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In a Desert Garden: Love and Death Among the Insects
John Alcock, a specialist in the ecology of the American Southwest, introduces us to the lives and loves of desert insects as they forage through his backyard oasis. Two male earwigs caught in each other's pincers battle for a prized female. A female mantis finishes copulating, beheads her mate, and cannibalizes his body for its precious protein. Soaring above, a retinue of drone honey bees pursue their queen on her nuptial flight. The one who succeeds in mating with her will fertilize up to ten thousand eggs. With each gritty detail, Alcock pieces together the entire ecosystem of his desert paradise. We discover the chains of survival that link species - how a simple compost heap becomes a complex ecology of beetles, wasps, worms, and birds.
Book Details
- Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
- Publish Date: Sep 17th, 1997
- Pages: 192
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 10.39in - 7.87in - 0.74in - 1.42lb
- EAN: 9780393041187
- Categories: • Regional - General• Animals - Insects & Spiders
About the Author
Alcock, John: - John Alcock is professor of zoology at Arizona State University.
Forsyth, Turid: - Turid Forsyth is a writer, artist, and photographer. She lives in Ontario.
Praise for this book
John Alcock makes desert biology pure fun.-- "High Country News"
The real charm of Mr. Alcock . . . is that he shows us that scientific cognition isn't the only way to experience a glorious ecosystem.-- "New York Times Book Review"