Michael O’Mara Books is to publish The Good Bug: A Celebration of Insects – and What We Can Do to Protect Them by Dr George McGavin, one of the UK’s foremost entomologists, and a conservationist, presenter and author.

Both a celebration and a call to arms, The Good Bug is beautiful and wide in its scope, examining all that the vast variety of insects in the UK do for our ecosystems, how humans are threatening their habitats and most importantly, what we can all do to help protect them.

Insects are fascinating, ingenious and play a crucial role in maintaining life on our planet. They are the preeminent herbivores, carnivores, pollinators and recyclers. They are also the food of the world, without which many species of vertebrate animals would starve.

However, the sad truth is that numbers have been declining for some years, so it’s more important now than ever for us to understand what’s happening and how we can help these incredible creatures thrive once more.

Michael O’Mara Books are a champion and corporate investor for the UK’s main insect charity, Buglife, and will work alongside them on the publicity and marketing campaign for this book.

Dr George McGavin, author, said: ‘Without a rich diversity of insects, we will be living on an impoverished planet and will be facing a very uncertain future. Insects are the natural world’s ‘canaries in a coal mine’ and we simply must heed their message before it’s too late.’

Jo Stansall, Senior Commissioning Editor for Michael O’Mara, said: ‘Despite their vital importance to the future survival of our own species, many of us still have a very limited understanding of insects. In this beautifully presented and brilliantly concise book, George has done a wonderful job of showing us the astounding brilliance of bugs and how much trouble we’d be in without them.’

Jo Stansall acquired World All Language rights from Jo Wander at Jo Wander Management.

The Good Bug: A Celebration of Insects and What We Can Do to Protect Them, by George McGavin, is published by Michael O’Mara Books on 20 June 2024 in hardback, priced £10.99.