The Inside Out of Flies

''Flies are not filthy… they are always cleaning themselves,'' notes entomologist Erica McAlister's caption for a photo of a fly maintaining its antennae — one of many eye-popping images in her erudite, irresistible natural history of the insects. She agrees with naturalist Pliny, who wrote two millennia ago that insects display nature's ''exhaustless ingenuity''. - Nature; ‘Not only is her subject matter engrossing and outlandish, but McAlister is also enthusiastic and witty… McAlister is an inspired spokeswoman for dipterology and entomology more generally, combining a heartfelt sense of wonder at the small things around us with a knack for popularizing science. The Inside Out of Flies, together with its predecessor The Secret Life of Flies are must-read books for anyone interested in insects.’ - The Inquisitive Biologist; ‘Her adoration for flies is utterly infectious and her accessible accounts of cutting-edge research are interspersed with amusing anecdotes that will be sure to induce a giggle.’ BBC Wildlife