Book Review - What Insects Do and Why - Princeton University Press

 If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.

E. O. Wilson

     For the British Readers of my blog, Ross Piper will be a familiar name, as one of the star presenters of nature shows on BBC Television.

     He has written a fine book here, with the novice insect enthusiast in mind, and it serves as a marvelous introduction to exactly what the title implies - what insects do, and why.

      You will be astounded at the diversity of form, lifestyle, breeding strategies, food, and the extent of insect warfare you will find in these pages. From the familiar to the previously unknown, from the ordinary to the bizarre, the world of insects will open your eyes wide!

     As Piper points out, despite incremental increases in knowledge in recent years, the vast majority of species are still unknown, and anyone can help to fill in these blanks - "Watching and studying insects can take you to some amazing places, but equally, discoveries can be made in your own backyard. All you need to do is get out there and look." Based on personal experience I can vouch that this is absolutely true. 

     One of the insects that has fascinated me more than most others, is Leafcutter Ant, and many times I have watched these animals parading along the forest floor in Central and South America, marvelling at the loads these diminutive creatures can tote. Little did I know that a type of worker, known as a minor, often hitches a ride on the leaf to defend against parasitoid flies that pose a threat to the leaf carrier. I knew about the complex fungus gardens below ground, but I had no idea as to their extent, and that Leafcutter Ants dominate entire ecosystems. 

     I was astounded to read that Japanese Honey Bees have evolved a means of dealing with predatory giant Japanese Hornets. The worker ants form a tight ball, sometimes containing up to five hundred bees,  around the invader, and vibrate their wings to generate heat and literally cook the hornet to death.

     The caterpillar of blue butterflies (Phengaris spp.) behaves in strange ways. In addition to consuming flowers of its host plant, it ultimately drops to the ground and is able to fool a foraging red ant (Myrmica  spp.) into thinking it is one of its own grubs. The caterpillar is transported to the ant's nest where the deception continues, with some species receiving more care than the host's own larvae, and others actually consuming the ant brood. 

     All is not what it often seems to be in the insect world! 

    You will learn about parasitoids and parasites, the daily struggle to eat and avoid being eaten, the quid pro quos that exist in the insect world, and much, much more. Fabulous full colour photographs enliven every page. 

     On page 209, almost at the end of the book, the alarm call is raised about declining insect populations due to anthropogenic activity. This is a clarion call for all life on Earth in a time of global climate change, where tipping points are being reached. Piper states, "Human activity is simultaneously depriving insects of habitats, poisoning them, and creating a warmer world that puts beleaguered populations under even more strain."

     Failure to remedy this situation threatens our own survival. Sadly, it may be too late. Insects will thrive long after we have engineered our own demise.

What Insects Do, and Why - Princeton University Press

Author: Ross Piper

$27.95 - ISBN: 9780691217697

Published: 10 August 2021

224 pages - 150 coloured illustrations - 6.5 x 9 inches, (16.25 x 22.5 cm)