Jungle Bugs in the Night - Bruce Purser

Bulgaria, Pensoft Publisher, 2007, 168 pp. in full color, 21 x 29 cm, hard cover, ISBN 987-954-642-282-8, good condition

This beautifully illustrated book comprises 297 photos of living insects and spiders, demonstrating a little known aspect of entomology for there exists no popular literature treating the nocturnal activities of these fascinating creatures. Few have had the time - or courage - to carry a camera quietly through the jungle at night. The text and photos introduce the reader to the various types of tropical forest and their smaller inhabitants.

A chapter illustrates the many ways in which one may observe nocturnal life in the jungle, and the special techniques necessary to photograph bugs and vegetation in these dripping forests. Together with its photos, this book will be of considerable interest to Nature photographers. Two chapters are devoted to the more unexpected facets of nocturnal life: color, structure and, especially, behavior, aspects which are rarely - if ever - treated in text-books.

Photography of these reclusive creatures has involved many patient hours of standing and sitting quietly within the darkened forests of Australia, New Guinea, Malaysia, Madagascar, West Africa, Central America and, especially, Amazonia. Observation has involved many long nights, from sunset to dawn, at altitudes varying from sea-level to 4000 meters, at temperatures ranging from 30° to near zero. The variety and behavior of jungle bugs under these highly variable conditions give the reader a very good insight into the private lives of these creatures.

All photos have been taken by the author, each photo being discussed and integrated in the adjacent text; in that a good photo is worth a thousand words, this text is reduced to a minimum. However, humorous incidents and personal remarks have not been neglected, these making reading agreeable. The author, a Naturalist from birth, has worked (and lived) in tropical forests for nearly 50 years. An experienced photographer and scientist, he describes his scientific observations and experiences in a language which all, both amateur and professional, will appreciate.