The Incredible Insects of Aotearoa

There is so much to like and learn about in The Incredible Insects of Aotearoa. Authors Simon Pollard and Phil Sirvid previously wrote together about spiders. Readers will find Insects scientifically informative, but even more intriguing.

Many aspects are explored including insect anatomy, habits, predation and quirks. Learning is easy. One is enticed by a caterpillar nicknamed the mad hatterpillar for its habit of collecting moulted heads to wear as a tall hat in order to scare off predators. Or fascinated by the nettle tents that red admiral butterflies create to avoid being eaten (to protect admirals, grow more nettles). And enthralled by the acrobatics that dragonflies display using direct flight techniques where their thorax muscles “contract and relax”.

Colourful photos contrast with drawings and diagrams in a crisp clear layout that offers easy identification of insects. Sidebars about insect experts and researchers offer a multidimensional approach, complementing observations of the insect world, including from Mātauranga Māori expert Ocean Mercier. A contents page signposts insect topics and contents are easily followed by colour coded sections.

Sadly there are too many incredible insects to mention all in this review (like skiing alpine grasshoppers and snappy dresser wētā). Informative and detailed, Incredible Insects will pique the curiosity of primary to secondary-aged students. Read it!