Sekai de Ichiban Hen'na Mushi: Chin Mushi ki Mushi Zukan [The Strangest Insects in the World: Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rare and Strange Insects]

About this book

Language: Japanese with scientific nomenclature

It's been 50 years since the author has travelled the world in pursuit of rare and strange insects. What is the world's strangest insect? What conclusion did he reach? As the author points out, all insects are susceptible to becoming rare through the process of evolutionary adaptation. However, here he has picked up some extremely rare insects that are easy to understand for the average person. Why do such strange insects that go beyond the human imagination exist, with their intense colours, strange shapes, and mysterious ecology? It probably has some kind of purpose and is shaped like that. There are things that can be explained and things that are completely unknown. It makes us realise that human imagination is no big deal and there are more colours and shapes than we can imagine. The definitive edition of Unno's encyclopedia of insects is a compilation of 230 species and 300 photos. From brightly coloured butterflies to the world's largest cockroach to strangely shaped insects, all of these have been photographed by the author.

Summary in Japanese:
珍虫奇虫を追い求め世界中を歩いて50年。世界で最も奇妙な昆虫はなにか。たどり着いた結論とは。著者は言う。昆虫とはすべて進化適応の過程で"珍虫奇虫"化しやすい存在だ。 しかし、ここでは一般の人にもわかりやすいとびきりの珍虫を取り上げた。 なぜこんな虫がいるのか。人間の想像を超えた、おかしな虫たち。 強烈な色彩、ヘンテコな形、不思議な生態。 何かの目的があって、そんな形をしているのだろうが、 説明のつくものと、まったくわからないものがある。 人間の空想などというものは大したことはないと思わせる。 すべてのデザイナーの想像を上回る色と形がある。 230種、写真300枚を集大成した海野流昆虫図鑑の決定版。 「強烈な色彩の蝶」「世界最大のゴキブリ」から「変な形の虫」 「特別気持ち悪い虫の集団」など、著者特写の昆虫たち。

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