Exploring Nature: Beetles & Bugs

This title offers a captivating inside view of the life of two of the most successful insect species on the planet, with over 200 pictures. It investigates the many intriguing aspects of beetles and bugs, from feeding and fighting, to flawless methods of camouflage and techniques for attracting mates. You can see how these insects' bodies change dramatically at each stage of their life cycle. It comes with more than 200 stunning images by top wildlife photographers, plus superb illustrations revealing the complex inner workings of a bug's body. Special picture sequences zoom in closer still to focus on a particular subject, such as a stag beetle battle and insects in flight. It is a lively and accessible reference, perfect for home and school use for 8- to 12-year-olds. This exciting book focuses on beetles (Coleoptera), the largest insect order of them all, and their close relations, true bugs (Hemiptera). It sets these remarkable creatures in the context of the insect world as a whole, also taking a look at other minibeasts, such as grasshoppers, mantids and fleas, true flies and dragonflies. Amazing close-up photographs reveal the secrets of minibeast life: their all-seeing compound eyes, their super-sensitive antennae, their deadly jaws - and the incredible sight of a perfectly formed insect emerging from its pupal case.