There are quintillions of insects in our world. Some are harmful to humans, but most are not. In fact, most insects provide vital ecosystem “services”, such as pollination of food crops and decomposition of animal and other wastes.
They provide food for other insects and for birds and even humans. They give us silk, wax, and other products and they have inspired us to come up with practical and important inventions.
This is just some of what entomologist and author Barrett Klein details in his beautifully written and illustrated book, The Insect Epiphany.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons
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Barrett Klein investigates mysteries of sleep in societies of insects, creates entomo-art, and is ever on the search for curious connections that bind our lives with our six-legged allies. Barrett studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona, fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, worked with honeybees for his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, and spearheaded the Pupating Lab at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. He celebrates biodiversity and the intersection of science and art and believes fully that embracing the beauty of insects can transform our lives and our world.
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