Bugricks

God's creation is truly a wonder and a mystery. And the closer we look, the more wondrous and mysterious it seems. This is especially true when we look into nature and the world of the insects.

Experts (known as entomologists) have identified close to one million insect species. An amazing number! And an amazing accomplishment! Why are there so many insects? Do they all have a purpose? How do they affect human life? We have much to learn. They have been around for hundreds of millions of years and watched the dinosaurs come and go.

Each kind of insect has a unique life story. Some experts spend a good part of their lifetime studying just one group, such as ants. It is estimated that there are still millions of species to be discovered. There is plenty of work left to be done by entomologists. They explore jungles, caves, deserts, springs, mountains, and farms—just about every nook and cranny you can imagine—to track down and study insects. We owe them a great deal for bringing us the life stories of these incredible creatures.

How can we begin to understand all the different insects? We can organize them into groups that seem to be closely related. Entomologists have arranged them into “orders” to help us better understand them. This book has grouped all insects into thirty-one orders. Some experts have combined some orders and have less than thirty-one. Others have excluded some groups from being called insects. This is changing as they learn more.

The purpose of this book is to introduce you to the different orders and give some basic details on the lives of the insects in each order. For example, beetles are technically named Coleoptera. The book highlights the common lady bug as one of the insects in this order.

Bugricks is meant to be an entertaining and colorful door into the world of insects. Once you enter, you may not want to come out.