Description
Book SynopsisA clear introduction for the novice naturalist to all things ant.
Ants are everywhere, though they are small, secretive, easily overlooked and usually misunderstood. But these seemingly puny insects have a superpower that makes them amongst the most important organisms on the planet what they lack in size and individual strength, they more than make up for in sheer numbers and sophisticated, coordinated activity.
In this book, impassioned entomologist Richard Jones reveals the bizarre and sometimes poorly studied behaviours of ants. Their aggregation in large (often mind-bogglingly huge) nests is a complex mix of genetics, chemistry, geography and higher social interaction. Their forage trails, usually to aphid colonies but occasionally into the larder, are maintained by a wondrous alchemy of molecular scents and markers. Their social colony structure confused natural philosophers of old and still taxes the modern biologist today. And flying ant days regularly
Trade Review
I didn’t think I wanted to know much about ants but I was drawn into this book by the tales that the author tells and the way he tells them. It’s a treat. * Mark Avery *
Readable, popular and amusing. -- Adrian Knowles * British Wildlife *
Entomologist and author Richard Jones brings his expertise and accessible writing to the latest book in the British Wildlife Collection series. This time the focus is on the “easily overlooked and usually misunderstood” ants, and why they are so extraordinary. * BBC Wildlife *
Full of the passion, depth and excitement that only a genuine ant expert and enthusiast could convey … Jones has poured a lot of his life and a good dollop of soul into this book. -- Seirian Sumner * Royal Entomological Society *
There is something here to suit all exponents of natural history, from the curious beginner to the seasoned entomologist. The author easily captures the attention of the most casual ant-watcher. -- Adrian Knowles * British Wildlife *
The latest from the excellent Bloomsbury Wildlife Collection. -- Stephen Moss
Jones covers a good deal of territory, and the book is an amalgam of many parts...all are enhanced through the excellent use of illustrations, including many colour photographs of ants and other arthropods; reproductions from historical, scientific, artistic, and cultural sources; and line drawings of physical characters...The writing is lively and accessible...and the inevitable technical aspects (haplodiploidy, for example) are lucidly presented. The book is a fine addition to the libraries of myrmecophiles at any level, and especially those engaged in field observations and citizen science. -- Barry Cottam * The Canadian Field-Naturalist *
Table of Contents
Preface 1 What’s so special about ants? 2 What is an ant? 3 The ants of Britain and Ireland 4 Evolution of ants 5 Being an everyday ant 6 The rise of the colony 7 Human interactions with ants 8 Ant interactions with other species 9 Ants in the landscape 10 How to study ants Appendix: Identification key Glossary References Illustration credits Acknowledgements Index
