Life on a Little Known Planet

by Howard Ensign Evans, Arnold Clapman (Illustrator)

This classic book is natural history at its best. The world of insects is Howard Evans' "little-known planet," the realm of the cockroach and the cricket, the wasp and the bedbug. With the precision and authority of a distinguished biologist, and the wit and grace of an accomplished writer, Howard Evans muses on the uniqueness of dragonflies, the romantic impulses of butterflies, the musicianship of crickets, and the mysteries of the firefly. The insect realm never fails to enlighten, entertain, and sometimes provoke: as Evans asks, "Is the fly a more intricate machine than he appears, or are we less clever than we suppose ourselves to be?"

Genres: Science, Nature, Nonfiction, Natural History, Biology, Popular Science

330 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Born in East Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Archie and Adella (Ensign) Evans, he developed an interest in natural history, and insects in particular, as a child on his parents' tobacco farm. He attended the University of Connecticut, and obtained his Ph.D. from Cornell University. During World War II, he served as an army parasitologist, doing pioneering work on the Giardia parasite while stationed in St. John's, Newfoundland. He held academic positions atKansas State University, Cornell University, Harvard University and Colorado State University. Evans's passions included field biology, writing, teaching, the American West, backpacking, fishing, classical music, environmental conservation, and his family. Howard and Mary Alice Evans raised three children.

A fellow at the National Academy of Sciences, he received a number of honors, including the William J. Walker Prize of the Boston Museum of Science(1967) and the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal from the National Academy of Sciences (1976).

He was short listed in 1964 for the National Book Award for Wasp Farm. His work includes 255 scientific papers, 40 popular articles and 15 books, includingWasp Farm and The Pleasures of Entomology. He coauthored the book Wasps with Mary Jane West-Eberhard. Several of his books, including Life on a Little Known Planet, are among the most popular works on entomology for a general audience. His publications also include works on the history of biology, Australian natural history, and the American West; in addition, he published an entomology textbook and a volume of poetry. Several books were co-authored with his wife, Mary Alice (Dietrich) Evans (1921-2014), including William Morton Wheeler: Biologist, Australia: a Natural History, and Cache La Poudre: the Natural History of a River. Some of his most noteworthy essays for popular audiences were published posthumously as The Man Who Loved Wasps: A Howard Ensign Evans Reader. Also published posthumously was The Sand Wasps: Natural History and Behavior, completed by Kevin M. O'Neill from notes left by Evans.

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the classic books on biology. Had to read after seeing an exhibit on insects at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Author Evans was an entomologist and studied insects his entire life. If you love natural science than I recommend this book! Five stars.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book. It's a beautiful introduction to the study of insects written for the general reader. At first I was thrown by the self-reflective and lyrical quality of his writing, but after a dozen or so pages I was hooked. It is such a refreshing experience to read a science book that isn't just sufficiently-written, but well-written. It is full of clever and sometimes hilarious allusions to literature and classical history that show a general level of education and appreciation for other fields that is sadly lacking in many scientists and science writers today (I know. I am one of them). He manages to explain years of research without losing the sense of awe and mystery of the topics he discusses.

Even though the science is outdated, as you would expect from a book almost 50 years old, most of the information is still relevant and fascinating. For example, at the end of his chapter on locusts he discusses how the progeny of certain species seem to take on acquired characteristics of the mother - a huge paradox at the time that is probably fully explained through epigenetic mechanisms today. However, this doesn't detract from all of the fascinating locust history and science leading up to this question, and any interested reader could easily update herself on the developments of the field since. His fixation on the space program also seems a little quaint, but I'm sure the tension between funding earth-bound science and NASA must have been at its height in the late sixties.

My only real complaint is that it's not longer. I would have happily read a chapter on every group of known insects and was somewhat disappointed to reach the end of the book without much talk of ants (my personal favorites). However, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in insects or who wants to develop a further appreciation of the natural world.

[Kate Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a delightful grump of a human writing about the exuberant oddities of the insect world. I especially loved his chapters on crickets and cockroaches. A great read for anyone who appreciates invertebrates.

HOWEVER, I recommend skipping or skimming the last two chapters. Instead of focusing on insects, he dives into the hard-hitting ecological questions like "Is Nature Necessary?" This book was originally written in the 60s, in the aftermath of Silent Spring. And Evans doesn't want to be lumped together with the hysterical Rachel Carson, who commits such sins as "appealing to emotions." So he tries to be hard-nosed and realistic and instead is only cynical and nihilistic. It seems he believes that almost all other species will die and that's maybe for the best for humans, but he'll live out his life as a crank in the corner saying some wasps were nice while they lasted.

And I know capitalism is as strong as ever, but some of his statements throughout the book on the economic importance of entomology feel dated. He seems embarrassed to like insects for their own sake. He has this compulsion to harp on financial reasons a species should be studied and maybe not eradicated. I know that's an important thing for someone to say, but those words are dust in my mouth compared with the joy of species for their own sake. But maybe we econophobic biophiles are just more emboldened now?

Some other fun aspects of this book's age include his certainty that North America has done away with bedbugs. Oh the good old days.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Even though fifty years have gone by, there is a lot of great entomology and ecology in this book. The author pretty much focuses on a different group in each chapter. How locust swarms come about, femme fatale fireflies luring males of other species, indestructible cockroaches, these and many other phenomena are examined with humor and authority.
He never talks down to the reader , nor does he dumb things down.
It’s like having a great conversation (or ten) with your favorite professor.

[Ai Wen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about insects and their biology, beautifully written. Although, like some other reviews pointed out, the last two chapters kind of ruined my ranking of the book. The author went off to rent about Rachel Carson, shaming her for being "too emotional" when she wrote the Silent Spring. Maybe there was disagreement back then regarding the science of DDT and its environmental damage, but I don't think he has any right to blame another author as being too emotional on a topic that she clearly cared about. In addition, I read the second edition of this book that was published in 1993, where there was an epilogue at the end added by the author in 93. The author briefly mentioned how DDT turned out to be more lethal than he thought and was banned in the U.S., but he did not say anything (let alone not apologizing) about his blame on Rachel Carson in the last two chapters.
So if you are looking for an well written, informative entomology book, read the first 10 chapters, and skip the end.

[John Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to find science books that are for the general reader. I'm an insect and bird follower. Although it is dated this fits my bill.(beak)

[Brielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose to read this book for a report in my Entomology class. I'm sure it would have been more interesting if I actually read the book, however, due to being in college and the overload of homework I was not able to fully read it. I think I read a total of 15 pages and was really bored. I wanted to read about the cool insects like butterflies and dragonflies but never made it that far. Maybe one day I will try to actually read it.

[Shyamal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evans is the Bill Bryson of entomology! Sometimes books from one generation are unknown to the next, even within a fraternity, entomologists in this case, simply because they have not been republished - this is another of those cases where that crime has been committed!

[David Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books by Howard Ensign Evans, a noted wasp taxonomist and polymath. He is a clear and engaging writer whose work is always enjoyable. Life on a Little-known Planet: A Biologist's View of Insects and their World generally is no exception, but I do have a few reservations.

The book is divided into 13 chapters. The first chapter is a short introduction to insects. Chapters two through 11 treat groups of insects in considerable detail: springtails, cockroaches, odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), crickets, fireflies, butterflies, flies, true bugs, grasshoppers and wasps. These chapters are chock full of wonderful information on these insects' life histories and reproductive cycles. I learned a great deal, and I am an ecologist with a graduate degree. These chapters are the heart of the book and are excellent.

The final two chapters are almost a complete departure from the beginning of the book. Chapter 12, "Insects and Human Society," explores the intersection between insects and human culture, focusing on humans' need to control insects, mostly through pesticides. The final chapter, "Is Nature Necessary?" is a philosophical diatribe on humans'` relationship with the natural world. While the world view presented in these final two chapters is mostly spot on, these chapters now feel dated and almost "quaint." The world is in far worse shape in 2024 than anything Evans could have imagined when he published the book in 1968.

The book concludes with an epilogue that Evans wrote in 1993. The epilogue is really disappointing; Evans could have revised his book to reflect the situation in the world in 1993, and could have corrected (or at least softened) some of the information about insecticides. Instead, he concentrates on new ways to manage pestiferous insects that were in vogue in 1990s.

In summary, the "meat" of the book is excellent, holds up well after almost half a century, and deserves five stars, but the final three sections are disappointing. Pick up this book for a great and rewarding read about wondrous insects, but skip the last three sections.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little book on bugs...loaded with information, and written in a humorous manner so as to not get boring. He goes through several different types of insects, and you can tell he finds them fascinating. He also repeatedly brings up the money we spend looking at space when we know so little of our own planet. At first I thought that was a bit silly, but honestly, after thinking about it, maybe he's right. Maybe we should be focusing on stabilizing our own planet...The last couple chapters that aren't on a particular group of insects can probably be skimmed through. It's interesting to read that he thought things like snakes would be extinct relatively soon after the writing of the book, and at times I think he was somewhat resigned to the idea that people were going to pave over everything. I had an edition from 1993 with an updated chapter, and in it he goes over some new insect revelations that were interesting as well.

[Bethanyanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book exists because someone cared about to observe roaches, butterflies, and all of the creepy crawly things we step over and squish.

And while it didn’t inspire a love of etymology for me, it did make me see the beauty in someone caring enough about something to dedicate their life to observing it.

[Dirk Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost 7 years later I’ve finished this book! Quite dense and probably filled with “ick” for many readers but I think I can credit it with increasing my enjoyment of the non-human world around me, especially insects.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

NF-Science
305 pages

A Biologist's View of Insects and Their World

Insects! Amazing and fascinating!

[Kat Robey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational, thought provoking, witty...thoroughly enjoyable

[Christopher Tennant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great piece of almost-lost history with a large amount of technical language. Fascinating read for those interested in the subject.

[Nick Geeslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating book, but much more so for the factoids that are sprinkled about. I found it a bit difficult to keep picking up, as (for me) it lacked fluidity or narrative throughout each chapter.

[Kimberly Hallahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this treatise on the value of insects. After a chapter of introduction, each of the first ten chapters tells stories elucidating the life history, behavioral aspects, and/or scientific research about a different type of insect. The final two chapters address insects' rightful place in the world. Its publication year of 1966 makes this book no less enlightening today.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic introduction to entomology with both natural history and discussion of famous and then recent laboratory work. The book’s chapters are each on a separate type of insect or bug including springtails, cockroaches, dragonflies, crickets, fireflies, butterflies, house flies, bedbugs, locusts, and the author’s specialty parasitic wasps. As the author reports, Louis Agassiz said, The possibilities of existence run so deeply into the extravagant that there is scarcely any conception too extraordinary for Nature to realize. Evans reminds us that we are all travelers on a fragile ship, and that we are destroying it at a faster and faster rate. The original publication is copyright 1968. My copy was reissued in 1993 with a new preface and epilogue. The author reports, and probably added in 1993 that:

We also know that our burning of fuels over the last century has caused a 14% increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This has already caused a slight general increase in temperature, and it is postulated that by the year 2000 global temperatures may have increased by as much as 4 degrees ....This may have strange effects on weather patterns and may melt parts of the Antarctic ice sheet....

[Lucas Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Audible review:

Some of the passages in this book are absolutely beautiful. Yes, it's dated with frequent references to the huge, 60's & 70's investment in the space program, but the intro alone makes a compelling case to appreciate and take greater interest in the ubiquitous insects. Some chapters were more intriguing than others and, yes, there's an environmental diatribe (which I happened to like) in the last 20% of the book or so but I found it a really lovely piece of nature writing. He goes into depth about fireflies, dragon/damsel-flies, locusts (not my favorite chapter), crickets, roaches, true flies and more. My only real criticism is that I would have like to have had an overview of the insect class before these "case study" chapters began Give it a listen and you may find yourself intrigued with a part of the natural world you may have ignored.

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's where I get really puzzled about how Goodreads works. I have this particular edition. There is a later edition, but I assume (perhaps not correctly, but I doubt it), that these edition are basically the same. If I write a review for this edition, probably no one will read it, as it is the only review and there are far more reviews of the later edition. The question this poses is an ethical one. Should I write my review for this edition, or fudge and write it for the later edition, as I suspect a number of people have done? I have to think about this.

Essentially, it is a really fine book that makes one think about insects as something far more interesting than objects to step on.

[Alma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't get it, what it is about this book that should make it "natural history at its best". Reading wikipedia is more entertaining, actually.
Never mind that it is outdated (that's understandable, given the first release date), but all the boring explanations of scientific methods used in obtaining one or another tiny bit of information could get even most motivated reader. And I'm not one of them. Life too short to read such tedious recountals, better go out and chase some butterflies.
I must admit though, managing to read almost half of it gave me some understanding about morphology and behavior of certain insects, for what it's worth.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a book for the budding entomologist, but enjoyable reading. Harks back to the golden age of scientific discovery when all was new and we did not have to justify in the national interest why things were undertaken. Very much outdated scientifically now, but an excellent turn of phrase and a good insight into the mind of a scientist.

[Sharon Zink]

It was well written with some humor. The author devoted one chapter to a species of insect. He didn't tell all about that insect, but zeroed in on one aspect of its life or ways that insect had been researched, which wasn't particularly interesting.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Non Fiction books ever written. This book so inspired me that I changed my Major and have been in love with insects ever since. Really cool version of it available to hear on Audible too.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of vignettes into the invertebrate world. Evans' writing is a balance of narrative accessibilty with hard science. Fascinating stuff.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

i never thought learning about bugs could be so entertaining! amusing, well written.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the best insects-for-amateurs book I've read.

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of those books that should be read at school to broaden kids views. very interesting and with good arguments regarding the future of humanity.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and humorous look at the many creatures that often avoid notice: the insects. A great read for the insect enthusiast.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sometimes harrowing sex life of insects