Sign-In
Cart
The Secret Life of Flies
Paperback
GeologyInsects & SpidersZoology
Publisher Price: $24.95
ISBN13: 9780228103929
Publisher: Firefly Books
Published: Aug 15 2022
Pages: 248
Weight: 0.95
Height: 0.60 Width: 5.10 Depth: 7.60
Language: English
Dr. McAlister has captured her affection for the Diptera in The Secret Life of Flies, a short, rich book by turns informative and humorous, both a hymn of praise to her favorite creatures and a gleeful attempt to give readers the willies.
-- New York Times
An enjoyable and informative read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in biology and in particular those intrigued by entomology and zoology.
-- Library Journal
Stories and science about nature's most complex, crucial and highly adaptive insect.
The Secret Life of Flies takes readers into the hidden world of snail killers, con artists, crazy sex and a great many silly names. It dispels common misconceptions about flies and reveals how truly extraordinary, exotic and important are these misunderstood creatures.
There are 10 chapters:
1. The immature ones -- Squirmy wormy larvae can be just a bit unnerving.
2. The pollinators -- Those annoying No See Ums, or midge flies, are the only pollinator of the chocolate-producing cacao tree.
3. The detritivores -- These garbage eaters are often fluffy and thus water-repellent, good for a life spent in a sewer.
4. The vegetarians -- Entomological spelunkers, many of these flies prefer plant roots.
5. The fungivores -- The mushroom eaters include the dark-winged fungus gnats.
6. The predators -- Here are the most devious and imaginative methods of luring, capturing and eating prey.
7. The parasites -- Their methods of survival are often disgusting but the evolutionary genius is admirable.
8. The sanguivores -- Exactly why do we have blood-sucking disease-spreading mosquitos?
9. The coprophages -- The champions of dung, detritus and other unpleasant things.
10. The necrophages -- The body eaters without which we would be in a most disagreeable situation.
In clear language, McAlister explains Diptera taxonomy and forensic entomology, and describes the potential of flies to transform their relationship with humans from one of disease vector to partner in environmental preservation. She has a wonderful knack for storytelling, deftly transforming what could be dry descriptions of biology, reproduction and morphology into entertainment. She takes readers to piles of poo in Ethiopia by way of underground caves, latrines and backyard gardens, and opens the drawers at the Natural History Museum to rhapsodize over her favorite flies.
Also from
McAlister, Erica
Also in
Insects & Spiders
The Butterfly Season: What 64 Butterflies Taught Me about Nature's Great Mysteries and the Meaning of Life
Korsgaard, Lea
Hardcover
Flow Hive's Book of Bees and Beekeeping: Protect, Enjoy, Harvest
Anderson, Stuart
Anderson, Cedar
Hardcover
Insect Anatomy: The Curious World of Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, and Bugs
Rothman, Julia
Hearst, Michael
Paperback
Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening: Inviting Nature Into Your Backyard
McCoshum, Shaun
Paperback
Brain Games - Sticker by Number - Vintage: Butterflies (28 Images to Sticker)
Brain Games
New Seasons
Publications International Ltd
Paperback
The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees
Wilson, Joseph S.
Carril, Olivia Messinger
Paperback
The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses
Sweeney-Lynch, Sharon
Jones, Richard a.
Hardcover
Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration
Dykman, Sara
Paperback
A Year of Forest School: Outdoor Play and Skill-Building Fun for Every Season
Houghton, Peter
Worroll, Jane
Paperback
Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees, Revised Edition
Weidenhammer, Lori
Paperback
Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States: Your Way to Easily Identify Bees and Look-Alikes
Holm, Heather
Paperback
Butterflies and Moths: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-To-Use Guide
Mitchell, Robert T.
Zim, Herbert S.
Paperback
The Butterfly Thief: Adventure, Fraud, Scotland Yard, and Australia's Greatest Museum Heist
Marsh, Walter
Paperback
Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide
Richardson, Leif L.
Williams, Paul H.
Thorp, Robbin W.
Paperback
Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Insects
Broad, Gavin
Huertas, Blanca
Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley
Hardcover
Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects
Stewart, Amy
Hardcover
The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America
Nordhaus, Hannah
Paperback
Garden Bugs & Insects of the Northeast: Identify Pollinators, Pests, and Other Garden Visitors
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
Garden Bugs & Insects of the Midwest: Identify Pollinators, Pests, and Other Garden Visitors
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
The Lives of Butterflies: A Natural History of Our Planet's Butterfly Life
James, David G.
Lohman, David J.
Hardcover
Insect Architecture: How Insects Build, Engineer, and Shape Their World
Engel, Michael S.
Jackson, Tom
Hardcover
Spiders of the United States & Canada: Easily Identify 158 Common Species
Echeverri, Sebastian Alejandro
Paperback
Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies
The Xerces Society
Paperback
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the World: A Guide to Their Diversity
Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.
Hardcover
Butterflies, Bees & Dragonflies Coloring Book: Over 150 Pages of Natural Beauty to Color with Beautiful Sprayed Edges - Over 150 Pages of Beautiful Bo
Editors of Chartwell Books
Paperback
Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control
Weisberger, Mindy
Hardcover
The Brilliance of Honeybees: How Bees Feed the World, And the Ways We Can Protect Them
Kelley, Laura Littlefield
Paperback
Moths & Caterpillars of Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan: A Handy Field Reference to 372 Species
Sogaard, Jim
Paperback
Caterpillars of North America: Easily Identify 90 Common Butterflies and Moths
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
Common Native Bees of the Western United States: Your Way to Easily Identify Bees and Look-Alikes
Bartlett, Ryan
Paperback
Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies: Northern California
Miller, George Oxford
Paperback
The Insect Artist: How to Observe, Draw, and Paint Butterflies, Bees, and More
Thalden, Zebith Stacy
Paperback
Wild Bee Handbook: The Amazing Lives of Our Wild Species and How to Help Them Thrive
Wyndham Lewis, Sarah
Hardcover
Garden Bugs & Insects of the Northwest: Identify Pollinators, Pests, and Other Garden Visitors
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
100 Plants to Feed the Monarch: Create a Healthy Habitat to Sustain North America's Most Beloved Butterfly
The Xerces Society
Paperback
Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, 2nd Edition: Honey Production, Pollination, Health
Sanford, Malcolm T.
Bonney, Richard E.
Paperback
Bringing Butterflies Home: Gardening with Native Plants to Heal Our Yards and Ourselves
White Olsen, Elizabeth
Paperback
Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live
Dunn, Rob
Paperback
Garden Bugs & Insects of California: Identify Pollinators, Pests, and Other Garden Visitors
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
Our Native Bees: North America's Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them
Embry, Paige
Hardcover
National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America
Evans, Arthur V.
Paperback
Heart of the Hive: Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony
Kearney, Hilary
Hardcover
Butterflies of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia: A Field Guide
Pippen, Jeffrey S.
Carter Jr, Derb
Legrand Jr, Harry E.
Paperback
Spiders in Your Neighborhood: A Field Guide to Your Local Spider Friends, Revised and Expanded
Stadille, Patrick
Paperback
Backyard Bugs: An Identification Guide to Common Insects, Spiders, and More
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
Garden Bugs & Insects of the South & Southeast: Identify Pollinators, Pests, and Other Garden Visitors
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
The Lives of Bees: A Natural History of Our Planet's Bee Life
Grozinger, Christina
Patch, Harland
Hardcover
National Geographic Pocket Guide to Insects of North America: From Your Favorite Field Guide Experts
Evans, Arthur V.
Paperback
Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect That Shaped the American Frontier
Lockwood, Jeffrey A.
Paperback
Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs - Second Edition
Shetlar, David
Cranshaw, Whitney
Paperback
Butterflies of the South & Southeast: Your Way to Easily Identify Butterflies
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
Summer Brood Interruption for Vital Honey Bee Colonies: Towards sustainable varroa control using biotechnical methods
Uzunov, Aleksandar
Büchler, Ralph
Gabel, Martin
Paperback
Insects & Bugs of North America: Your Way to Easily Identify Insects & Bugs
Daniels, Jaret C.
Paperback
The Good Bug: A Celebration of Insects - And What We Can Do to Protect Them
McGavin, George
Hardcover
Piping Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners: 20 Mysteries of Honey Bee Behavior Solved
Seeley, Thomas D.
Hardcover
My First Book about the Alphabet of Turtles & Tortoises - Amazing Animal Books - Children's Picture Books
Davidson, Molly
Davidson, John
Paperback
The Lives of Moths: A Natural History of Our Planet's Moth Life
Sourakov, Andrei
Chadd, Rachel Warren
Hardcover