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Interesting Insects
Stunning photographic guide to bugs, from the beautiful to the bizarre and every bug in between
Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Insects presents striking photographic profiles of insects, each one specially selected from the 34 million specimens found in one of the oldest and most important entomology collection in the world, held by London's Natural History Museum. The book showcases more than one hundred significant bug species, including the ruby-tailed wasp, the garden tiger moth, the jewel beetle, the flying stick insect, the orchid bee, and many others.
Magnificent full-color photographs show the bugs in detail, so that readers can learn to distinguish, for example, the translucent abdomen of the great pied hoverfly from the yellow or orange markings on a giant scoliid wasp. Each detailed and dazzling photograph is accompanied by a caption describing the bug's lifestyle, distribution, size, and key characteristics. An insightful introduction also explores the different orders and families found in the insect classes and an explanation of how they have evolved. Based on the most up-to-date science and accessibly written, the book will appeal to scientists and amateur science readers alike.
Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Insects presents striking photographic profiles of insects, each one specially selected from the 34 million specimens found in one of the oldest and most important entomology collection in the world, held by London's Natural History Museum. The book showcases more than one hundred significant bug species, including the ruby-tailed wasp, the garden tiger moth, the jewel beetle, the flying stick insect, the orchid bee, and many others.
Magnificent full-color photographs show the bugs in detail, so that readers can learn to distinguish, for example, the translucent abdomen of the great pied hoverfly from the yellow or orange markings on a giant scoliid wasp. Each detailed and dazzling photograph is accompanied by a caption describing the bug's lifestyle, distribution, size, and key characteristics. An insightful introduction also explores the different orders and families found in the insect classes and an explanation of how they have evolved. Based on the most up-to-date science and accessibly written, the book will appeal to scientists and amateur science readers alike.
Hardcover
Published April 9, 2020
146 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 24, 2020
Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Insects, by Gavin R. Broad, is a beautiful little book featuring a number of strikingly beautiful or interesting looking insects. Unique colours, body appendages, sizes and shapes abound, and each picture of an interesting insect is accompanied by a small blurb on the insect or species more generally, and speculation as to why the insects may look as they do. Often vibrant colours are to warn of toxicity, and other defenses or shapes, like spikes, hairs, mandibles and the like abound. A really fun little book, and an easy and quick read for those looking for an interesting evening read.
March 17, 2021
“Approximately 80% of all animal species are insects, and there are thought to be anywhere between a whopping 10 million and 100 million species alive today.”
Gee willikers.
Maybe I should pay them more attention.
This book is a catwalk (! - a gnatwalk? - oh please) of a few of the most fabulous and freaky creatures. A gorgeous book, each insect with its own page, a jewel on display.
And the specimens are spectacular:
Malagasy rocket moth
Orchid cuckoo bee (collects fragrant oils from orchids)
Hermann's tortoise beetle
Stalk-eyed fly (hahahaha this one is truly bizarro)
Violin beetle
Jewel scarab beetle (metallic gold coloured exoskeleton)
Yellow umbrella stick insect (cheerful colour, and they make a good pet)
Striped love beetle
Spotted flower chafer (metallic green and red, with white spots – another good pet)
Papuan green weevil (Papuan jewelry)
Brush jewel beetle (crazy punk-rock orange tufts of hair)
Andromeda satyr (eerie ghostly transparent butterfly)
Lantern bug (tastes like bacon, looks like ???)
Namib darkling beetle (the white and black are so chic)
Picasso moth (more like a Miro moth, but hey)
to name a few.
Gee willikers.
Maybe I should pay them more attention.
This book is a catwalk (! - a gnatwalk? - oh please) of a few of the most fabulous and freaky creatures. A gorgeous book, each insect with its own page, a jewel on display.
And the specimens are spectacular:
Malagasy rocket moth
Orchid cuckoo bee (collects fragrant oils from orchids)
Hermann's tortoise beetle
Stalk-eyed fly (hahahaha this one is truly bizarro)
Violin beetle
Jewel scarab beetle (metallic gold coloured exoskeleton)
Yellow umbrella stick insect (cheerful colour, and they make a good pet)
Striped love beetle
Spotted flower chafer (metallic green and red, with white spots – another good pet)
Papuan green weevil (Papuan jewelry)
Brush jewel beetle (crazy punk-rock orange tufts of hair)
Andromeda satyr (eerie ghostly transparent butterfly)
Lantern bug (tastes like bacon, looks like ???)
Namib darkling beetle (the white and black are so chic)
Picasso moth (more like a Miro moth, but hey)
to name a few.
November 2, 2024
Absolutely gorgeous pictures and short descriptions of some of the most beautiful specimens in the entomology collection of London's Natural History Museum. I can't remember if I've been to that museum before, but I would like to go there now, please and thank you.
The book primarily features beetles, moths and butterflies, and parasitic wasps, which is understandable considering they are three of the "big four" insect orders and contain some of the most varied and striking colorings and features. However, considering the Natural History Museum's collection includes 34 MILLION SPECIMENS, a little more diversity in the selection would have been appreciated — more than one species of mantis could have been included, surely? (Just for me? As a little treat?)
I'm also curious how the authors chose the order of presentation, as the insects are not organized by order/family/genus, distribution, or size. The lack of organization didn't bother me since it made every page a surprise, but it did seem a somewhat strange choice.
The book primarily features beetles, moths and butterflies, and parasitic wasps, which is understandable considering they are three of the "big four" insect orders and contain some of the most varied and striking colorings and features. However, considering the Natural History Museum's collection includes 34 MILLION SPECIMENS, a little more diversity in the selection would have been appreciated — more than one species of mantis could have been included, surely? (Just for me? As a little treat?)
I'm also curious how the authors chose the order of presentation, as the insects are not organized by order/family/genus, distribution, or size. The lack of organization didn't bother me since it made every page a surprise, but it did seem a somewhat strange choice.
July 7, 2020
This was a beautiful, simple book with not a lot of content but a lot of beautiful pictures. Some of the most amazing looking insects are highlighted in beautiful photography. It included information about the insect's place of origin as well as a quick fact. It's a very quick read but good if you like the beauties of nature.
August 15, 2020
This book wants to be a coffee table book when it grows up.
The pictures are amazing and are the best part of the book. If they were published with less text and in a larger coffee table format, this book would merit more stars. However, this little handbook format is what they decided to go with...
The insects were not presented in any order whatsoever (pun intended) and some insect orders that absolutely have some striking specimens were left out entirely (really, no dragonflies or damselflies were deemed worthy enough to make the cut??). There are four authors, each a scientist at the Natural History Museum in London...but the text included with each insect was so broad and watered down that you don't really learn much about most of the insects selected.
The pictures are amazing and are the best part of the book. If they were published with less text and in a larger coffee table format, this book would merit more stars. However, this little handbook format is what they decided to go with...
The insects were not presented in any order whatsoever (pun intended) and some insect orders that absolutely have some striking specimens were left out entirely (really, no dragonflies or damselflies were deemed worthy enough to make the cut??). There are four authors, each a scientist at the Natural History Museum in London...but the text included with each insect was so broad and watered down that you don't really learn much about most of the insects selected.
August 12, 2025
One of my best purchases ever! Amazing photographs of so many types of insects. I am obsessed. Although I really missed seeing praying mantis in the collection because there are so many interesting species among them. But that's just my weird hyperfixation probably, this book is fantastic no matter what :D
December 11, 2020
Very interesting facts about these bugs, and very nice pictures of them too.
July 24, 2022
Some beautiful insects and fascinating tidbits of information. However, I wish there was more diversity in the selection as opposed to some repeats. Some of the write-ups were either irrelevant or uninteresting (mostly the Lepidoptera.) Sometimes the authors would make vague references to something and never elaborate. Also there was that random change of tone in the last insect, the handsome fungus beetle, that was odd (cute but so inconsistent with the rest of the book).
I wish they didn’t put dark insects against the black pages. So frequently the black pages featured beetles where some parts of the body would meld into the dark background.
Really enjoyed the choices of Hymenoptera and Diptera though. The mottled horsefly was gorgeous.
I wish they didn’t put dark insects against the black pages. So frequently the black pages featured beetles where some parts of the body would meld into the dark background.
Really enjoyed the choices of Hymenoptera and Diptera though. The mottled horsefly was gorgeous.
February 13, 2021
Me parece un libro muy bonito, aunque no tiene mucha información de los diferentes insectos seleccionados. Sin embargo, las fotografías son increíbles y muestran a detalle las diferentes características de estos bichos.
La mayoría son fotografías con fondo blanco pero en algunos casos el fondo es negro para resaltar mejor los detalles de insectos que por su color no se apreciarían en su máximo esplendor con un fondo claro.
La organización de los diferentes insectos es por colores, lo que le da un toque estético adicional.
Lo único que lamento es que, aún comprendiendo que la gran diversidad de insectos evidentemente dejará fuera a muchos en esta diminuta colección, siento que algunos eran lo suficientemente similares entre sí que no se justificaba dejar fuera algunos otros insectos que podrían ser más únicos. Por decir un ejemplo, personalmente me entristece que no había ningún insecto color rosa, a pesar de ser bastante inusual y llamativo. Tampoco se incluyeron orugas a pesar de ser una etapa altamente interesante y visualmente atractiva de las mariposas y polillas. Esperaba algún membrácido (solo recuerdo un fulgomorfo en toda la colección), katydid, fásmido o libélula, dado que son tan peculiares.
En fin, es un libro chiquito pero perfecto si se tiene gusto por la naturaleza o particular interés en insectos.
La mayoría son fotografías con fondo blanco pero en algunos casos el fondo es negro para resaltar mejor los detalles de insectos que por su color no se apreciarían en su máximo esplendor con un fondo claro.
La organización de los diferentes insectos es por colores, lo que le da un toque estético adicional.
Lo único que lamento es que, aún comprendiendo que la gran diversidad de insectos evidentemente dejará fuera a muchos en esta diminuta colección, siento que algunos eran lo suficientemente similares entre sí que no se justificaba dejar fuera algunos otros insectos que podrían ser más únicos. Por decir un ejemplo, personalmente me entristece que no había ningún insecto color rosa, a pesar de ser bastante inusual y llamativo. Tampoco se incluyeron orugas a pesar de ser una etapa altamente interesante y visualmente atractiva de las mariposas y polillas. Esperaba algún membrácido (solo recuerdo un fulgomorfo en toda la colección), katydid, fásmido o libélula, dado que son tan peculiares.
En fin, es un libro chiquito pero perfecto si se tiene gusto por la naturaleza o particular interés en insectos.
November 11, 2020
I love this book. I found it really soothing, like you could just pick an image and meditate on it. So many insects made me gasp or comment out loud. Some of the descriptions made me laugh-like the Picasso being more of a Miro. Found this book interesting with appetizer like information and not a heavy meal.
March 24, 2021
A fun guide to all sorts of fun insects. Each entry featured two pages which featured an image of the insect and a brief description with its range and size. However, the range and size info was text only (no maps or size comparison images). There are some gorgeous insects in this book and is a must for anyone interested in entomology.
April 18, 2022
WOW!
The photography. The facts. The close encounters with the ones who truly rule this planet.
Who needs extraterrestrials when you have aliens right here?
(I love extraterrestrials, don't get me wrong. But insects are IT.)
The photography. The facts. The close encounters with the ones who truly rule this planet.
Who needs extraterrestrials when you have aliens right here?
(I love extraterrestrials, don't get me wrong. But insects are IT.)
April 18, 2023
It's sort of like watching a horror movie. It's a bit terrifying but the thrill is sort of fun. It's fascinating to see different types of insects from around the world. Some are undeniably beautiful, but those legs -- those creepy legs!
August 4, 2020
Awesome large photos of fascinating bugs, with lively brief commentary.
August 11, 2021
Loved it! Gorgeous photos, short but interesting blurbs. Great introduction to the insect world
September 22, 2023
A fantastic little book with wonderful photos.
October 18, 2023
Elegantly laid-out, but insects were not arranged in any sensible order - they seemed to be gathered at random.
February 15, 2025
This was a good book. The pictures were incredible. Even though some were the stuff of nightmares. A real page turner.
March 4, 2025
I don't know which one I like more, the Garden tiger because of its fun prints, or the Namib darkling beetle because of its lack of vibrant colors.
March 23, 2025
Interesting selection of insects.
September 16, 2025
Love me some bugs
October 7, 2020
My favorites are the tortoise beetles, the darkling beetles, and the chasers! There's a few juicy nuggets of info about each species next to a gorgeous picture, not enough to overwhelm, just enough to tantalize you with the richness of hidden insect lore. There's so much more to learn! Not sure why the Smithsonian attached their name to this project, as the collection is in London.
October 9, 2020
I read this book for two reasons: one, I've been looking for short books to quickly catch up on my reading challenge, and two, I thought it might help me to overcome my fear of bugs slightly. I will admit, the detailed photos combined with interesting facts on each species did help me to think more about bugs as individuals rather than just evil scary things. Very cool book overall.
June 18, 2025
cute! I felt very whimsical
November 14, 2022
I use this book constantly for my own research, I use it as inspiration and enjoy the photos and the small blurbs. This doesn't have too much information but it does have great photos and is wonderful for those who would like nice bugs to look at :)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews