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An intriguing journey into the micro-world of one of the most maligned creatures on the planet, the termite. After years of keen observation in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, Pat Lowe shows that there is more to these industrious insects than their propensity to eat houses and furniture. Termites are the earthworms of the tropics, providing nutrients to arid soils. They have been an important food for people and other animals throughout the centuries, and their nests have been used in many human endeavours. Our Friends the Termites will enlighten anyone who has travelled through northern Australia and wondered at the strange mounds that dot the landscape. It is a fascinating and delightful read for backyard naturalists, entomologists and the simply curious.

The first comprehensive guide to all 620 species of dragonflies of New Guinea and the neighbouring islands, which is home to ten percent of the world’s dragonfly fauna. Nearly half of the species are found nowhere else on Earth. The book includes 1275 illustrations and eight pages of color plates showing representative species and habitats, introductory sections on structure, habitat, history, collection and photography, as well as appendices discussing taxonomic questions and a full bibliography. Also included are illustrated keys to all taxa, and illustrations of larval forms where known.

This book is an account of two years spent getting to know Britain’s most dazzling and enigmatic insects – the dragonflies and damselflies. The quest to find, photograph, watch and learn about dragons and damsels took the author on a tour of diverse and lovely wetlands up and down Britain, from the rugged wild peat bogs of north-west Scotland to the languid meanders of the Oxfordshire Thames. The account describes close encounters with the dragons and damsels themselves, set against backdrops of rich and vital habitats teeming with a range of other wildlife. It is also packed with background detail on dragonfly and damselfly natural history, and wetland ecology in general. The text is enlivened with line drawings and a section of colour photographs.

Supremely colourful, among the most voracious predators of the insect world and on the wing for more than 300 million years, dragonflies and damselflies capture the imagination in so many ways. Yet many aspects of their fascinating lives are little-known to humans. This book provides an insight into a hidden world through engaging text and stunning close-up photography. This book combines insightful writing with rarely seen images of the life and behaviour of the world’s dragonfly and damselfly species. There are chapters on subjects such as hunting, courtship and the emergence of the nymphs and their subsequent transformation into adult dragonflies. These insects are further brought to life through the personal experiences of the author and photographers, and these are woven into the text.

Reaktion Animal Series. Lots of insects suck blood, but one species above all others has a big reputation for its very small size, the mosquito. Due to the diseases they carry and inject, mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other animal. The most deadly of these diseases is malaria, which although eradicated from much of the northern hemisphere, continues to pose a mortal threat in developing countries. Two billion people a year are exposed to malarial infection, of which over 350 million succumb and nearly 700,000 die, the majority in sub-Saharan Africa. In Mosquito, Richard Jones recounts the history of mosquitoes’ relationship with mankind, and their transformation from a trivial gnat into a serious disease-carrying menace. Drawing on scientific fact, historical evidence, and literary evocation, the book provides a colourful portrait of this tiny insect and the notorious diseases it carries. Mosquito offers a compelling warning against the contemporary complacency surrounding malaria and other diseases in western society, whilst also exploring the sinister reputation of the insect in general.
Written in an accessible style for a broad readership, the title will appeal to all those with an interest in tropical medicine and disease, as well as anyone pestered in the night by the annoying, familiar whine of this diminutive air-borne adversary.

This small guide contains full colour photographs allowing readers to easily identify stick and leaf insects of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Breeding is also simplified by the listing of known food plants. This excellent book is essential for all who are interested in the natural history of Southeast Asia and a great size for those working in the field.