Staff Pick – Adventures Among Ants, by Mark W Moffett

Ants have recently become a very popular topic in my community. With the local discoveries of European Fire Ants, feisty little creatures who’s bites and stings are wrecking havoc among backyard gardeners and terrorizing pets and children, perhaps now is the perfect time to learn more about these amazing animals that we call ants.

Adventures Among Ants: a global safari with a cast of millions, by Mark Moffett is a tour de force of science writing. A near perfect balance of passion and scientific rigor, this book is sure to please fans of natural history. Moffett delves into what it means to be an ant by focusing on six different species, highlighting their specific attributes and the abilities that have allowed the species to dominate their ecosystems.

Spectacular close up photos will help readers to appreciate the beauty of theses amazing animals, as will the author’s rapt description of the ant’s awesome social, horticultural and military skills.

My conclusion from reading this book? Ants are awesome and Mark W. Moffett, aka Dr. Bugs, is a wonderful writer and photographer!

Also consider:
Ants at Work: how an insect society is organized, by Deborah Gordon.

The Superorganism: the beauty, the elegance and strangeness of insect societies, by Bert Holldobler and E.O. Wilson