The book of beetles
Subtitle: a life-size guide to six hundred of nature's gems
By: editor, by Patrice Bouchard  and ten others
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 656
ISBN-13: 9780226082752
Subjects: Identification; Pictorial works; Beetles
Description: The Book of Beetles celebrates the beauty and diversity of this marvelous group of insects.  Six hundred significant beetle species are covered, from the delicate featherwing beetles to the six-inch-long titan beetles.  Each entry includes a population distribution map, a table of essential information, a listing of related species, and a description of the specimen's importance in terms of taxonomy, rarity, behavior, and scientific significance.  Intermixed with the facts are surprising asides, such as Priacma serrata's undeniable attraction to laundry bleach, Manticora latipennis's role in Persian legends as "one who devours men," or the ability of Nomius pygmaeus - the co-called Stinking Beetle - to force the evacuation of an entire village.--INSIDE FLAP.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: What is a beetle?; title: Beetle classification; title: Evolution & diversity; title: Communication, reproduction & development; title: Defense; title: Feeding behavior; title: Beetle conservation; title: Beetles & society; title: The beetles. Archostemata ; Myxophaga ; Adephaga ; Polyphaga; title: Appendices. Glossary ; Classification of the Coleoptera ; Resources ; Notes on contributors ; Index of species and families ; Acknowledgments.