Exploring the World of Insects: The Equinox Guide to Insect Behaviour

Ian Wylie Toal is a Martindale-based freelance science writer.

This book is well written, beautifully structured, and pleasing to look
at. Forsyth, who calls insects “some of the strangest and most
beautiful animals” he has ever seen, has captured that strange beauty
in 18 concise chapters. His book is not about insect anatomy or
identification, but rather, as he describes it, “about the lives of
insects, about figuring out where they live, what they eat and why they
do the things they do.”

Each chapter examines an aspect of insect behavior. An introductory
chapter discusses just what it is about insects that has made them one
of the most successful life-forms throughout history. Forsyth then
reviews a host of insect behaviors (e.g., how they camouflage
themselves; how they eat, move, and reproduce; and some of the special
environments in which they live).

The author’s language is neither simplistic nor overly technical.
Nearly every page has a color picture that illustrates the behavior
being discussed. There is a good index to common names, and a small
additional-reading section. Although technical terms are defined in the
text, the lack of a glossary may be a problem for younger readers.

All in all, a great introduction to insects that, though aimed at
children aged 6 to 10, is accessible to a much wider readership.