The Most Remarkable Insect Migrants: How These Tiny Travellers Shape Our World

Praise for The Most Remarkable Insect Migrants ‘Will Hawkes is one of the most talented and passionate entomologists I’ve ever met, a jewel in Buglife’s crown (the charity of which I am president), and this book on insect migration is groundbreaking, important, funny and engaging – the seminal work on the topic!’ Steve Backshall, naturalist, explorer and broadcaster ‘Will Hawkes’s writing just bubbles with excitement, enthusiasm and unashamedly nerdy fascination. I knew I’d like this book when I laughed within the first few sentences – and I did. Will’s informality and humour draw you in immediately, and his storytelling paints vivid pictures not just of the incredible journeys made by tiny beings but of the quirky and amazing relationships human beings have with them. Invertebrates, despite their dinky size, have the most mind-blowing behaviours and ecologies, and Will’s got a natural knack for distilling and communicating the science behind their life histories in such an entertaining and accessible way. Brilliant book!’ Lucy Lapwing, author of Love Is a Toad ‘Astoundingly well informed yet delightfully informal; when a tiny hoverfly called Marmalade narrates you into her world, enchantment follows thereafter. This book will enlighten you greatly about the nearly unknown but miraculous migratory lifestyles of insects while making you chortle about goat gangs stealing postcards in the high Pyrenees. Buy it for someone you love, but don’t hand it over until you have read it from cover to cover. It’s an amazing story about a wonderous subject.’ Derek Gow, author of Rise of the Bison ‘In his beautiful debut, Will Hawkes attends to the marvels of the miniature with remarkable precision, tenderness and vitality. His storytelling illuminates the extraordinary, underestimated lives of insects on the move, glimmering with the same brilliance as the beings he describes. The Most Remarkable Insect Migrants is as sumptuous as it is significant; a brilliant, important book.’ Sophie Pavelle, author of To Have or To Hold ‘Transports of delight.’ Dr George McGavin, TV broadcaster; author of The Good Bug ‘A huge pleasure to read this big, captivating, funny and instructive story. With fascinating tales of research, mishaps, historical re-enactments and millions of alpine migrations, you will never look at a flying insect with indifference again.’ Vicki Hird, author of Rebugging the Planet ‘Funny, fascinating and bubbling with infectious enthusiasm.’ Dave Goulson, author of Eat the Planet Well ‘This extraordinary book became my obsession. I read it from sunup to sundown and until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Having read it, I haven’t been able to stop telling people about its rich anecdotes, beautiful writing and pioneering science. Insects are fantastically interesting. Who knew? Well, actually, Will Hawkes knows, and soon the rest of the world will, too. This man is to insects what Brian Cox is to space and Mary Berry is to cakes. Read it and become interesting. I loved it.’ Tim Smit, co-founder of The Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project ‘You must read The Most Remarkable Insect Migrants. Really, you must. Rarely does an author combine such academic authority, such deep experience, such wit, such a dippy imagination and such pure love for his subject. Will Hawkes brings all this and more. I simply loved this book.’ Nick Acheson, author of The Meaning of Geese ‘With the help of an aptly named protagonist, Marmalade, Will Hawkes takes us on a journey through the fascinating and intriguing world of insect migration. This book is both whimsical and fact-packed: a delightful insight into some of the best but ignored migrants – the hoverflies – it also tackles all aspects of migration, including evolution and purpose, featuring hundreds of different species along the way. ‘We begin with stories of migrants and the researchers who tracked them, followed by the work carried out by Will and other current researchers across the world’s biomes. With many a brilliant phrase and insight, we journey with him as he discovers what these planetary explorers are up to. Along the way, you get a real sense of Will’s love for the insects, from surviving near-death thunderstorms in the mountains to chasing dragonflies in swampy puddles of tropical islands. ‘Will weaves origin stories, myths, and current and future research to leave the reader pondering our planet – no longer seeing boundaries but a complex matrix of trillions of individuals that all need space to eat, meet and explore. Hopefully, it will inspire every reader to become Earth-proud.’ Erica McAlister, principal curator for Diptera and Siphonaptera at the Natural History Museum, London; author of The Secret Life of Flies ‘Beautifully written and utterly captivating. Will’s account of insect migration brings the science vividly to life, combining a naturalist’s curiosity with a real sense of adventure. By the end, I was ready to pack a moth trap and join him on a mountain.’ Connor Butler, ecologist and nature guide ‘A deep dive into the least understood of insect behaviours: migration. In The Most Remarkable Insect Migrants, Will Hawkes cleverly dodges scientific jargon to connect us all to this remarkable phenomenon. A fascinating and engaging read.’ Doug Tallamy, author of How Can I Help? ‘This book is a convergence of arduous field research, cutting-edge science and engaging, humorous prose. It celebrates, maps and vividly describes insect bioflows, which weave together our shared biosphere.’ Yuvan Aves, author of Intertidal