Metamorphosis: How insects are changing our world

Insects are incredibly weird. Their morphology is about as alien to us as you can get without leaving this planet. They outnumber us 200 million to one. Before humans stamped their mark on this planet, insects had shaped it into the colourful and extraordinary world we all share today. To many of us they are best left in the undergrowth, but to entomologists – researchers who study them – insects are the lifeblood of this planet, encompassing pollination and so much more. Now these minibeasts are leading extraordinary discoveries from robotics to genetics to forensics, transforming our knowledge of agriculture, medicine, aerospace, artificial intelligence, biodiversity, and ourselves. Whether it’s the astonishing properties of resilin, the protein that makes fleas jump; or the needle-like proboscis of the mosquito’s mouth being used to develop smart needles; or the computational dynamics gleaned from studying locust swarms in Africa – Erica McAlister and Adrian Washbourne reveal the wonder of insects, the historical figures who have made great breakthroughs in understanding them, and the increasingly vital role they play in ensuring life, as we know it, continues. Inspired by their BBC Radio 4 series Metamorphosis, this book uncovers a treasure trove of remarkable entomological facts which promise to transform our knowledge across many other branches of science.