Caddisflies are one of the most diverse groups of organisms living in freshwater habitats, and their larvae are involved in energy transfer at several levels within these communities. Caddisfly larvae are also remarkable because of the exquisite food-catching nets and portable cases they construct with silk and selected pieces of plant and rock materials.This book is the most comprehensive existing reference on the aquatic larval stages of the 149 Nearctic genera of Trichoptera, co...

Caddisflies constitute the insect order Trichoptera in which some 10,000 species are known in the world, including about 1400 in North America. Fossil evidence shows that caddisflies originated in the Triassic period, 200-250 million years ago. They are important links in the movement of energy and nutrients through freshwater ecosystems due largely to the extraordinary diversification in their larval architecture, which includes portable and stationary shelters, silken filter nets, and os...

This lavishly illustrated guide will enable you to identify the caterpillars of nearly 700 butterflies and moths found east of the Mississippi. The more than 1,200 color photographs and two dozen line drawings include numerous exceptionally striking images. The giant silk moths, tiger moths, and many other species covered include forest pests, common garden guests, economically important species, and of course, the Mescal Worm and Mexican Jumping Bean caterpillars. Full-page species accoun...

The goal of much of the scientific work in natural history museums is to explore and document the biological diversity of the planet. This book is an outstanding example of the museum tradition, offering the results of global research on the biosystematics of one of the families of case-making caddisflies, the Phryganeidae. Throughout his career as a museum curator, Glenn Wiggins has studied and written extensively on caddisflies of the aquatic insect order Trichoptera.Information ...

An updated edition of the most complete resource on backyard insects availableThis second edition of Garden Insects of North America solidifies its place as the most comprehensive guide to the common insects, mites, and other “bugs” found in the backyards and gardens of the United States and Canada. Featuring 3,300 full-color photos and concise, detailed text, this fully revised book covers the hundreds of species of insects and mites associated with fruit...

Children are often entertained by things that are disgusting and absurd. They will regularly seek this kind of material, so it is nice to have books that expose them to this stuff in a harmless fashion. The humorous value is endless, and kids inadvertently learn some science while reading. Ultimately, these publications use shocking images to elicit laughter and education.

This book depicts the wonder of the world of Spiders in all its glory. Children are given a well-rounded understanding of these fascinating creatures: their anatomy, feeding habits and behavior. The following spiders are featured: * The mysterious Black Widow * The dangerous Brazilian Wandering Spider * The shy Brown Recluse Spider * The deceptive Crab Spider * The fun-loving Jumping Spider * The beefy Tarantula The pictures look great even in black and white and are excellent on the full ...

“As long as I can remember, even as a boy, there were bees kept on our farm,” wrote Jacob Biggle in his preface to The Biggle Bee Book. “If for no other reason than to insure the proper fertilization of fruit and other blossoms, every farmer, fruit grower, or gardener should keep a few bees upon his grounds.” Biggle’s fifty colonies of bees, though requiring just a small part of his time, paid Biggle a larger return than any other animal on his farm. Not only did he take ...

“A history of the human brain from the big bang, fifteen billion years ago, to the day before yesterday . . . It's a delight.”—The New York TimesDr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great reading adventure, offering his vivid and startling insight into the brain of man and beast, the origin of human intelligence, the function of our most haunting legends—and their amazing links to recent discoveries.“How can I persuade every intelligent person to r...

People who know a lot about child development say that a child's mind is very stimulated by pictures. That is why every child should possess at least one good picture book. Picture books of any given animal life is always a good option for imagination-building purposes. Pictures of spiders in particular almost defy it. There is such a vast variety of the many legged little monsters. Almost alien-like, an image of the creature can stay with a youngster for years and years.

Being among bees is a full-body experience, Mark Winston writes—from the low hum of tens of thousands of insects and the pungent smell of honey and beeswax, to the sight of workers flying back and forth between flowers and the hive. The experience of an apiary slows our sense of time, heightens our awareness, and inspires awe. Bee Time presents Winston’s reflections on three decades spent studying these creatures, and on the lessons they can teach about how humans might better int...

Studies of animal behavior have often been invoked to help explain and even guide human behavior. Think of Pavlov and his dogs or Goodall and her chimps. But, as these examples indicate, the tendency has been to focus on "higher," more cognitively developed, and thus, it is thought, more intelligent creatures than mindless, robotic insects. Not so! Learn here how honeybees work together to form a collective intelligence and even how they make decisions democratically. The wizzzzdom of crow...