Overview

Fear and fascination set wasps apart from other insects. Despite their iconic form and distinctive colours, they are surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. Often portrayed in cartoon-like stereotypes bordering on sad parody, wasps have an unwelcome and undeserved reputation for aggressiveness bordering on vindictive spite. This mistrust is deep-seated in a human history that has awarded commercial and spiritual value to other insects, such as bees, but has failed to recognise any worth in wasps.  Leading entomologist Richard Jones redresses the balance in this enlightening and entertaining guide to the natural and cultural history of these powerful carnivores. Jones delves into their complex nesting and colony behaviour, their unique caste system and their major role at the centre of many food webs. 

Full Product Details

9781789141610

Table of Contents

Reviews

A well-researched and enthusiastically written addition to the Reaktion series on Animals. The format is highly distinctive, with a mixture of natural history, science, art, and folklore. -- British Journal of Entomology and Natural History I was very glad to find a readable, scholarly, and interesting book about wasps. Beekeepers tend to have a negative view of these close bee-relatives, but recently I have begun to realize how very unfair this view may be. . . . Beautifully illustrated throughout. . . . Jones has a rare gift in being able to impart his knowledge to the reader in such a refreshing way. -- Irish Beekeeper Leading entomologist Jones redresses the balance in this enlightening and entertaining guide to the natural and cultural history of these powerful carnivores. He delves into their complex nesting and colony behavior, their unique caste system, and their major role at the center of many food webs. Drawing on up-to-date scientific concepts, he successfully shows exactly why wasps are worthy of greater understanding and appreciation. -- Pest Magazine In Wasp, Jones provides an entertaining look at the fascination and fear that surrounds wasps. . . . The book investigates the biology and ecology of wasps, their representation in human culture, and attempts to answer the question 'what is the point of wasps?' . . . Jones provides good evidence and a well-structured argument as to why the persecution of these wasps must cease. This book is an important contribution to our reeducation: we need a better understanding of vespid hymenopterans and their functional value within healthy ecosystems. And it also reawakens the ethical questions surrounding humanity's right to persecute other species. -- Entomologist's Monthly Magazine

Author Information

Richard Jones is one of the UK's leading entomologists. He is the author of numerous books on nature including Mosquito (Reaktion, 2012) Extreme Insects: Call of Nature: The Secret Life of Dung (2010) and Beetles (2018) in the New Naturalists series. He lives in East Dulwich, London.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available