Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

Terra Insecta
The little ones that make the world go ‘round

Insects are everywhere -- in forest and meadows, in streams and parks. They live at an altitude of six thousand feet, in the deepest caves, in baptismal fonts, inside computers and in a walrus's nostrils. Insects have a completely different make up than us humans. They wear their skeleton on the outside like a coat of armour. They can have ears on their knees, eyes on their penises and tongues under their feet.
Insects have an amazing reproductive capability and adaptability. For every person on Earth there are 200 million insects. Yet their numbers are dwindling. While the number of people has doubled over the past 40 years, the number of individual insects has decreased by half. Without insects, people and animals would die. Insects transform wilted plants, dung and dead animals into fertile soil. They pollinate flowers and are food for other animals. They are, as a matter of fact, the little things that make the world go ‘round.
Terra Insecta offers a tour into the small, but astounding world of insects. Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson has worked in insect research for many years. In this book you can read about all the things that fascinate her -- and why we should take better care of these clever creatures.