Endless Forms: The Secret World of Wasps

Abstract

Pollinators, predators of agricultural pests, paper makers, and insect “hounds” identifying explosives—wasps do it all. Fed up with wasps being unappreciated and maligned for disturbing picnics, wasp biologist Dr. Sumner passionately entertains readers with “soap operas” of wasps’ fascinating social behavior, architectural and mathematical prowess, and more. From the remote jungles to heather fields in the United Kingdom, Sumner’s stories of her research on wasp behavior are captivating and informative. Did you know wasps can recognize each other’s faces? How about that there are over 80,000 described species of wasps? That’s only the tip of the antennae of what you’ll learn about wasps in Endless Forms.I’ll admit to not being a hard sell on wasp love. As a kid, I broke open numerous dirt dauber nests to see chambers of multicolored spiders inside. Yet, my appreciation has grown tremendously upon reading this tome of wasp love. I also appreciate how Sumner connects current science to the observations and hypotheses of early wasp scientists. You’ll never forget that wasps are ancestral to bees and ants after discovering that “bees are wasps that forgot how to hunt” and ants are “flightless mutant wasps” that are “grounded by evolutionary innovation.” However, I must admit to skipping some bits during the lengthy imaginary dinner with Aristotle.Overall, Endless Forms is an excellent resource. It would be a great book club read or fun “gateway” book on wasps for high school or college students, and it provides secondary and environmental educators with a wealth of stories to draw from. Insect lovers will enjoy Endless Forms and perhaps even instill a new respect for wasps in others. When we start seeing “Save the Wasps” and “People are problems—not wasps” T-shirts, we’ll know whom to credit.