In a new book, Stephen Alter writes about discovering monsoon beetles and bugs as a young naturalist

What happens when the monsoon’s named creatures vanish from our nights?Stephen Alter invites us into a very specific kind of wonder: the world of monsoon insects. He takes us back to his childhood in Landour, where collecting beetles was a rainy-day ritual, full of discovery and vivid detail. But beyond the delightful nostalgia, this piece gently nudges us to notice something profound. What happens when those familiar sounds and tiny creatures start to disappear? It’s a quiet meditation on how we connect with the natural world, and what we might be losing, one beetle at a time.Stephen Alter recounts his childhood experiences collecting monsoon beetles and other insects in Landour, India, contrasting these memories with current observations of declining insect populations. The piece details a recent expedition with a wildlife scientist to document the region's diverse monsoon biodiversity, including cicadas, caterpillars, and unique slugs.Read at source: Scroll.in