5 The Arachnids--Spiders, Scorpions, Mites, and Other Eight-Legged Wonders 75
6 The "Other" Arthropods 119
7 Oldies but Goodies 136
8 Insects Fly! 144
9 Jumpers and Strollers--Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Walkingsticks 155
10 Variety Is the Spice of Life--Some Minor, but Interesting, Insect Orders 171
11 Roach Cities and Assassin Cousins 182
12 Lousy Nitpickers 202
13 Life on an All-Fluid Diet 212
14 Insect Bruisers and Their Lacewinged Cousins 252
15 City Builders That Rule 296
16 Scale-Winged Beauties and Custom Homebuilders 339
17 "Gift" Bearers of Plague--or a Plump Insect Wedding Present 377
18 Marvels of the Air--Two-Winged Wonders 387
APPENDIX I: STATE INSECTS 425
APPENDIX II: LARGEST ARTHROPODS 431
APPENDIX III: SUMMARY OF FEATURES OF THE HEXAPOD ORDERS 435
GLOSSARY 459
INDEX 475
Whitney Cranshaw is professor of entomology at Colorado State University. He is the author of Garden Insects of North America (Princeton). Richard Redak is professor of entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Both authors have years of experience teaching introductory entomology classes.
"Breadth classes dealing with insects have been extremely popular among science and nonscience majors for decades. The photographs, illustrations, little known facts, and sidebars in Bugs Rule! bring to life the fascinating world of insects. Bugs Rule! is an excellent text for the nonscience major and general nature enthusiast."
– Michael K. Rust, University of California, Riverside
"Bugs Rule! offers a basic introduction to the biology and diversity of insects and their importance to the environment and to humans. It provides a good balance between science and interesting highlights that illustrate why insects are so vital to our lives. Students will enjoy the book."
– Tom Weissling, University of Nebraska
"Readable and accessible, Bugs Rule! is crammed with tidbits of information."
– Jonathan Neal, Purdue University
