Following the Science?

Oct 2020
A Buzz in the Meadow - Dave Goulson – Vintage, 2014
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I really enjoyed Goulson's previous book A Sting in the Tail, but with its focus on the highly charismatic bumblebee it was, entomologically speaking, an easy sell. This book expands the canvas to other members of the insect world, using as its focus Chez Nauche, a derelict French farm that Goulson has turned into a haven for wildlife (much to the bemusement of the locals). Can he make the sex lives of deathwatch beetles and the disgusting regurgitatory habits of bluebottles as compelling a read as the lives and times of more attractive insects? Yes he can, though it's only fair to warn you that the final few chapters may leave you feeling angry and depressed.
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