The Hidden Life of Bugs Today and in the Past

Among all animal life on earth, insects and their relatives are predominant in both the diversity of species and the total number of individuals. The following study demonstrates how insects and related invertebrates have evolved the capacity to persist in the present era by relying on camouflage, disguises, and mimicry. Disguise is defined as the act of one creature altering its physical characteristics with the intention of concealing its true identity and presenting itself as another. Camouflage is a form of visual deception in which an organism disguises itself as another organism to elude perception. Mimicry is defined as the resemblance of one organism to another that provides it with a selective advantage (Lincoln et al., 1998). The subject of contemporary cases of concealment has been thoroughly discussed by previous authors (Belt, 1874; Murray, 1860). This book encompasses contemporary extant examples as well as fossil cases found in amber, thereby facilitating comprehension of the behavioral tactics employed by certain invertebrates over time.