By Shashank, P. R. and Santhosh Naik, G. Lately, there’s been a growing buzz around insects and rightly so. With reports of their rapid decline across continents in recent decades, more people are beginning to notice just how important these tiny creatures really are. But if you look for books in the Indian context that help nature enthusiasts truly appreciate insects and get to know them better, the options are surprisingly few. That’s why it felt refreshing to come across “Miniature Giants:...

by Sahanashree R., Giridhar Dasari  and Asmi Khushi   For millennia, soil has shaped human civilisations, influencing where people settled and how agriculture flourished. Have you ever wondered what the soil beneath your feet truly is? Soil is not just a surface layer, but a living three-dimensional body sculpted over millennia by the dynamic interplay of climate, landscape, parent rock, living organisms, and time. Acting as Earth’s quiet engine, it fixes nutrients, stores carbon, drives...

By Suman Barman and Shashank P. R. Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are among the most destructive insect pests affecting fruits and vegetables across the world. With more than 5,000 species recorded globally and nearly 200 of them causing serious economic losses, fruit flies pose a constant threat to agriculture, food security, and international trade. These insects cause significant damage as they eat and grow inside infested fruits, often crossing borders unnoticed. The rapid growth of...