Ozarks at Large Insect Expert Dr. Donald Steinkraus discusses some of his favorite insect related books. They include field guides, children's books, a nonfiction book about what humans can learn from the honey bee democracy, and a science fiction tale of those who do live like bees.
Here is Dr. Steinkruas's list of suggested reading with his impressions of each book.
- Caterpillars of Eastern North America, by David L. Wagner.
A paperback book from Princeton Field Guides. Highly recommended to turn listeners on to caterpillars, their diversity and beauty. An especially useful aspect of this book is it gives the host plants eaten by each species and great photographs of the caterpillars. - Hellstrom’s Hive, by Frank Herbert, the author of “Dune”
A terrific exciting read about a hidden society modeling itself after social insects. The outside world is disgusted and appalled by this insect society, but fails to defeat it. Interesting information about insect societies. - The Fireflies Book, by Brett Ortler.
A good introduction to fireflies. Good for children and adults. - Life in the Soil, by James B. Nardi
An excellent book about the complex life of the soil upon which our agriculture, society and lives depend. - The Joys of Beekeeping, by Richard Taylor
Richard Taylor was a professor of philosophy and a beekeeper. His books are full of wisdom about the life of a beekeeper. - Dragonflies through Binoculars, by Sidney W. Dunkle
Many bird watchers and nature photographers are finding that dragonflies are fantastically beautiful, accessible, and this book helps learn the species and techniques for observing dragonflies. - Arkansas Butterflies and Moths, by Lori A. Spencer
Lori Spencer has written a very good guide to the butterflies and moths of Arkansas. Anyone interested in butterflies, butterfly gardening, ecological gardening, will find this book useful for identifying the Lepidoptera they see in Arkansas. - Bee Pollen, Nature’s Miracle Health Food, by Linday Lyngheim and Jack Scagnetti
An amusing cover of an ecstatic couple screaming with joy in the surf, implies that pollen can make us equally happy. However, bee pollen is a nutrient rich food that may help people with micronutrients missing in their diets. - The Backyard Beekeeper, by Kim Flottum.
I think this is the best book for beginning beekeepers who want to keep 1-10 hives in their backyard. Makes a great Christmas present. - Honeybee Democracy, by Thomas D. Seeley.
I think Dr. Seeley is the top scientist working on honey bees at present. This book explores how bees make decisions and what we can learn from the bees about how to manage human societies. - Monarchs in a Changing World, Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly, by Karen S. Oberhauser, Kelly R. Nail, and Sonia Altizer
A 2015 book on the plight of monarchs, their biology, and how we may be able to help this special butterfly. The book is a bit technical for your average reader, so unless you like tables and graphs, it may not be the book for you. - Common Spiders of North America, by Richard A. Bradley
A wonderful book full of amazing paintings of almost any spider one is likely to encounter in N. America. - Bringing Nature Home, How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, by Douglas W. Tallamy
One of the most important books on nature and how we may be able to help preserve our birds, insects, native plants, ever written. Highly recommended for everyone. - Health and the Honeybee, by Charles Mraz
Many people think that products from the bees: honey, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, beeswax, and honey bee stings, can, in some cases, have valuable health benefits. A topic worth exploring. - Royal Jelly, by Roald Dahl
An adult short story by a master of macabre. A beekeeper has a baby daughter who is not thriving. He feeds her royal jelly then strange things happen. Full of interesting bee lore and fun to read. - James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
A great, but bizarre story by Roald Dahl. A little boy and a giant peach and a strange menagerie of giant insects
MUSIC: "Metamorphosis Five" Philip Glass