Insect Anatomy
The Curious World of Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, and Bugs
Published on 4. September 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-63586-878-4 (ISBN)
Description
Get a close-up look at the world of insects with the sixth book in Julia Rothman's Anatomy series: a delightfully illustrated guide to the fascinating insects, bugs, arachnids, and other creatures that populate our planet by the billions.
Millions of species of insects fly, crawl, dig, swarm, and eat on every continent. Our very existence depends on them; without pollinators, we would have no food, and without decomposers, the world would be covered in decaying plant and animal material. With her signature style, Julia Rothman delves into this incredible world, uncovering amazing facts about bees, beetles, butterflies, and so much more.
Millions of species of insects fly, crawl, dig, swarm, and eat on every continent. Our very existence depends on them; without pollinators, we would have no food, and without decomposers, the world would be covered in decaying plant and animal material. With her signature style, Julia Rothman delves into this incredible world, uncovering amazing facts about bees, beetles, butterflies, and so much more.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Workman Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
Full-colour; illustrations throughout
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
590 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-63586-878-4 (9781635868784)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Julia Rothman is a highly acclaimed contemporary illustrator and author of many best-selling books, including Nature Anatomy, Farm Anatomy, Ocean Anatomy, Food Anatomy, Nature Anatomy Notebook, and Wildlife Anatomy. Her illustrated column, Scratch, ran for five years in the Sunday New York Times. Clients for her illustrations and pattern designs include Target, the Washington Post, MTA Arts & Design, and more. She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Content
Introduction
Chapter 1: Bugging Out
What Is a Bug?
Insect vs. Spider
Insect Orders
What Is an Arthropod?
The Exoskeleton
These Creatures Are Not Insects
A Timeline of Insects
Anatomy of an Insect
Inside an Insect
Wings and Things
Shapes of Insect Wings
Kinds of Wings
Types of Legs
Insect Eyes
Kinds of Antennae
What Do Insects Eat?
How Insects Eat
Insect Habitats
Beetlemania
Anatomy of a Beetle
Lovely Ladies
Insects Are Important
Climate Change
Chapter 2: Time Flies
Insect Eggs
Insect Growth
Anatomy of a Dragonfly
Life Cycle of a Dragonfly
Aerial Acrobats
Dragonfly vs. Damselfly
Anatomy of a CIcada
The Life Cycle of a Periodical Cicada
The Four Stages of a Moth or Butterfly
Anatomy of a Caterpillar
Is It a Moth or a Butterfly?
Anatomy of a Butterfly
Butterfly Chysalises
This Grows Into That
A Butterfly Showcase
A Moth Showcase
Monarchs' Journey
Mayfly Swarms
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Chapter 3: Hive Minded
Eusocial
About Ants
Anatomy of an Ant
Ant Antics
Ant Species
Leafcutter Ants
Termites
Anatomy of a Bee
Inside a Bee
Bee Species
Honey Bees vs. Yellow Jackets
And a Hornet?
Wasp Nests
Wasp Species
Chapter 4: Buzzworthy Features
Camouflage and Mimicry
Plants That Mimic Insects
Stick Insects
Bugs with Faces
On the Defensive
The Antlion Death Trap
Stingers
Insect Architects
Big Jumpers
Anatomy of a Grasshopper
Grasshopper Species
Grasshopper vs. Cricket
Crickets as Thermometers
Walking on Water
Diving Deep
Plant + Insect Collaborators
Chapter 5: Bee-yond Words
Waggle Waggle
Strike a Pose
Anatomy of a Mantis
Headshots
Lighting the Sky
Pheromones
Noisy Bugs
Courting and Mating
Lovebugs
Chapter 6: Best in Show
Weirdest
Most Colorful
Best in Black + White
Longest
Fastest
Loudest
Strongest
Biggest
Heaviest
Most Resilient
Cutest
Most Elegant
Brightest
Smallest
Longest-Living
Chapter 7: They Are Among Us
Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite
Anatomy of a Mosquito
Good for the Garden
Bad for the Garden
The Elusive Spotted Lanternfly
Chirping in China
Insect Eaters
On the Menu
We Ate Insects!
Everyday Products Made with Insects
Beekeeping
Tiny Flies, Big Discoveries
Flies
Meet Dr. Sunday Ekesi
Insect Fossils
Critically Endangered
Five Things to Help Insects
Go on a Bug Hunt
Build a Bug Hotel
Plant a Butterfly Garden
Recommended Reading & More
Chapter 1: Bugging Out
What Is a Bug?
Insect vs. Spider
Insect Orders
What Is an Arthropod?
The Exoskeleton
These Creatures Are Not Insects
A Timeline of Insects
Anatomy of an Insect
Inside an Insect
Wings and Things
Shapes of Insect Wings
Kinds of Wings
Types of Legs
Insect Eyes
Kinds of Antennae
What Do Insects Eat?
How Insects Eat
Insect Habitats
Beetlemania
Anatomy of a Beetle
Lovely Ladies
Insects Are Important
Climate Change
Chapter 2: Time Flies
Insect Eggs
Insect Growth
Anatomy of a Dragonfly
Life Cycle of a Dragonfly
Aerial Acrobats
Dragonfly vs. Damselfly
Anatomy of a CIcada
The Life Cycle of a Periodical Cicada
The Four Stages of a Moth or Butterfly
Anatomy of a Caterpillar
Is It a Moth or a Butterfly?
Anatomy of a Butterfly
Butterfly Chysalises
This Grows Into That
A Butterfly Showcase
A Moth Showcase
Monarchs' Journey
Mayfly Swarms
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Chapter 3: Hive Minded
Eusocial
About Ants
Anatomy of an Ant
Ant Antics
Ant Species
Leafcutter Ants
Termites
Anatomy of a Bee
Inside a Bee
Bee Species
Honey Bees vs. Yellow Jackets
And a Hornet?
Wasp Nests
Wasp Species
Chapter 4: Buzzworthy Features
Camouflage and Mimicry
Plants That Mimic Insects
Stick Insects
Bugs with Faces
On the Defensive
The Antlion Death Trap
Stingers
Insect Architects
Big Jumpers
Anatomy of a Grasshopper
Grasshopper Species
Grasshopper vs. Cricket
Crickets as Thermometers
Walking on Water
Diving Deep
Plant + Insect Collaborators
Chapter 5: Bee-yond Words
Waggle Waggle
Strike a Pose
Anatomy of a Mantis
Headshots
Lighting the Sky
Pheromones
Noisy Bugs
Courting and Mating
Lovebugs
Chapter 6: Best in Show
Weirdest
Most Colorful
Best in Black + White
Longest
Fastest
Loudest
Strongest
Biggest
Heaviest
Most Resilient
Cutest
Most Elegant
Brightest
Smallest
Longest-Living
Chapter 7: They Are Among Us
Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite
Anatomy of a Mosquito
Good for the Garden
Bad for the Garden
The Elusive Spotted Lanternfly
Chirping in China
Insect Eaters
On the Menu
We Ate Insects!
Everyday Products Made with Insects
Beekeeping
Tiny Flies, Big Discoveries
Flies
Meet Dr. Sunday Ekesi
Insect Fossils
Critically Endangered
Five Things to Help Insects
Go on a Bug Hunt
Build a Bug Hotel
Plant a Butterfly Garden
Recommended Reading & More