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Innumerable Insects: The Story of the Most Diverse and Myriad Animals on Earth
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, with thousands of new ones being added every year. It is estimated that there are somewhere 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 American Museum of Natural History Research Library’s Rare Book Collection reveal the extraordinary world of insects down to their tiniest, most astonishing details, from butterflies’ iridescent wings to beetles’ vibrant colors.
To date, we have discovered and described or named around 1.1 million insect species, with thousands of new ones being added every year. It is estimated that there are somewhere 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 American Museum of Natural History Research Library’s Rare Book Collection reveal the extraordinary world of insects down to their tiniest, most astonishing details, from butterflies’ iridescent wings to beetles’ vibrant colors.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 20, 2023
Welcome to the wonderful world of bugs! This is a great introduction to insects, a bit science heavy but does a great job of explaining terms and topics in depth. This book also includes STUNNING artwork from some of the great entomologists in history.
January 1, 2020
Nice overview of the insect world. The illustrations are all from rare manuscripts owned by the American Museum of Natural History.
July 16, 2024
Wonderful illustrations and descriptions of the insect world.
Wonderful descriptions of the insects, their behaviors, their origins, and classifications !!! If you appreciate insects, you’ll enjoy it !!! Highly recommend.
Wonderful descriptions of the insects, their behaviors, their origins, and classifications !!! If you appreciate insects, you’ll enjoy it !!! Highly recommend.
September 16, 2024
Engagingly and accessibly written, but not really any information I didn't already know.
February 28, 2019
Interesting book that not only details the insect species and anatomy of the various family groups,but the wonderful etchings and paintings from history. This book shows how invaluable the observations of the early botanists and ordinary people who noted and recorded the life stages of the individual insects have stood the test of time and contributed to our understanding of their lives.
April 6, 2019
This is truly a beautiful book in appearance. The cover has a large preying mantis, with iridescent wings outspread. They ARE iridescent. Inside, the book is filled with pages, and isolated images, of insects from past publications. medieval onwards. Color illustrations from these mss. and books are in full color, detail, and descriptive captions. Chapters are "interrupted" by 2 to 3 pages of "special focus topics" "Of lice and men", Life and Death in Arabia Felix", "Feminine Wit and Industry." ME's text is detailed, but never dull; rather his interest in insects and the interest of past scientists and naturalists is expressed in his revelation of the evolution of, classification of, and life histories of these insects. Given there forms almost innumerable, ME cannot include illustrations and descriptions of all insects, but he does discuss their mouth parts, mating and nurturing (if they do), etc. But perhaps above all he makes the "icky" insects--all of them (well, perhaps not lice and bedbugs) fascinatingly beautiful and intricate. Give it a look; at least dive into the chapters on moths and butterflies if nothing else.
And for all its color illustrations, this volume is still very reasonably priced $27.95 in the US.
And for all its color illustrations, this volume is still very reasonably priced $27.95 in the US.
June 4, 2023
This is a really beautiful book. The illustrations are wonderful. I would include one caveat, however. The first time I sat down and tried to read through this. I really didn't like it. I thought it was boring. But the truth is, I was in a hurry that day, and I came across it and thought, "oh I meant to read that. Let me sit down and go through it real quick".
If you are wildly interested in entomology, I think you'll love this book. If like me, you are a gardener or are into backyard composting or just have kids who are interested in bugs then I would recommend that you make sure you're sitting down to read it when you're relaxed and don't have other pressing activities. If you're not a geek this book is a little hard to read. It includes all the Latin names for things, and describes the various body parts in more detail than the average person wants to know.
However, I did sit back down and read it on a Sunday when I had nothing planned and I really really enjoyed it. It has some fascinating information about insects and how diverse they are and how amazing they are. I'm really glad I picked it up again.
If you are wildly interested in entomology, I think you'll love this book. If like me, you are a gardener or are into backyard composting or just have kids who are interested in bugs then I would recommend that you make sure you're sitting down to read it when you're relaxed and don't have other pressing activities. If you're not a geek this book is a little hard to read. It includes all the Latin names for things, and describes the various body parts in more detail than the average person wants to know.
However, I did sit back down and read it on a Sunday when I had nothing planned and I really really enjoyed it. It has some fascinating information about insects and how diverse they are and how amazing they are. I'm really glad I picked it up again.
March 29, 2023
For the Love of Insects
This book is not written for the average reader, for it contains lots of detailed information about a great many different insects. If you’re seeking an introduction to insects, I would recommend that you read a general introduction to some specific insect, such as bees, ants, or butterflies, of which many are easily found in most public libraries. If you find reading about bees, ants, or butterflies to be interesting, your next step would probably be to read something with greater depth, like Innumerable Insects.
But if you have a passion for insects, then this book is for you. One tremendous plus this book has is its treasure trove of beautiful, hand-drawn and hand-painted illustrations of various insects. These illustrations cover nearly 400 years of observations by naturalists in settings all over the world, and add greatly to this book’s attractiveness.
This book is not written for the average reader, for it contains lots of detailed information about a great many different insects. If you’re seeking an introduction to insects, I would recommend that you read a general introduction to some specific insect, such as bees, ants, or butterflies, of which many are easily found in most public libraries. If you find reading about bees, ants, or butterflies to be interesting, your next step would probably be to read something with greater depth, like Innumerable Insects.
But if you have a passion for insects, then this book is for you. One tremendous plus this book has is its treasure trove of beautiful, hand-drawn and hand-painted illustrations of various insects. These illustrations cover nearly 400 years of observations by naturalists in settings all over the world, and add greatly to this book’s attractiveness.
December 17, 2019
As an entomologist, this book celebrated the insect diversity I am enthralled by while also making sure not to use excessive jargon. I appreciated the attention to detail regarding the history behind famous entomologists, their biological illustrations, and their contributions to science in general.
I think it doesn’t provide enough detail to equate to an introductory insect biology class, it is a stunning visual door to the entomological world for many people. Images and explanations of illustrations were well done!
A small picky note I would state would be the lack of scientific paper citations included. There were some biological concepts discussed in the book and there were no citations to show where the information came from besides a well-curated suggested reading list. The author is an academic entomologist. I’m surprised he didn’t included any academic literature.
I think it doesn’t provide enough detail to equate to an introductory insect biology class, it is a stunning visual door to the entomological world for many people. Images and explanations of illustrations were well done!
A small picky note I would state would be the lack of scientific paper citations included. There were some biological concepts discussed in the book and there were no citations to show where the information came from besides a well-curated suggested reading list. The author is an academic entomologist. I’m surprised he didn’t included any academic literature.
May 18, 2024
An inordinate fondness for beetles.
Worthy of 5 stars for the art alone, with interesting and accessible chapters on influential entomologists and artists and their contributions to the field, the many orders of insects and their notable characteristics, and insect architecture, communication, camouflage, and pollination.
Some of my favorite bits: The chestburster in Alien is partially inspired by some species of parasitic wasps. Ants are farmers and ranchers, cultivating their own crops of fungi and herding and milking aphids for food. Honey bees communicate through elaborate dances and have regional 'dialects' from group to group. Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was an artist and insect enthusiast way ahead of her time and should have a movie made about her life.
Worthy of 5 stars for the art alone, with interesting and accessible chapters on influential entomologists and artists and their contributions to the field, the many orders of insects and their notable characteristics, and insect architecture, communication, camouflage, and pollination.
Some of my favorite bits: The chestburster in Alien is partially inspired by some species of parasitic wasps. Ants are farmers and ranchers, cultivating their own crops of fungi and herding and milking aphids for food. Honey bees communicate through elaborate dances and have regional 'dialects' from group to group. Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was an artist and insect enthusiast way ahead of her time and should have a movie made about her life.
July 10, 2019
Guys. GUYS. I finally finished this book! I picked it up for the illustrations but often found myself skipping over them to keep up the reading and train of thought. This is a very dense and informative book that talks about the different types and the human contributions to identification and understanding. It's a book for some serious bug lovers, and I have to admit I am not one of those (or at least not quite on this level). It was a labor of love to read, and I was inspired by what I did learn. But it had to be taken in very small, tiny chunks.
August 5, 2020
Amplia presentación de la diversidad de los insectos. Incluye una mirada rápida a distintos órdenes, aspectos biológicos o ecológicos, historias sobre la entomología y sus personajes notables, etc.
Un aspecto un poco lamentable es que las (abundantes) imágenes no tienen muy buena calidad, de modo que en general no se gana detalle por hacer zoom, y no se pueden leer las palabras escritas en ellas.
El libro algunas veces tiene un tono sobreentusiasta o exagerado, pero en general es una lectura interesante. Me resultó bastante informativo, y posiblemente lo use de referencia en el futuro.
Un aspecto un poco lamentable es que las (abundantes) imágenes no tienen muy buena calidad, de modo que en general no se gana detalle por hacer zoom, y no se pueden leer las palabras escritas en ellas.
El libro algunas veces tiene un tono sobreentusiasta o exagerado, pero en general es una lectura interesante. Me resultó bastante informativo, y posiblemente lo use de referencia en el futuro.
January 2, 2020
This is a wonderful overview of insects in that the author was able to create a book you will learn from and anyone will be entertained by. I have been "buggy" since my early childhood, and no book has made me quite so happy as reading this one. It's a perfect mix of science, history, and bibliophilia all in one beautiful (those pictures!) book. If you have even the slightest inclination to learn about insects, then you must have this book on your list.
February 19, 2023
Absolutely fascinating. I read it on a Kindle Paperwhite so lost something of the magnificent hand-drawn plates that illustrate the text throughout, but luckily I have a reading app' on the computer, so was able to see them in all their glory later. I'm still going to flush any stink-bugs that I find in the house, but I have a new appreciation for their kith and kin.
July 31, 2023
A great introduction into the world of insects. This book gives you a brief glimpse into the traits that make each class unique - and leaves you hungry for more of this world. The added benefit of beautiful hand drawn artwork from a variety of folios throughout history makes this one a great starting place for a budding entomologist.
December 26, 2023
Great introduction to the world of insects. Particularly liked the sections on famous entomologists. If you’re interested in beginning to learn about this field of study, then I would recommend you start here.
August 5, 2024
If you’re even mildly interested in the weird and fascinating world of insects, this is a great book for non-scientists. It has gorgeous artwork and my favorite bits are the anecdotes and tangential information of historical and cultural significance of bugs through time.
January 15, 2020
Come for the pictures. Stay for the facts!
January 22, 2020
Great book for amateur entomologists, or anyone looking to learn more about the insect world. Full of beautiful, detailed illustrations.
December 28, 2020
I got if for the pictures, which are amazing, but the writing is good too.
January 31, 2021
Pictures are gorgeous and I liked the way it was organized.
November 2, 2023
Excellent
This was an interesting book about the many different types of insects. It is also well illustrated. I especially enjoyed the chapter on bees.
This was an interesting book about the many different types of insects. It is also well illustrated. I especially enjoyed the chapter on bees.
January 3, 2024
Very interesting
June 11, 2024
Read for research purposes. Overall great comprehensive introduction to entomology and various areas of study within the greater topic.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews