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Buzz, Sting, Bite
Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects | Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
16 posts | 10 read | 14 to read
An enthusiastic, witty, and informative introduction to the world of insects and why weand the planet we inhabitcould not survive without them. Insects comprise roughly half of the animal kingdom. They live everywheredeep inside caves, 18,000 feet high in the Himalayas, inside computers, in Yellowstones hot springs, and in the ears and nostrils of much larger creatures. There are insects that have ears on their knees, eyes on their penises, and tongues under their feet. Most of us think life would be better without bugs. In fact, life would be impossible without them. Most of us know that we would not have honey without honeybees, but without the pinhead-sized chocolate midge, cocoa flowers would not pollinate. No cocoa, no chocolate. The ink that was used to write the Declaration of Independence was derived from galls on oak trees, which are induced by a small wasp. The fruit fly was essential to medical and biological research experiments that resulted in six Nobel prizes. Blowfly larva can clean difficult wounds; flour beetle larva can digest plastic; several species of insects have been essential to the development of antibiotics. Insects turn dead plants and animals into soil. They pollinate flowers, including crops that we depend on. They provide food for other animals, such as birds and bats. They control organisms that are harmful to humans. Life as we know it depends on these small creatures. With ecologist Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson as our capable, entertaining guide into the insect world, well learn that there is more variety among insects than we can even imagine and the more you learn about insects, the more fascinating they become. Buzz, Sting, Bite is an essential introduction to the little creatures that make the world go round.
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TheSpineView
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Eggs Love 🩵🤍💜 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 😍 6mo
50 likes3 comments
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Lindy
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Pickpick

Fascinating facts about all kinds of insects, written in a entertaining style that had me reading passages aloud to my sister as we drove to and from her farm. If you‘ve ever wondered what use there can be for mosquitoes, wasps and ants, read this persuasive book. Translation from Norwegian by Lucy Moffatt. #WomenInTranslationMonth

33 likes5 stack adds
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Lindy
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Friday Reads September 1: Yukon farm; katazome + indigo; Canadian & queer books; Acadians
https://youtu.be/wwMujAP5WW0

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Lindy
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… Indian stick insects have apparently been known to stay stuck together for an insane 79 days in an extreme-sport version of tantric sex!

-from the chapter Six-Legged Sex

dabbe 😮😮😮 1y
wanderinglynn 😳 That‘s impressive! 1y
Lindy @dabbe @wanderinglynn Entomologists believe this type of mating behaviour is a result of the males monopolizing access to prevent other males access to that female 1y
dabbe @Lindy I thought it would be because (like the praying mantis), they'd want to keep that female busy so she wouldn't bite his head off! 🤩🤣😍 1y
Lindy @dabbe 🤪 1y
25 likes5 comments
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Lindy
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“The truth is that we need invertebrates but they don‘t need us. If humans were to disappear tomorrow, the world would go on with little change… But if invertebrates were to disappear, I doubt that the human species could live more than a few months.”
—EO Wilson

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LibraryCin
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Pickpick

I found this really Interesting, but I‘m afraid I won‘t remember much. There were so many little tidbits of information, it will be hard to remember. I have heard it before, but even if they are pests, insects really are beneficial, and humans would be hard-pressed to live on a planet without them.

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sugarbabe

Truly a fascinating read! I kinda have always hated bugs but this is super insightful to someone who had no knowledge about insects prior!

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

This is a short, interesting popular science book about insects. We‘ve all been told how decimated our groceries would be without the honeybee, but this book delves deeper.

Did you know that the particular insect larvae used for ink is what helped parchments survive from Shakespeare and Galileo? What about the wax on your jelly beans helping provide sustainable farming jobs? Cool stuff!

#readingeurope2020 #norway #bookspinbingo

Andrew65 👏👏👏 4y
Librarybelle Sounds interesting! 4y
See All 14 Comments
Megabooks @Andrew65 😊😊😊 4y
Megabooks @Librarybelle it really was! 4y
vlwelser Lol. New excuse to eat jelly beans. This sounds really interesting. 4y
Megabooks @vlwelser right? Jelly beans: more than a snack! 4y
BarbaraBB Interesting and probably totally up your wheelhouse as a vet! 4y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB yes! Sloths have whole ecosystems in their fur, which is fascinating! 4y
BarbaraBB Wow, I didn‘t know that- of course 😀 4y
TheAromaofBooks It's amazing how every single bit of nature is SO intricate and involved!! 4y
Megabooks @TheAromaofBooks exactly!! Insects are so well adapted! 4y
Reviewsbylola Sounds fascinating! 4y
93 likes1 stack add14 comments
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Megabooks
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Yesterday was depressing & difficult. We all decided dad should go to skilled nursing rehab for a few weeks.

Today that we were going to “take off” was so exhausting that I burst through the door full-blown sobbing after walking the dog after dinner.

I am just documenting my life here because this is my main social media. I know others have exhausting, difficult lives too. I just really appreciate all the unconditional support I‘ve received. 💕

Butterfinger I've been thinking of you today. 5y
Leftcoastzen Hugs to you . I know things are hard & I‘ve been thinking of you and your family . 5y
CarolynM Sometimes having a good cry is the best thing to do. Hope the retail therapy helped too. Hugs to you💕 5y
See All 28 Comments
jmtrivera *hugs* 💜 5y
NeedsMoreBooks Hugs to you ❤️❤️ 5y
TrishB Crying definitely helps and a bit of self care. Look after yourself too ♥️ 5y
JennyM Look after yourself Meg x ❤️ 5y
robinb So sorry you‘re having to make some of those difficult family decisions...I feel mine looming as well. Hugs to you. 💕 5y
batsy Take care ♥️♥️ 5y
Cinfhen Echoing all the others / crying is sometimes the best outlet unless it leads to a 3 day migraine 🤕Sending #LoveAcrossTheOceans ( was that the hashtag???? ) xxxxx 5y
Cinfhen And woohooo for shopping sprees!!!!! BEST IDEA 💡 5y
catebutler I‘m so sorry to hear life‘s been a bit stressful at the moment. Sending lots of positive thoughts your way. 💓 I think a little book shopping is the perfect form of therapy! 5y
HannaPolkadots ❤❤❤ hope your days soon will be lighter! And I agree wholeheartedly with book buying therapy 😃👍 am doing quite a bit of that myself these days ☺ all good wishes for today and all the days to come. 5y
rockpools Hugs. 5y
Emilymdxn I know how important it is to vent when you need to and if there‘s stuff you need to talk about we‘re here for it! Solidarity with you, my family has some deep medical shit now and it‘s Double Plus Ungood. Your community is always here for you whatever you need. New books are a great thing to have. 5y
Megabooks I have read every word as I‘ve continued to work on things in the house until, uh, 3:15 AM now. Thank you for caring so much about me and my family! 💕🙏🏻 @Butterfinger @Leftcoastzen @CarolynM @jmtrivera @NeedsMoreBooks @TrishB @JennyM @robinb @batsy @Cinfhen @catebutler @HannaPolkadots @RachelO @Emilymdxn 5y
Megabooks @Emilymdxn thank you so much! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I think of you often and what you‘re going through. Just sending so much love to you!! 💕💕 I really appreciate your support! 5y
Megabooks @Cinfhen my mom hates crying because it gives her a headache. I love it because it breaks the tension in my body/psyche. And yes, #loveacrosstheoceans was it and sending that to you!! 💜💙💜💙 5y
Cinfhen 😘😘 5y
Bookwormjillk Hang in there @Megabooks 💕 5y
Megabooks @Bookwormjillk thank you!! 💙💙 5y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Sending love💞 It will be difficult, but I hope the improved treatment helps your father get closer to being home with you. 4y
Lindy Hang in there, Meg. I hope better days come soon. 🌻 4y
L_auren Catching up. Late, but here. Hugs to you. I hope that you will feel comforted with the excellent care he will receive. Caring souls who will know what he needs ♥️ don‘t apologize for complaining. We all have seasons of complaining and seasons of listening. I‘m sure you‘ve listened a lot in your life ♥️ 4y
Megabooks @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick me too! I can‘t wait to have him at home and see him everyday. We all just want to make sure he can improve as much as possible. 4y
Megabooks @Lindy thank you, Lindy! 💙💙 4y
Megabooks @L_auren yes, that is true. We all go through trials in life. I try to support my friends irl and online. The ppl in the hospital have been wonderful to him, so I hope the people at his next facility are just as good. He is such a great dad, husband, and friend to the ppl in his life that it has been especially hard to watch him struggle. Thanks dear friend!! 💖💖 4y
Reviewsbylola ❤️❤️❤️ 4y
82 likes28 comments
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NotCool
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Pickpick

This is a fun, gross book on insects. And it brought up things I‘d never heard of before, like the Maggot King! The Maggot King was a man who claimed that inhaling fumes maggots release while eating could cure tuberculosis. That‘s a difficult conversation to have with patients.

3 likes1 stack add
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ravenlee
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Mehso-so

Setting aside the glaring error that made me question everything else in the entire book (see previous post), I found this book unsatisfying. It needs more depth to the science. As a quick read to induce people to give some thought to insect worth I guess it‘s ok, but by the end I just felt like I‘d had a very superficial experience that I wanted to be so much more.

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ravenlee
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Another error - I would guess this ship ran aground, rather than around.

rabbitprincess Now I'm picturing a ship running aimlessly! 😂🏃🏼⛴ 5y
charl08 Maybe it needed to let off some steam...?! 5y
JCPaulk Makes me feel better when my own editor overlooks things! 5y
19 likes3 comments
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ravenlee
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Uh, no - actually, Ariadne is a completely different character from Greek mythology. You‘re looking for Arachne, from whom we derive “arachnid.”

Now I‘m questioning everything else I‘m reading, because if neither the author nor anyone involved in the editing process caught this blatant error, what else is wrong?

Hooked_on_books I hate it when that happens! I do the same thing—look at everything else with skepticism. Hopefully it‘s just a missed typo. 🤞🏼 5y
LoverofLit Ugh I hate catching things like that. It can ruin the whole book for me 😥 5y
Tonton You can‘t unsee those mistakes and a total turnoff on the book. 5y
25 likes4 comments
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Chrissyreadit
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The environment is always on my mind- ask my kids! I became a vegetarian in 1989 for environmental reasons. Greta Thunberg is a hero. When @Booksnchill just recommended the tagged book I thought I‘d put together my environmental TBR and share it - has anyone read these? Other recommendations? #loveyourmotherearth #thereisnoplanetB

twohectobooks This Changes Everything is quite good, although I don‘t agree with her about everything she says in the book. 5y
twohectobooks I also recommend Managing Without Growth, although it‘s pretty dry. It‘s a much more robust examination of what needs to be done economically to get to a sustainable place. 5y
Chrissyreadit @twohectobooks thanks! I stacked it. What did you disagree with in This Changes Everything? (Curious- I have not read it.) 5y
Booksnchill Great idea! 5y
Chrissyreadit @Booksnchill jump in! I will add a hashtag to my post just in case.... 5y
76 likes5 comments
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Ericalambbrown
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AAAS science blog shared reviews of three books books on our insect neighbors, including the tagged book. The blog is from July, but I‘ve not seen these before. They look wonderful! Sharing the link for those interested:

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/books/2019/07/23/small-wonders/

ravenlee Interesting! Thanks for sharing. 5y
58 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Mitch
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51 likes1 stack add