100 Insects of Arkansas and the Midsouth: Portraits & Stories - Softcover

Lavers, Norman; Lavers, Cheryl

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1944528938 ISBN 13: 9781944528935

Publisher: Et Alia Press, 2018

Synopsis

Most people don't notice insects. If they do, there is first a look of revulsion, followed by a search for something to swat with. But naturalists and teachers Norman and Cheryl Lavers know that if people had any idea how intricate and fascinating the life stories of insects can be, they might alter their attitudes. Through this premium color book, readers will be riveted by more than one hundred fifty incredible images taken over years of careful study and the stories thoughtfully collected about insects of Arkansas and the Midsouth like The Fiery Searcher, The Twice-Stabbed Lady Beetle, and the Ambush Bug. As you peek under leaf litter, learn to identify what flies across your path, listen for sounds on summer nights, and study insect weaponry and mimicry with the Lavers, prepare for your woodland walks to be forever changed. 

When they're not in the woods, you'll find the Lavers sharing their enthusiasm for insects through presentations to Master Naturalists and Arkansas Audubon Society Adult Ecology Workshops, as well as with other groups. This book is the result of the nearly twenty years the couple has spent observing, enjoying, and teaching others about insects in the wilds and gardens of Arkansas and far beyond. 

About this title

About the Author

Norman Lavers taught English all over the country before landing at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, where he taught for 25 years. He grew up in Berkeley, California, and from the time he was a child brought home every creeping and crawling thing he saw and kept it as a pet. When Norman Lavers retired from teaching in 2000, he and his wife, Cheryl, began studying and photographing the fantastic insects of Arkansas full time, sharing their enthusiasm for insects through presentations to Master Naturalists and Arkansas Audubon Society Adult Ecology Workshops, as well as other groups.

Cheryl Lavers grew up in Porthcawl, on the south coast of Wales, in a family of nature lovers. Her earliest memories are of walks in the countryside to see birds and wildflowers, especially the delicate terrestrial orchids of the nearby sand dunes. She studied painting at Bath Academy of Art and since coming to the U.S. has painted birds and plants, most recently concentrating on the wonderful variety of leaves found in Arkansas. Cheryl has enjoyed exhibiting her bird and botanical paintings. When her husband, Norman Lavers, retired from teaching in 2000, the couple began studying and photographing the fantastic insects of Arkansas full time, sharing their enthusiasm for insects through presentations to Master Naturalists and Arkansas Audubon Society Adult Ecology Workshops, as well as other groups

Review

“Relish the delicate flashes of wit, the passion of the Phantom Crane Fly, and the terror of that demonic gargoyle—the Ambush Bug. Before long, you can’t stop reading.” —Jeff Hoeper, Literature 5/e and Emeritus Professor of English, Arkansas State University

Edition details

• Publisher: Et Alia Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1944528938
• ISBN 13: 9781944528935
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 106