Innumerable Insects: The Story of the Most Diverse and Myriad Animals on Earth (Natural Histories)

The images . . . are the stars of this work, which will delight every entomophile who turns its pages.” — Publishers Weekly
 
A fascinating look at the world’s most numerous inhabitants, illustrated with stunning images from the American Museum of Natural History’s Rare Book Collection.
 
To date, we have discovered and described or named around 1.1 million insect species, and thousands of new species are added to the ranks every year. It is estimated that there are around five million insect species on Earth, making them the most diverse lineage of all life by far. This magnificent volume from the American Museum of Natural History tells their incredible story. Noted entomologist Michael S. Engel explores insects’ evolution and diversity; metamorphosis; pests, parasites, and plagues; society and language; camouflage; and pollination—as well as tales of discovery by intrepid entomologists. More than 180 illustrations from the Rare Book Collection at the Museum’s Research Library reveal the extraordinary world of insects down to their tiniest, most astonishing details, from butterflies’ iridescent wings to beetles’ vibrant colors.

• Flora: Inside the Secret World of Plants
• The Secret Life of Flies
• Microsculpture: Portraits of Insects
• Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America (Princeton Field Guides)
• Beetles: The Natural History and Diversity of Coleoptera
• The Cockroaches of Stay More
• End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals
• Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live
• The Revolutionary Genius of Plants: A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior
• The Lost Words