Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

An enthusiastic, witty, and informative introduction to the world of insects and why we—and the planet we inhabit—could not survive without them. Insects comprise roughly half of the animal kingdom. They live everywhere—deep inside caves, 18,000 feet high in the Himalayas, inside computers, in Yellowstone’s hot springs, and in the ears and nostrils of much larger creatures. There are insects that have ears on their knees, eyes on their penises, and tongues under their feet. Most of us think life would be better without bugs. In fact, life would be impossible without them. Most of us know that we would not have honey without honeybees, but without the pinhead-sized chocolate midge, cocoa flowers would not pollinate. No cocoa, no chocolate. The ink that was used to write the Declaration of Independence was derived from galls on oak trees, which are induced by a small wasp. The fruit fly was essential to medical and biological research experiments that resulted in six Nobel prizes. Blowfly larva can clean difficult wounds; flour beetle larva can digest plastic; several species of insects have been essential to the development of antibiotics. Insects turn dead plants and animals into soil. They pollinate flowers, including crops that we depend on. They provide food for other animals, such as birds and bats. They control organisms that are harmful to humans. Life as we know it depends on these small creatures. With ecologist Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson as our capable, entertaining guide into the insect world, we’ll learn that there is more variety among insects than we can even imagine and the more you learn about insects, the more fascinating they become. Buzz, Sting, Bite is an essential introduction to the little creatures that make the world go round.

Why We Need Insects

Buzz, Sting, Bite

This enthusiastic, witty, and informative introduction to the world of insects and why we could not survive without them is “a joy” (The Times, London) and “charming...Highlighting them in all their buzzing, stinging, biting glory” (The New York Times Book Review). Insects comprise roughly half of the animal kingdom. They live everywhere—deep inside caves, 18,000 feet high in the Himalayas, inside computers, in Yellowstone’s hot springs, and in the ears and nostrils of much larger creatures. There are insects that have ears on their knees, eyes on their penises, and tongues under their feet. Most of us think life would be better without bugs. In fact, life would be impossible without them. Most of us know that we would not have honey without honeybees, but without the pinhead-sized chocolate midge, cocoa flowers would not pollinate. No cocoa, no chocolate. The ink that was used to write the Declaration of Independence was derived from galls on oak trees, which are induced by a small wasp. The fruit fly was essential to medical and biological research experiments that resulted in six Nobel prizes. Blowfly larva can clean difficult wounds; flour beetle larva can digest plastic; several species of insects have been essential to the development of antibiotics. Insects turn dead plants and animals into soil. They pollinate flowers, including crops that we depend on. They provide food for other animals, such as birds and bats. They control organisms that are harmful to humans. Life as we know it depends on these small creatures. “Delivering a hail of facts with brio and precision” (Nature) Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson shows us that there is more variety among insects than we thought possible and the more you learn about insects, the more fascinating they become. Extraordinary Insects is “a very enthusiastic look at the flying, crawling, stinging bug universe world, and why we should cherish it” (The Philadelphia Inquirer). **Note: This book was previously published under the title Buzz, Sting, Bite.

The Fabulous, Indispensable Creatures Who Run Our World

Extraordinary Insects

Uncovering the Lifesaving Secrets of the Natural World

Tapestries of Life

*The Sunday Times Bestseller* ‘Extraordinary Insects is a joy’ The Times A Sunday Times Nature Book of the Year 2019 A journey into the weird, wonderful and truly astonishing lives of the small but mighty creatures who keep the world turning.

Extraordinary Insects: Weird. Wonderful. Indispensable. The ones who run our world.

Bli med inn i insektenes forunderlige verden! For hvert menneske som lever på jorden, finnes det 200 millioner insekter. Insektene er overalt - i skogen og i enga, i bekken og i parken. De lever i seks tusen meters høyde, i de dypeste grotter, i døpefonter, inne i datamaskiner og i hvalrossens nesebor. Insektene er helt annerledes skapt enn oss mennesker: De bærer skjelettet utenpå kroppen som en rustning og kan ha ører på knærne, øyne på penis og tunga under beina. Selv med en hjerne på størrelse med et sesamfrø kan de gjenkjenne ansikter. Insekter har dessuten en ufattelig forplantningsevne og tilpasningsdyktighet. Men selv om insektene er mange, går antallet dramatisk tilbake. Mens vi mennesker har blitt dobbelt så mange de siste 40 årene, viser studier at antallet insektindivider har blitt halvert på samme tid. Uten insektene vil mennesker og dyr dø. Insektene forvandler visne planter, møkk og døde dyr til fruktbar jord. De bestøver blomster og er mat for andre dyr. De er rett og slett tannhjulene som får verden til å gå rundt. Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson har forsket på insekter i mange år. I denne boka kan du lese om hva som fascinerer henne - og om hvorfor vi bør ta bedre vare på disse snedige skapningene.

Om de rare, nyttige og fascinerende småkrypene vi ikke kan leve uten

Insektenes planet

Lucy Moffatt

Insekternas planet

Jos hyönteiset katoavat…

Uma incrível viagem ao mundo de estranhas, maravilhosas e surpreendentes vidas. Criaturas pequenas, mas poderosas, que mantêm o mundo em que vivemos. Muitas vezes fora do nosso campo de visão, sob nossos pés, além de ligeiros em seus voos, os insetos ocupam um mundo oculto e são essenciais para nossa existência. Eles estão aqui há milhões de anos, sobreviveram aos dinossauros e ficarão depois de nós. Trabalhando calma e incessantemente, eles garantem nossos alimentos, sustentam nossos ecossistemas, curam nossas feridas e até mesmo digerem plástico. Eles também podem nos fornecer novas soluções para a crise dos antibióticos, ajudar em zonas de desastre e inspirar engenheiros da força aérea com suas técnicas de voo. Suas vidas, além de correrem perigo em razão da atuação humana, também são cheias de diversão, intriga e maravilhosos rituais de acasalamento. Quer você goste ou não, a Terra é o planeta dos insetos, e esta é a sua extraordinária e imperdível história.

Planeta dos insetos

»Alles über kleine Kreaturen von großem Wert, unterhaltsam und voll klugem Witz.« Maja Lunde, Autorin des Bestsellers »Die Bienen« Insekten gibt es überall, in den höchsten Höhen und den tiefsten Höhlen, in Wäldern, Wiesen und Bergen. Sie leben in der Wüste, unter der Eisdecke eines zugefrorenen Sees, in den Nasenlöchern eines Walrosses und sogar in Computern. Die faszinierenden Wesen sind winzig klein und funktionieren doch hochkomplex. Sie tragen ihr Skelett außen am Körper wie eine Rüstung, haben Ohren auf den Knien und sogar Zungen unter ihren Füßen. Und obwohl sie anpassungsfähig sind und sich schnell vermehren können, verringert sich ihr Bestand erschreckend schnell. Dabei sind Insekten für uns unersetzlich, denn sie verwandeln tote Materie in fruchtbaren Boden, bestäuben Pflanzen und dienen vielen Tierarten als Futter. Wegen ihnen läuft es auf unserer Erde rund – sie dürfen nicht von der Bildfläche verschwinden! Dafür plädiert die norwegische Biologie-Professorin Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson mit Witz und Wissen in diesem Buch.

Die faszinierende Welt der Insekten und was sie für unser Überleben bedeuten

Libelle, Marienkäfer & Co.

Terra insecta. Il mondo immenso raccontato dalle creature più piccole

A journey into the weird, wonderful and truly astonishing lives of the small but mighty creatures who keep the world turning. Out of sight, underfoot, unseen beyond fleeting scuttles or darting flights, insects occupy a hidden world, yet are essential to sustaining life on earth. Insects influence our ecosystem like a ripple effect on water. They arrived when life first moved to dry land, they preceded - and survived - the dinosaurs, they outnumber the grains of sand on all the world's beaches, and they will be here long after us. Working quietly but tirelessly, they give us food, uphold our ecosystems, can heal our wounds and even digest plastic. They could also provide us with new solutions to the antibiotics crisis, assist in disaster zones and inspire airforce engineers with their flying techniques. But their private lives are also full of fun, intrigue and wonder -musical mating rituals; house-hunting for armies of beetle babies; metamorphosing into new characters; throwing parties in fermenting sap; cultivating fungi for food; farming smaller species for honey dew and always ensuring that what is dead is decomposed, ready to become life once again. Here, we will discover life and death, drama and dreams, all on a millimetric scale. Like it or not, Earth is the planet of insects, and this is their extraordinary story.

The Extraordinary Lives of Insects: Weird. Wonderful. Indispensable. Howthey Run the World

The second book by the bestselling author of Extraordinary Insects

Tapestries of Life: Uncovering the Lifesaving Secrets of the Natural World

Insekter er alle steder. De kan leve i skoven, på engen, de dybeste grotter, i døbefonte, computere og i hvalrossers næsebor. De er helt anderledes end os: de bærer skelettet udenpå kroppen, nogle har ører på knæene, nogle tunge under fødderne og nogle øjne på penis. Selv med en hjerne på størrelse med et sesamfrø, kan de genkende ansigter. Der er 200 millioner insekter per menneske, men selvom der er mange, går antallet drastisk tilbage. Uden insekter vil mennesker og dyr dø. Insekter forvandler visne planter og døde dyr til frodig jord. De bestøver planterne og er føde for andre dyr. De er helt nødvendige for os, og de er under pres. De er simpelthen tandhjulene, der får verden til at dreje. Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson har forsket i insekter i mange år og i denne bog kan du læse om, hvad der fascinerer hende - og hvorfor vi skal passe bedre på de små og snedige skabninger.

Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

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