Insect fossil treasures from the dinosaur era (165 to 130 Ma) in northeastern China are showcased in this book with their silent stories. Not only their taxonomy and morphology, but also their potential implications on natural sciences are presented here. Besides academic science, we highlight popular science by providing information on extant insects and insect-related stories. Elegant and beautiful photos of fossil and extant insects are shown to illustrate our stories while serving as visual arts. In addition to the 18 insect orders (Chapters 5 to 22), the book also covers fossil sites (1 and 4), palaeogeology (2), co-existing animals and plants (3), palaeo-ecosystems (23), pollination and "flower" visits (24) and insect mimicry (25). Judging by the high diversity and the large population of the fossil insects, insects have certainly played critical roles in the evolution and eco-systems over eons, which in turn have made Insecta a highly successful class.
Intended to appeal to a broad spectrum of readers (such as palaeontologists, entomologists, evolutionists, palaeoecologists, fossil collectors, naturalists, hobbyists and students), we hope that readers will have fun while gaining new understanding and enjoying the artistic presentations. New fossil findings and further studies will continue to expand knowledge and deepen understanding in these fields. Getting young readers of this book to be interested in these fields, we hope some of them will be inspired to become entomologists or palaeontologists to make their contribution to natural sciences.