For scientists, insects are a source of inspiration and information. So let's shrink down and get a closer look at them!

Claire Lecœuvre has picked out 21 insects, each the bearer of a powerful message when it comes to understanding the world around us. Hermit beetles are an index of woodland health, golden ground beetles are a gardener's delight, and stoneflies are a sign of clean waterways. Others are breaking records: the ingenious large blue, a kind of butterfly, can parasite ants, while the taurus scarab's prodigious strength enables it to carry 1,000 times its own weight!