All animals must eat. But who eats who, and why, or why not? Because insects outnumber and collectively outweigh all other animals combined, they comprise the largest amount of animal food available for potential consumption. How do they avoid being eaten? From masterful disguises to physical and chemical lures and traps, predatory insects have devised ingenious and bizarre methods of finding food. Equally ingenious are the means of hiding, mimicry, escape, and defense waged by prospective prey in order to stay alive. This absorbing book demonstrates that the relationship between the eaten and the eater is a central—perhaps the central—aspect of what goes on in the community of organisms. By explaining the many ways in which insects avoid becoming a meal for a predator, and the ways in which predators evade their defensive strategies, Gilbert Waldbauer conveys an essential understanding of the unrelenting coevolutionary forces at work in the world around us.
Gilbert Waldbauer is Professor Emeritus of Entomology at University of Illinois. He is the author of eight books, including Fireflies, Honey, and Silk (UC Press), A Walk around the Pond, and What Good Are Bugs?
Table of Contents
Prologue Acknowledgments 1. Insects in the Web of Life 2. The Eaters of Insects 3. Fleeing and Staying under Cover 4. Hiding in Plain Sight 5. Bird Dropping Mimicry and Other Disguises 6. Flash Colors and Eyespots 7. Safety in Numbers 8. Defensive Weapons and Warning Signals 9. The Predators’ Countermeasures 10. Protection by Deception Epilogue Selected References Index
What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
"At times this informative book turns wonderfully gross and lovely, reminding us that there's an entire universe of largely unnoticed creatures all around us."—Audubon Magazine
"For the aspiring entomologist or amateur naturalist, there is much to appreciate in Waldbauer's wonderland of astonishing behaviors and colorful creatures. And for the entomologist's friends or family who don't see what's so great about the hexapod world, this book might be just the ticket. Its vivid stories are sure to inspire a closer attention to the small, everyday dramas playing out on spider webs, on flowers and all around us."—American Scientist
"From burrowing owls that bait dung beetles with lures made from cow manure to the unicorn caterpillar, which sprays would-be attackers with a spritz of acid, the profusion of life in all its forms and finery flies in through the window on biology that Waldbauer opens wide."—The Scientist
"The strengths of the book derive from the author's . . . decades of experience as a keen observer of nature."—American Scientist
"This book is a good source of information for laypeople, young students, and those who have no knowledge of the insect world."—Choice
