The ultimate visual journey into the beautiful and complex world of wasps

Wasps are far more diverse than the familiar yellowjackets and hornets that harass picnickers and build nests under the eaves of our homes. These amazing, mostly solitary creatures thrive in nearly every habitat on Earth, and their influence on our lives is overwhelmingly beneficial. Wasps are agents of pest control in agriculture and gardens. They are subjects of study in medicine, engineering, and other important fields. Wasps pollinate flowers, engage in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, and create architectural masterpieces in the form of their nests. This richly illustrated book introduces you to some of the most spectacular members of the wasp realm, colorful in both appearance and lifestyle. From minute fairyflies to gargantuan tarantula hawks, wasps exploit almost every niche on the planet. So successful are they at survival that other organisms emulate their appearance and behavior. The sting is the least reason to respect wasps and, as you will see, no reason to loathe them, either. Written by a leading authority on these remarkable insects, Wasps reveals a world of staggering variety and endless fascination.

• Packed with more than 150 incredible color photos
• Includes a wealth of eye-popping infographics
• Provides comprehensive treatments of most wasp families
• Describes wasp species from all corners of the world
• Covers wasp evolution, ecology, physiology, diversity, and behavior
• Highlights the positive relationships wasps share with humans and the environment

"[An] amazing book. . . . The message is the inter-relatedness of the biodiversity around us, which is far closer and more complex than we could ever have guessed." - An Beachaire

"

This book will make you love wasps and appreciate them as amazing, mostly solitary insects thriving in nearly every Earthly habitat. . . . [A] beautiful book.

"This splendid book is an enjoyable and credible attempt to change society’s distorted perception of wasps. . . . Browsing the excellent, high-quality color photos is a delight, and they constitute well-thought-out teasers to induce the reader to dip into the text." - Conservation Biology