Waubonsee Community College

What good are bugs?, insects in the web of life, Gilbert Waldbauer

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 317-342) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

What good are bugs?

bibliography

50198798

Gilbert Waldbauer

"In What Good Are Bugs? Gilbert Waldbauer combines anecdotes from entomological history with insights into the intimate workings of the natural world, describing the intriguing and sometimes amazing behavior of these tiny creatures. He weaves a colorful, richly textured picture of beneficial insect life on earth, from ants sowing their "hanging gardens" on Amazonian shrubs and trees to the sacred scarab of ancient Egypt burying balls of cattle dung full of undigested seeds, from the cactus-eating caterpillar (aptly called Cactoblastis) controlling the spread of the prickly pear to the prodigious honey bee and the "sanitary officers of the field"--The fly maggots, ants, beetles, and caterpillars that help decompose and recycle dung, carrion, and dead plants. As entertaining as it is informative, this charmingly illustrated volume captures the full sweep of insects' integral place in the web of life."--Jacket

insects in the web of life

Macrocosm -- Pollinating -- Dispersing seeds -- Supplying food -- Providing defense -- Giving sustenance -- Giving protection -- Controlling plant populations -- Controlling insect populations -- Controlling vertebrate populations -- Recycling dead animals -- Recycling dung -- Recycling dead plants -- Microcosm