INSECTS & SPIDERS

This entry in the Nature Company Discoveries Library lumps spiders together with their arthropod cousins in this comprehensive look at insects, derivative of the Eyewitness series and format. Insects and bugs (in the strict sense, insects with mouthparts that pierce and suck)—from the more common butterflies, bees, beetles, bedbugs, stink bugs, and pond-skaters, to the New Zealand weta, the cockchafer, and the hazelnut weevil—are showcased in full-color splendor, engaged in motion, metamorphosis, mating, and making contact. Little attention is paid to insect ancestors and evolution, but plenty of emphasis is given to present-day worldwide species and their behaviors. Insect peculiarities are highlighted in boxes headlined ``Did You Know?'' and ``Strange But True,'' sure to capture the attention of young readers. Especially dramatic is a four-page fold-out of two male hercules beetles locking horns in a fight for the female, and a full-sized photograph of a swarm of hungry locusts on the move in Africa. The magnified compound eyes of the horsefly and the martian-like heads of praying mantises stare with an alien presence that is eye-catching. The layout is teeming with features of note—young entomologists will not walk away hungry. (charts, diagrams, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-13)