Bees: A Natural History

The vital role of bees in human ecology is underlined by the estimate that every third mouthful of human food depends on bees' pollinating services. The vital role of bees in human ecology is underlined by the estimate that every third mouthful of human food depends on bees' pollinating services. Only recently have biologists discovered that human survival is inextricably linked to the survival of insects, specifically, bees. Today the 16-20,000 species of bee continue to play vital roles in human ecology. We survive only by the grace of the life-sustaining network of bee-plant relationships. Bees immerses readers in the world of a group of insects whose diversity of form and behavior is eloquent testimony to the fine-tuning of natural selection. Written by a world-leading entomologist and specialist in bees, the book's topics include: What are bees? (The Wasp Inheritance) - Bees as foragers, their nesting instinct, on-board computing facility, sun-compass orientation, and sense of ti