Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants of New York City is a free book from the School of Ants project, a citizen-scientist driven study of the ants that live in urban areas, particularly around homes and schools.

This new book is the second in a series of books — the first was called Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants — available on iTunes or in PDF format for free.

The author, Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice, earned her PhD in entomology from North Carolina State University, and her writing is complemented by photographs by Alex Wild, a master of insect photography who holds a PhD in entomology from the University of California, Davis.

According to the School of Ants website, “Dr. Eleanor is an entomologist with a knack for telling good stories, especially about the secret lives of her favorite insects: the ANTS! In this new guide to the common ants of New York City, Dr. Eleanor delights readers young and old with tales of our tiny insect neighbors. Her stories of the heroes and villains that tiptoe around us are brought to life in this interactive new eBook by the vibrant photographs of Alex Wild.”

WIRED blogger Gwen Pearson calls the book “a great beginners’ introduction to ant biology” and writes that it is “lavishly illustrated by master photographer Alex Wild. His photos make the details of these tiny animals easy to see. Ant genetics and reproduction are complex topics, but author Eleanor Spicer Rice (Dr. Eleanor) makes it easy to understand with minimal jargon. The species descriptions seem like stories about eccentric and entertaining relatives, rather than ants.”

Click here to download Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants of New York City in iTunes or as a PDF for free.

Click here to download the first book, Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants.

Read more at:

– Free eBook about Ants!

– Using Citizen Science to Track Insects Across the U.S.

– Welcome to the School of Ants!