| In a Desert Garden: Love and Death Among the Insects Contributor(s): Alcock, John (Author), Forsyth, Turid (Illustrator) |
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ISBN: 0393041182 ISBN-13: 9780393041187 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company OUR PRICE: $24.75 Product Type: Hardcover Published: September 1997 Annotation: John Alcock, a specialist in the ecology of the American Southwest, introduces us to the lives and loves of desert insects as they forage through his backyard oasis. Two male earwigs caught in each other's pincers battle for a prized female. A female mantis finishes copulating, beheads her mate, and cannibalizes his body for its precious protein. Soaring above, a retinue of drone honey bees pursue their queen on her nuptial flight. The one who succeeds in mating with her will fertilize up to ten thousand eggs. With each gritty detail, Alcock pieces together the entire ecosystem of his desert paradise. We discover the chains of survival that link species - how a simple compost heap becomes a complex ecology of beetles, wasps, worms, and birds. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Gardening | Regional - General - Nature | Animals - Insects & Spiders |
| Dewey: 595.715 |
| LCCN: 97-589 |
| Physical Information: 0.74" H x 7.87" W x 10.39" (1.42 lbs) 192 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Southwest U.S. - Geographic Orientation - Arizona |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: With canny insight and bone-dry wit, John Alcock, a specialist in the ecology of the American Southwest, introduces us to the lives and loves of desert insects as they forage through his backyard oasis. Creating his own desert garden behind his suburban home in Tempe, Arizona, Alcock scrutinizes every square inch of soil detailing the exotic plant life he finds and offering tips on its peccadilloes and preservation. The true heroes of this story, however, are the bugs of Alcock's backyard. We are drawn into complex plots almost biblical in nature of life and love, survival and death. Two male earwigs caught in each other's pincers battle for a prized female. A female mantis finishes copulating, beheads her mate, and cannibalizes his body for its precious protein. With each detail, Alcock pieces together the entire ecosystem of his desert paradise. Always amusing and instructive, and sometimes dramatic, In a Desert Garden provides an eye-opening meditation on the joys of planting, weeding, pruning, and, most of all, bug-hunting. |
Contributor Bio(s): Alcock, John: - John Alcock is professor of zoology at Arizona State University.Forsyth, Turid: - Turid Forsyth is a writer, artist, and photographer. She lives in Ontario. |