Lars Hendrich

Before you step on your next insect with the idea of c'est la vie, take a peek at the artwork from Bernard Durin in this hard-to-find book (this would go in the buried treasure section of your book collection). Durin has brought not only beetles, but also grasshoppers, flies, wasps, and bees to life in vivid colour and detail.

Nature went a bit mad when it created the beetle. They are rather extraordinary when one takes the time to examine them. For instance, take the Giraffe Beetle, which uses its long neck to nip at leaves and lives in Madagascar. There's the Hercules Beetle, which looks as though it could wrestle several lions if needed. The South American native has a mighty horn as a weapon and its larvae are eaten as a delicacy.

The Southern Wart-Biter? A Mediterranean grasshopper which was used to bite into the skin so that its vomit could cure a human sufferer of their warts. Durin has forty-eight plates in this volume and each page grabs the eye with amazement. So, think again when you next see an insect and instead appreciate their wonder.

Book Season = Year Round… (meer)