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Rated 5 out of 5 by Mark from A superb course I just finished watching this excellent course on insects. It was truly a wonderful experience that I would strongly recommend to anyone interested about the natural world around us. The professor did a great job creating, organizing and presenting this course. The lectures were riveting and fascinating. I had mediocre knowledge of insects and I felt great satisfaction learning all the valuable information that professor Solomon selected and explained.

Date published: 2023-04-27

Rated 5 out of 5 by Agamemnon from terrific overview of the world of insects We watched this course over several months. The topics are diverse with various families of insects and their life cycles explained as well as how insects fit into various ecosystems and their importance to mankind. Dr. Solomon is an engaging and enthusiastic lecturer who has great visual materials. The topic is so vast he could do a follow up course that would likely be as interesting. He spices up the lectures with stories of his field experiences while studying insects in the tropics. This is a very good course and we recommend it highly.

Date published: 2023-04-23

Rated 5 out of 5 by Joseph K from Wonderful I have watched at least thirty of the Great Courses, and this is far and away one of the best. Prof. Solomon is knowledgeable and entertaining, and the subject matter is fascinating. My son and I watched this course together and enjoyed every minute. Highly recommended.

Date published: 2023-04-05

Rated 5 out of 5 by christineka from Fantastic Course My 13 and 7 year olds and I watched this course to learn about insects. The kids weren't so sure they wanted to watch it because they don't like insects. Through the course, they have been both fascinated and disgusted. They have learned a lot. The kids and I have shared interesting facts about insects to relatives and friends. You can tell the lecturer really loves his subject! He is very enthusiastic about it. The visuals were high quality. I know I'll be looking at insects from a new light after having watched this course!

Date published: 2023-03-17

Rated 5 out of 5 by buj95 from Why Insects Matter One of the best programs I came across. Scott does an excellent presentation on the world of insects. Would like to see more entomology courses offered. I learned quite a lot from this program.

Date published: 2023-03-14

Rated 3 out of 5 by James T from Great on the insects - but limited We were very much looking forward to this course, and the presenter has many very interesting facts, insights, videos, and photos of a wide variety of insects. However, his ongoing speculation about how something might, maybe, or possibly have evolved hundreds of millions of years ago detracted from his presentation. I do wish he would simply have simply focused upon the insects instead of taking off into this wild speculation. We did wonder if he ever actually listened to what he was saying.

Date published: 2023-02-11

Rated 5 out of 5 by robodoc58 from Superb This course far exceeded my expectations (something I have not previously claimed in >100 courses I've watched). The range of topics and the quality of the lectures were truly excellent; the visuals were amazing and set a new standard for the Great Courses. My only quibble: the title. Many of the lectures did not deal with "why insects matter." A more accurate title would have been, "Everything you ever wanted to know about insects...the world's most important living things."

Date published: 2023-01-18

Rated 5 out of 5 by Sojourner47 from A great learning opportunity! This was a great educational experience. I've always had a healthy respect for insects and this series broadened that respect in so many ways. Professor Solomon is a good speaker and teacher, an easy-to-listen-to voice, no ums or ahs, minimal distracting arm and hand gestures.

Date published: 2023-01-13

Overview

In many ways, insects are just like us. Elaborate mating rituals, a variety of parenting styles, and a plethora of careers—from architects and engineers, to farmers and ranchers. Like us, they’re able to share complex information essential for survival, significantly impact their environment, and recycle. But insects outdo us in so many respects. The truth is, our planet belongs to the insects. In 24 captivating lectures beautifully illustrated with graphics, photos, and video footage, Professor Scott Solomon shares his passion for these extraordinary creatures. Why Insects Matter: Earth’s Most Essential Species will open your eyes to evolutionary accomplishments you had never even imagined.

About

Scott Solomon

Insect species outnumber all the other animal groups combined.

ALMA MATER

The University of Texas at Austin

INSTITUTION

Rice University

Scott Solomon is an Associate Teaching Professor at Rice University, where he teaches ecology, evolutionary biology, and scientific communication. He received his PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from The University of Texas at Austin. He has also worked as a visiting researcher with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and with São Paulo State University in Rio Claro, Brazil.

Scott has taught field biology courses at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado and in the rainforests and coral reefs of Belize. He has also been a resident associate at Baker College, one of Rice’s residential colleges, and served as a faculty fellow at Rice’s Center for Teaching Excellence, where he acted as a liaison to other faculty. He received the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching and the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award from Rice University as well as the Rising Star Award from the University of Illinois Laboratory High School.

Scott is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Society for the Study of Evolution. He also serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Tropical Ecology. He regularly lectures on science topics at museums, schools, churches, and TEDx events. His writing and photography have appeared in such publications as Aeon, Nautilus, Slate, and WIRED. He is the author of Future Humans: Inside the Science of Our Continuing Evolution.

By This Professor

What Darwin Didn't Know: The Modern Science of Evolution

Why Insects Matter: Earth’s Most Essential Species

Trailer

01: Insects Living All around You!

There’s a good chance insects have made themselves at home in your home. From the carpet beetles in your living room, to the silverfish in your sock drawer, to the cockroaches in the basement, they’re everywhere! What should you do about them? Learn why “nothing” might be both your safest and most effective answer.

32 min

02: Insect Bodies and Human History

Discover the unique properties of insects that distinguish them from mammals and all other animals. They all have exoskeletons for strength and protection, six legs to propel their movements, compound eyes, antennae, and even more attributes in common with one another. But within this framework, their astonishing variability has allowed them to live in almost every ecological niche on the planet.

32 min

03: Insect Life Cycles and Reproduction

Insects have contributed to the human economy since the beginning of our civilization. Consider the humble silkworm moth creating its cocoon from one continuous thread of silk. Discover how this caterpillar creates one of the strongest and most durable materials in nature, and explore the fascinating lifecycle and migration journey of the beautiful monarch butterfly.

32 min

04: Insect Behaviors and Communication

Reveal what honeybees are really communicating with their waggle dance and why specific dances are used in specific circumstances. From waggle dances to pheromones, insects have developed unique efficiencies in their communication and actions, both at the individual and group level. Scientists have been taking notice—and mimicking the insects wherever possible.

29 min

05: Why So Many Beetles?

The beetles seem to have it all—from the incandescent beauty of the jewel beetles, to the unmatched speed of the tiger beetles, to the burning hot, noxious defense mechanism of the bombardiers. Explore why beetles are more diverse than any other group of insects, and one of the most successful groups of any organism alive today.

30 min

06: Pollinators We Cannot Live Without

Insect pollinators contribute about $195 billion to the global economy, pollinating approximately 80% of the most important crops worldwide. Explore the complexities of these insects, the many types of pollination they perform, and the coevolutionary dance that continues today between these animals and their plants.

31 min

07: Insect Herbivores

Insects are the most significant herbivores worldwide. Along with the rise of the forests about 300 million years ago, insects evolved the ability to feed on and digest plants. Discover the diversity of strategies these animals have developed to feed on the many parts of plants—and how some have developed their own specialized microbiome to help them do the job.

31 min

08: Insect Pests

While the vast majority of insects pose no threat to humans, there are a few that compete with us for food, destroy our construction materials, and threaten both our natural and cultivated environments. Learn about the best and latest tools we can employ to control those insects, and why developing an understanding of the insect lifecycle is almost always a better investment than pesticides.

32 min

09: Insect-Borne Disease

One of the most profound ways in which insects have affected people throughout history is by transmitting disease. The worst offender? Definitely the mosquito. Mosquitos can transmit yellow fever, malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, Zika virus, and more. Discover the many methods we have used to try to cure this problem, and the many ways in which we’ve failed. But there is hope on the horizon.

33 min

10: Plants That Partner with Insects

Explore the many fascinating pairings in the coevolutionary dance between plants and insects. Step by step over millions of years, both insects and plants have developed ways to meet their own needs while increasing their value to their partners. No insects have done this better than the ants; from the plants’ point of view, it’s always a good idea to have a million or so of your best friends living nearby.

30 min

11: Insects as Food for Animals and Plants

So many animals rely on insects for food that most ecosystems would collapse without them. Birds alone consume almost 500 million metric tons of insects every year. Explore the relationship between insectivorous animals and their prey, as well as the 600 species of plants that also get in on the game. Of course, as you’ll learn, the insects do not make it easy for them.

31 min

12: Insects as Food for People

You might never have eaten beetle larvae, locusts, ants, or termites, but chances are your ancestors did—just as many people do today. Explore the insect-rich diets of people around the world and learn why many scientists and dietitians believe insects just might be the food of our future.

26 min

13: Insects as Predators

In addition to being food for others, insects are also predators—and quite efficient ones at that. Discover the predatory adaptations of a variety of insects, including mantids who can strike their prey in one-twentieth of a second with a head that can turn 360 degrees, and the assassin bugs whose beaks can impale their prey, deliver enzymes to liquefy the tissues, and suck them out.

28 min

14: Insects as Parasites and Parasitoids

While some insects are herbivores and others are predators, a third group gets their energy and nutrients as parasites and parasitoids. Grisly though it might sound to us, you’ll discover that some insects inject their eggs into the bodies of insects and other animals, and some even insert their eggs into others’ eggs. Sometimes the hosts live through this process, but sometimes they do not.

31 min

15: Insect Recyclers

Insects play a crucial role as decomposers of dead organic matter, recycling the chemicals and making them available for other organisms. Explore the feats of one of homeowners’ most dreaded pests—termites. These insects not only clear forests of dead wood, but are also stellar engineers. In fact, their 30-foot-tall mounds are being copied by human engineers to produce more energy-efficient structures.

30 min

16: Insects That Fly

Forty million years ago—long before birds, bats, or flying pterosaurs—the skies were dominated by insects, the first animals to develop the ability to fly. Unlike every other subsequent flying animal, insect wings did not evolve from modified limbs; insects kept all six limbs and added wings. Explore a variety of flying insects and learn the unique physiology that gives them such precise control and maneuverability in the air.

30 min

17: Insects Adapted to Aquatic Life

Few terrestrial organisms can be as comfortable in the water as insects. Look at the unique respiratory physiology and fascinating adaptations that make it possible for them to maintain oxygenation underwater, as well as the adaptations that allow water striders to take advantage of water’s surface tension to skim along its surface.

30 min

18: Insect Songs and Sounds

Most insects use sound to call for help and to attract a mate. With a variety of ways to produce sound, insects also have a variety of ways to hear. Consider the significance of sound for crickets, katydids, and cicadas, as well as the expansive and complex “vocabulary” of the bess beetles, with one species that uses 14 sounds to communicate among family members.

30 min

19: Insects as Farmers

Although we thought we invented agriculture, insects were using agriculture more than 50 million years before our arrival. Explore the world of the leafcutter ants; they can cut the leaves but not digest them. Instead, they feed the leaves to their fungus garden and eat the fungus, which provides them with a complete source of nutrients.

31 min

20: Fruit Flies and Other Research Insects

Although we tend to think of rats and mice as lab animals, insects—particularly the fruit fly—have played critical roles in research. Explore the many discoveries made in the field of genetics using fruit flies, as well as the fascinating opportunity to watch natural selection in action thanks to the peppered moth and smoke from the Industrial Revolution.

30 min

21: Insects in Art, Literature, and Film

Throughout our history, we have experienced admiration for insects and their unique abilities, as well as fear and disgust. Explore how those conflicting emotions have been reflected in our arts, from Aesop’s fables to Kafka’s Metamorphosis, from the films Alien to A Bug’s Life, and characters from Jiminy Cricket to Ant Man.

32 min

22: Collecting Insects

Learn everything you need to know about starting an insect collection and making your own observations about your local environment. Discover how to start a collection of preserved insects using materials you probably already have at home. From nets to aspirators to pitfall traps, you’ll have everything you need.

28 min

23: The Disappearing Insects

You might already have heard in the popular press about this disturbing trend: researchers have noticed that many insect populations are declining both in number and diversity. Although many animals have been affected by climate change and habitat loss, discover the human activities that have a disproportionate impact on insects—especially the use of pesticides.

30 min

24: Sharing Planet Earth with Insects

What can we learn from this amazing group of animals? Biologists and engineers believe we can learn quite a bit—especially about our own future. Discover some of the exciting work that’s being done today to learn from insects in a wide variety of fields, from organizational structure to the significance of biophilia.

34 min