Millions of Monarchs, Bunches of Beetles: How Bugs Find Strength in Numbers

In a witty and informative look at insect sociology, Waldbauer (The Birder's Bug Book), University of Illinois emeritus professor of entomology, examines many of the reasons that insects form groups. The groups may be as small as a handful of sawfly larvae feeding together on a single needle of a jack pine, or as large as millions of monarch butterflies huddled together on cypress trees to protect themselves from the elements. Or they may be as ephemeral as the swarms of mayflies looking for mates during their 24-hour adult lives, or as long-lived as populations of billions of locusts eating their way across Africa. Insects come together for a host of reasons, Waldbauer explains: to find mates, to avoid predators, to enhance their food-gathering abilities, to manipulate their environment and to subdue prey. In each case, Waldbauer provides evocative descriptions of particular species' behaviors while discussing the underlying evolutionary reasons for that behavior. In summarizing hundreds of scientists' research, Waldbauer finds a sensitive balance between being overly technical and simplistic. His sheer love of insects is so obvious and infectious that even entomophobes are likely to get caught up in his excitement. 14 line illus. not seen by PW. (Mar.)