Endless forms : the secret world of wasps

Title:

Author:

Sumner, Seirian, author.

ISBN:

9780063029927

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

Publication Information:

New York : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2022]

Physical Description:

387 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

General Note:

"Originally published in Great Britain in 2022 by William Collins"--Title page verso.

Bibliography note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [347]-365) and index.

Contents:

The problem with wasps -- The obsessions of wasp whisperers -- How to have a social life -- Playing the game -- Dinner with Aristotle -- Nature's pest controllers -- The secret pollinators -- A future with wasps.

Summary:

In this eye-opening and entertaining work of popular science in the spirit of The Mosquito, Entangled Life, and The Book of Eels, a leading behavioral ecologist transforms our understanding of wasps, exploring these much-maligned insects' secret world, their incredible diversity and complex social lives, and revealing how they hold our fragile ecosystem in balance.

Wasps get a bad rap, but there may no other earthly creature guarding so many undiscovered wonders. Wasps are the bees' evolutionary ancestors-- and are just as essential for the survival of our environment. Wasps taught us how to make paper, and their sophisticated social networks are the best model we have for earth's major evolutionary transitions. Sumner shows that in their understudied biology are clues to progressing medicine, including a possible cure for cancer. Their secrets have gone mostly untapped-- but the potential of the wasp, and the form it takes, is endless. —jacket.

Subject:

Wasps.

Wasps -- Behavior.

Wasps -- Classification.

Entomology.

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Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Call Number	Status
Searching... Anderson - Anderson Main Library	Book	22960002403045	595.7915 SUMNER SEIRIAN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Beaufort - Hilton Head Branch	Book	0530006427305	595.798 SUM	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dorchester - North Charleston Branch	Book	30018006904862	595.798 SUM	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Kershaw - Camden Library	Book	33255003569655	595.798 SUM	Searching... Unknown
Searching... York - Lake Wylie Branch	Book	33205013399809	595.798 SUMNER	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"A book that draws us in to the strange beauty of what we so often run away from." -- Robin Ince, author of The Importance of Being Interested

In this eye-opening and entertaining work of popular science in the spirit of The Mosquito, Entangled Life, and The Book of Eels, a leading behavioural ecologist transforms our understanding of wasps, exploring these much-maligned insects' secret world, their incredible diversity and complex social lives, and revealing how they hold our fragile ecosystem in balance.

Everyone worries about the collapse of bee populations. But what about wasps? Deemed the gangsters of the insect world, wasps are winged assassins with formidable stings. Conduits of Biblical punishment, provokers of fear and loathing, inspiration for horror movies: wasps are perhaps the most maligned insect on our planet.

But do wasps deserve this reputation?

Endless Forms opens our eyes to the highly complex and diverse world of wasps. Wasps are 100 million years older than bees; there are ten times more wasp species than there are bees. There are wasps that spend their entire lives sealed inside a fig; wasps that turn cockroaches into living zombies; wasps that live inside other wasps. There are wasps that build citadels that put our own societies to shame, marked by division of labor, rebellions and policing, monarchies, leadership contests, undertakers, police, negotiators, and social parasites. Wasps are nature's most misunderstood insect: as predators and pollinators, they keep the planet's ecological balance in check. Wasps are nature's pest controllers; a world without wasps would be just as ecologically devastating as losing the bees, or beetles, or butterflies.

Wasps are diverse and beautiful by every measure, and they are invaluable to planetary health, Professor Sumner reminds us; we'd do well to appreciate them as much as their cuter cousins, the bees.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Entomologist Sumner debuts with a tour de force on the world of wasps, delving into their daily lives, economic value to society, and the important ecological niches they fill. Though they have a bad rap, the insects are full of surprises, Sumner writes. For example, they're the evolutionary precursor of both bees and ants, and their social structures feature "divisions of labour, rebellions and policing, monarchies, leadership contests... negotiators, social parasites, undertakers." Their genetics open the door to a deep consideration of the evolution of altruism, "one of the longest-standing puzzles in the natural sciences," Sumner writes, because their willingness to "sacrifice themselves to promote the survival of their relatives" is a central feature of the life of a hive. She recounts their reproductive strategies of paralyzing prey then laying eggs in the bodies, suggests that wasps and bees can recognize individual human faces, and extends her study into a clever calculation of the economic value of wasps, noting that they account for "almost 50 per cent of the 230 invertebrate species that are commercially used as biocontrol agents," which has an "estimated value of well over $400 billion a year." Funny, informative, and zippy, this is just the thing for budding entomologists. (July)

Kirkus Review

An appealing study of the almost universally despised "gangsters of the insect world." "The wasp has long been a powerful metaphor for an evil, devious character who does no good," writes British entomologist and behavioral ecologist Sumner. Fascinated by wasps since childhood, the author points out that wasps are voracious predators who eat a wide range of insects, including agricultural pests. In some parts of the world, they are farmed on a factory scale and released into fields to destroy caterpillars and other pests. Without them, we would need to use more toxic insecticides. "Without the services of wasps as pest controllers, pollinators, seed-dispersers and decomposers, our forests, grasslands, parks, gardens, deserts, highlands, moorlands and heathlands would not support planetary health in the way they currently (just about) do," writes the author. Wasps make up over 80% of the order Hymenoptera, which includes bees and ants. There are around 150,000 described species of Hymenoptera, but perhaps 10 times more yet to be described, making them the most numerous insect order, and their communities rival those of ants and humans in complexity, division of labor, and pugnacity. Almost all wasps are solitary, tiny parasitoids, which lay their eggs on or inside other insects, not excluding other wasps. When they hatch, the larvae eat the living host as they grow. Sumner excels in describing historical naturalists ("wasp whisperers"), and she offers an imaginative chapter on Aristotle, who shared her unfashionable fascination and showed impressive imagination and endurance while crawling around to learn the secrets of the often miniscule insects. Sumner devotes considerable attention to the relevant research about the social structure of wasp communities, the details (and mathematics) of their impressive altruism, and descriptions of their evolution in light of modern genetic analysis. A nature documentary would likely pass over these complexities, but they are accessible in Sumner's skillful hands. A wasp admirer makes a delightful case for their importance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Sumner, a professor of behavioral ecology, provides a fascinating introduction to the much-maligned wasp. She laments the focus and emphasis placed on bees, which she describes as "wasps that have forgotten how to hunt." Sumner's research has taken her around the world and introduced her to many other "wasp whisperers." Her passion for wasps and their global importance as both predators and pollinators is compelling. In one instance, she frames using wasps as a biocontrol agent in place of pesticides in sub-Saharan Africa as a humanitarian issue. The text is full of intriguing facts about wasps, ranging from cultural references to their complex social lives. The writing is engaging and humorous; Sumner describes a certain species of wasp as feasting "like a hungry teenager at a sushi bar." While entertaining, sections describing imagined conversations with wasp whisperers of the past and a dinner party with Aristotle seem slightly out of place. The book concludes with a detailed notes section. This interesting and entertaining work is sure to leave readers buzzing.

Library Journal Review

Entomologist Sumner's first nonacademic book, exploring the secret lives of wasps, is educational, important--and extremely funny. At first glance it may seem targeted at a narrow audience, those interested in insects or keenly aware of pollinator decline. Those listeners will find much to love here, but the humor and joy that surrounds the information makes it a must-buy for any popular science collection. Sumner's narration and writing imbue her subject with an amusing charm that never interferes with the facts but makes way for laugh-out-loud sections that enhance the pleasure of learning captivating, lesser-known truths. Sumner, who is a professor of behavioral ecology at University College London, narrates with enthusiasm and a trustworthy, conversational manner that keeps listeners' interest piqued. After finishing this audiobook, listeners may be unable to see these almost universally feared creatures in the same light. They'll know that wasps are vital to our world and one of the most intriguing creatures of the past millennia. So entrancing is this work that listeners might grab the print book, too, so they can listen and take notes. VERDICT Engaging, informative, and fun, this audio will be a hit with popular science and nonfiction readers.--Matthew Galloway

Introduction	p. 1
Part 1 The Problem with Wasps	p. 9
Part 2 The Obsessions of Wasp Whisperers	p. 47
Part 3 How to Have a Social Life	p. 105
Part 4 Playing the Game	p. 143
Part 5 Dinner with Aristotle	p. 195
Part 6 Nature's Pest Controllers	p. 269
Part 7 The Secret Pollinators	p. 309
Last Word: A Future with Wasps	p. 335
Notes	p. 347
Acknowledgements	p. 367
List of Illustrations	p. 373
Index	p. 375

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents