The Life and Love of the Insect

The Life and Love of the Insect by Jean-Henri Fabre is a collection of essays from the late 1800's that closely examines the lives of insects and their interesting behaviors. The essays particularly focuses on how they find mates, build nests, and raise their young. Fabre's observations reveal the surprisingly complex world of insects, illuminating the themes of life, love, and survival in their natural environments, while the translator's remarks give background on Fabre's life and his important work with insects. The story begins with the Sacred Beetle, detailing its nest-building process and the natural instincts of the mother insect as she makes a dung ball for her offspring, highlighting the balance of beauty and purpose in nature as Fabre's insights establish entomology as both a science and an art.