Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects

Try it Now Firm without compromise. Cancel whenever you want.

Synopsis

An enthusiastic, witty, and informative introduction to the world of insects and why we—and the planet we inhabit—could not survive without them.

Insects comprise roughly half of the animal kingdom. They live everywheredeep inside caves, 18,000 feet high in the Himalayas, inside computers, in Yellowstone’s hot springs, and in the ears and nostrils of much larger creatures. There are insects that have ears on their knees, eyes on their penises, and tongues under their feet. Most of us think life would be better without bugs. In fact, life would be impossible without them.

Most of us know that we would not have honey without honeybees, but without the pinhead-sized chocolate midge, cocoa flowers would not pollinate. No cocoa, no chocolate. The ink that was used to write the Declaration of Independence was derived from galls on oak trees, which are induced by a small wasp. The fruit fly was essential to medical and biological research experiments that resulted in six Nobel prizes. Blowfly larva can clean difficult wounds; flour beetle larva can digest plastic; several species of insects have been essential to the development of antibiotics. Insects turn dead plants and animals into soil. They pollinate flowers, including crops that we depend on. They provide food for other animals, such as birds and bats. They control organisms that are harmful to humans. Life as we know it depends on these small creatures.

With ecologist Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson as our capable, entertaining guide into the insect world, we’ll learn that there is more variety among insects than we can even imagine and the more you learn about insects, the more fascinating they become. Buzz, Sting, Bite is an essential introduction to the little creatures that make the world go round.

Chapters

  • 001 BuzzStingBite Open

    Duration: 31s
  • 002 BuzzStingBite Preface

    Duration: 07min
  • 003 BuzzStingBite Introduction

    Duration: 15min
  • 004 BuzzStingBite Chapter1 Small CreaturesSmartDesign InsectAnatomy

    Duration: 01h03min
  • 005 BuzzStingBite Chapter2 Six-leggedSex DatingMatingAndParenting

    Duration: 33min
  • 006 BuzzStingBite Chapter3 EatOrBeEaten InsectsInTheFoodChain

    Duration: 33min
  • 007 BuzzStingBite Chapter4 InsectsAndPlants ANever-endingRace

    Duration: 40min
  • 008 BuzzStingBite Chapter5 BusyFliesFlavoursomeBugs InsectsAndOurFood

    Duration: 48min
  • 009 BuzzStingBite Chapter6 TheCircleOfLife?AndDeath InsectsAsCaretakers

    Duration: 58min
  • 010 BuzzStingBite Chapter7 FromSilkToShellac IndustriesOfInsects

    Duration: 33min
  • 011 BuzzStingBite Chapter8 LifesaversPioneersAndNobelPrize-winners InsightsFromInsects

    Duration: 48min
  • 012 BuzzStingBite Chapter9 InsectsAndUs WhatsNext

    Duration: 47min
  • 013 BuzzStingBite Afterword

    Duration: 02min
  • 014 BuzzStingBite Close

    Duration: 36s