What surprises you in Insect Tales?

This fable tells that many animals are preparing for the winter before the coming of winter. The lazy cicada not only fails to prepare for the winter, but also jokes about the stupidity of ants and other animals who are storing food for the winter. But when the cold winter really comes, other animals survive the winter safely, but the lazy cicada is buried by heavy snow when it is looking for food in snowy days.

2. Playing dead insects

After an autumn rain, the green leaves and grass were all dressed in golden yellow. When the sun came out, the ant brothers began to prepare food for the winter. They came under the tree, collected the fallen fruits, put them neatly under the tree and dried them, and then transported them home bit by bit.

3, cicada out of the hole

grubs [that is, cicada larvae] break through the shell and then leave the fibrous branches until the tentacles can swing freely. The legs are stronger, they can stretch freely, and the claws in front can also stretch. Then they shook and fell. They were smart. When they were in the tree, they found the place where they fell. Finally, when they found the place, they immediately started working without delay.

4. Mantis preys

When the prey moves within the range of mantis preys, mantis will react. First, turn your head in the direction of the prey and keep a close eye on the prey. After that, the front feet (claws) are tightened, the center of gravity moves backward, and the line of sight does not leave the prey. When the time is right, the mantis will catch its prey at an extremely fast speed, stab its claws into its body, hold it tightly, and eat it.

5. Grey locust

The life of a locust begins with a fertilized egg. Larvae just hatched from eggs have no wings and can jump, which is called jumping bug. The shape and living habits of the flea are similar to those of adults, but the body is smaller and the reproductive organs are not mature, so it is also called nymph. If the insect grows up gradually, when it is restricted by the exoskeleton and can no longer grow up, it will take off its original exoskeleton, which is called molting.

Extended information:

Insect Story is a book about insect life, involving more than 1 species of insects such as dung beetles, ants and sisyphus worms. In this world, there are about 1 million known insect species, accounting for 5/6 of all known animal species;

And there are still millions of unknown insects to be discovered and recognized by human beings. In the mid-19th century, after teaching in school, Fabres observed all kinds of insects in the fields with his children, named them and eulogized them.

In addition, this book not only records Fabres's research achievements in detail, but also records the motivation, life ambition, knowledge background and living conditions of Fabres's obsession with insect research, especially Alma Lab, Atavism, My School, Pond, Mathematical Memories: Newton Binomial, Mathematical Memories: My Little Table and Childhood.

If we look at it from another perspective, we might as well regard Insect as Fabres's autobiography, a very peculiar autobiography. Insects are only evidence of his research experience and circumstantial materials of his biography.