Book Description

Insect Ecology is the world's foremost reference to the never-ending and crucial interactions of the richest taxon of organisms on this earth, with perhaps some 8 million extant species. Now in its Third Edition and twentieth year of publication, Insect Ecology has endured as an unparalleled classic.

Taking the reader from an explanation of the science to its significance as a discipline, Insect Ecology is a meticulous, systematic examination of the underlying dynamics of plant-insect interactions, predation, parasites and hosts, and mutualistic relationships, including pollination ecology, that are central to understanding the insects' role in nature. Viewing the largely invisible drama of natural protagonists and antagonists, hidden in the lush foliage of a tropical rain forest or temperate woody vegetation, Peter Price details the unique traits, behaviors, and functions of insects, while placing them in the broader contexts of their places in food webs, ecosystem function, population dynamics, and community interactions.

The author also describes the various levels of insect interaction, from trophic relationships (Part II), populations (Part III), and communities (Part IV), while unfolding the infinite variety of insect species and their visible legacy in the fossil record. Full of fascinating details ("Ants are everywhere, but only occasionally noticed. They run much of the terrestrial world as the premier soil turners." "[Insect] galls provide tanning acids and the basis for inks."), Insect Ecology offers detail and breadth, while providing timely discussion on the conservation of biodiversity, the existence and study of vacant ecological niches, latitudinal gradients in species richness, and evolutionary perspectives on population dynamics. The book also examines the development of theory in insect ecology and how it is advanced.

Novel features in the Third Edition include four new chapters, covering the importance of insect ecology, the development of theory in the science, hypotheses on plant and herbivore interactions, and a synthesis chapter on population dynamics. Subheadings within chapters provide easier subject access, and many new figures contribute to the book's aesthetic appeal.

Clearly organized and with a bibliography of 2,000 references to up-to-date and classic literature, the Third Edition of Insect Ecology is a practical, well-formatted resource. Also copiously illustrated with over 350 figures, many new to this edition, Insect Ecology is a lush graphic tour of the minute, often startling universe of insects in their native habitat. With a history in geologic time much older than the terrestrial vertebrates, insects speak to us-the scarab beetle encased in amber, or New Zealand's endangered large Wellington speargrass weevil-of a resilience and ingenuity oddly reflective of our own. Insect Ecology has let generations of agriculturalists, ecologists, entomologists, environmental scientists, foresters, professionals, and students understand the insects' world, and ours.

With unerring detail and breadth, Insect Ecology has described for generations of professionals the interactions and dynamics of the world's richest group of species-the insects-whose wildly various 8 million forms have been the source of endless fascination and study. From caterpillars to the goliath beetle, from the adult copper butterfly to the agromyzid fly, the insect universe is at once ordinary and exotic, capturing, in microcosm, nature's complexity and beauty. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you only one Insect Ecology book...
This is the one to get, as most professors of entomology and insect ecology will attest!

The leading book in the field of insect ecology.
The third edition of the book follows in the tradition of the first two editions in being an up to date and indispensable reference for insect ecologists. It is also a useful of review of ecological principles for any ecologist. The book is written in an entertaining style. It is suitable for upper level undergraduate or graduate classes. ... Read more

Book Description

Physiological Systems of Insects is designed to emphasize classical material such as the structure and function of insect organ systems. In addition, the book supplements classical material with insights into insect biology achieved through studies of insect molecular biology, neuroendocrinology, biochemistry, and genetics. Throughout the book there is an effort to lay the experimental foundation upon which studies of insect physiology are based. Students, faculty, and researchers who need a summary of the patterns and processes regulated by physiological systems will want this book.

* Comprehensive descriptions of physiological systems
* Clear figures adapted from scientific reports
* Glossary of physiological terms
* Complete references to past and present research ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Essential Reference!
Dr. Prete has put together a collection of the works of the finest research minds in the field, organized into a concise reference. Scientists and laymen alike will marvel at the quality of the presentation and the full color plates. Serious researchers will appreciate the quality of the data and the organized and well indexed approach. This volume is essential to the collection of any fan of the marvelous mantids.

Jacek Jarczynski
A truly fascinating book based on serious research in the field of entomology. The book caters to the readers who are aware and appreciate the beauty of pursuing knowledge by way of science. This is not a book for the beginner or temporary hobbyist wishing to only read about keeping a mantis alive. The concepts addressed in The Praying Mantids are often complicated and require a seriousness of thought and a scientific base to work with. Finally, The Praying Mantids is a long awaited and comprehensive book on mantids written from the perspective of a scientist.

Every thing about praying mantids you want to know!
Excellent book,a comprehensive reference for both technical and non-technical readers on the insects that continue to fascinate people after thousands of years. Zoologists, biologists, psychologists, and ecologists cover history, morphology, and taxonomy; ecology and mating behavior; hearing and vision, motor behaviors; defensive behavior; and techniques for rearing, breeding, and researching. A battery of color plates include several that resemble find-the-mantis puzzles. Information is also provided on permits and responsibilities and sources of equipment and supplies for rearing and breeding, and on museums housing major mantic collections. This book has everything you want to know, so get it! ... Read more

Book Description

Within a carnivore's lifecycle, there is often at least one stage that relies on plant-provided food, e.g., nectar. In fact, carnivore omnivory is far more common than first thought. Contributed by an international team of experts, this book suggests, among other ideas, that presence, or lack of, plant-provided foods for carnivores could determine the success or failure of agricultural ecosystems using Integrated Pest Management systems relying on predators as biological control agents. ... Read more

Book Description

The Exclamation Damsel, Bison Snaketail, Powdered Dancer, Black Meadowhawk, and Sedge Sprite are just a few of the dragonflies and damselflies identified in this complete guide to California's abundant Odonates.

o Species accounts discuss identification in the field and in the hand, behavior, habitat associations, geographic distribution, and flight season

o Includes 40 vivid full-color plates and supplemental black-and-white drawings

o Provides a general overview of dragonfly anatomy, behavior, life history, and a complete set of range maps ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not Just For California!
This is a really neat and very reasonably priced book on dragonflies and damselflies. I liked it from the first time I saw it. The color illustrations are great and with the short descriptions are very helpful for identifying the families, genera and species. The size of the book is also just right for transport into the field.

I checked the book against our list for New Mexico and found that close to 1/2 of our dragonflies and damselflies are described! The handbook should thus be useful in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and northwestern Mexico, as well as the target- California.

For the price and quality the dragonfly and damselfly enthusiast in the Southwest could not find a better field reference!

A "MUST HAVE" for every naturalist and budding entomologist
Anyone in California (or visiting California) who has ever shown any interest in dragonflies and/or damselflies should own this wonderful new book! It not only contains traditional keys to the insect families of both adults and larvae, but also a well-written narrative about the behavior and life cycle of these ancient and most interesting creatures. If you are one who prefers to "picture key" your way to an identification, that is possible, as well, thanks to Tim Manolis's beautiful color illustrations. If you are looking at this book, don't hesitate...buy it...you won't be sorry!

A MUST HAVE
Tim has done for Odes what Roger Tory Peterson did for birds!!! This is a must have for the Odesters in California..... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Simply The Most Uniquely Beautiful Work On This Subject!
When I first stumbled onto this impressive book in the store, I could not put it down! John Cody's paintings are masterful. They are full of the most delicate brilliant colors and light. Page after page features the loveliest images of these wonderful creatures from around the World. Attention to detail is second to none, his accurate and perceptive portrayals demonstrate an intimate knowledge of these ethereal insects in a spectacular fashion.
My brothers and I avidly collected these moths at night, in the rural North Carolina mountains. It was thrilling to see them dart around the street lamps like fiery jewels. Unfortunately, most books on this subject feature photos of pinned, faded samples. I've always felt it was a shame people couldn't experience their enchanting magic like we did. John Cody's book does that.

A truly beautiful pictorial look at the world's silk moths.
The paintings by John Cody are wonderfully realistic, lively portrayals of some of our most beautiful insects. The moths are not shown pinned but in flight or real poses with real and appropriate plants and flowers. A must for any admirer of Lepidoptera! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Incredible information and photos!
This book is a must-have, even for people who don't live in Florida. It is filled to the brim with wonderful photos and information on many types of North American butterflies. Just the photos make it worth the purchase! We're adding it to our butterfly library for reference work.

A fascinating look at Florida's butterflies.
As a beginning butterfly gardener in Florida, I found this book to be an essential tool near my window. The beautiful, large photographs always helped me identify the beauties that visit my backyard. The book also helped me identify the eggs, caterpillars and pupas in my garden. The text is also very interesting and includes information about butterfly habits and food. This is a must for anyone who wants to learn more about the butterflies in Florida. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

bristling with insight
What a great book! Lawrence has managed to take the long history and complex details of genetic studies on drosophila development, and synthesize it all into an accessible summary that anyone can understand. This is by far the most concise and straightforward summary of fly development, and should be considered a must-read for anyone who cares about developmental biology. OK, full-time fly people will probably find it mostly too basic, but for the rest of us it's just right. Sidebars on the different techniques provide useful details for those who care without interrupting the flow of the prose. Defiantely recommended. Plus, the cover picture is really cool.

Self-builder
The general reader interested in not only how a single fly egg cell develops into a complex, formed fly, but how genetic and molecular biological experiments are used to determine such mechanisms, will find this book useful. The maternal systems that establish positional information in the egg cell, followed by the development of parasegments, and followed by expression of groups of cells, are described. It is shown that a large amount of genetic information is required to simply organize the embryo, besides building it. Many of the genes discussed have homologues in other higher animals such as vertebrates.

Good Book for research
I read this book when I was doing a project on drosophila menogaster, and this book really helped. There were some things that were hard to understand, but for the most part it was imformative and concise. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

bit disappointing
The information in this book is a bit generic and lacking in interesting factual information. I find the chapters disappointing when I read about a particular insect. The text is not particularly inspiring and does not capture the fascination of the insects' natural history. The topic is a fine one but it is handled much better by classic works like Fabre and Linsenmaier's "Insects of the World". We need to encourage writing on this topic by our best natural history authors and entomologists.

terrific book!
This is a great reference! It has all sorts of insects that you come across in your lawn/gardens/woods. I use it constantly when i'm out looking at butterflies and get distracted looking at other insects. Its great. It breaks the insects down into those that you'll see in spring, summer, fall and winter. It has reference tables on where to look for the insects (e.g. ponds, fields, ground, etc) and tells about their lifecycles. Its just facinating. You can learn a lot without being heavy into the science of orders and classes and things like that. Really a great resource

unique and invaluable
Since the day I purchased this book I have not stopped consulting it's pages of clear, simple information. Accompanied by a drawing showing the kind of habitat where the insect is likely to be found, a brief description of the insect's life cycles and observable habits are touched upon. This book isn't going to make anyone an expert on the subject of entomology but that isn't its aim. What it will do is to help you in locating many different kinds of insects throughout the seasons and enrich the experience of observing their behavior. The perfect companion book to all your more scientific texts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fantastic field guide
There wasn't a grasshopper in Florida that I couldn't identify with this field guide in hand!The book includes stunning pictures and detailed information (on preferred habitat, life history, whether the species is common or rare, etc.).I do not have a background in entomology, and I was able to easily follow this guide.I recommend this book to anyone even casually interested in grasshoppers. ... Read more

Book Description

In his new preface Bernd Heinrich ranges from Maine to Alaska and north to the Arctic as he summarizes findings from continuing investigations over the past twenty-five years--by him and others--into the wondrous "energy economy" of bumblebees. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

excellent meeting of biology and economics
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Heinrich presents relevant and well-considered research and experimental design in an accessible and easy-to-understand fashion. Having come off a bio class in which we did an extensive lab portion on population structure and evolution, I really enjoyed seeing such fascinating data on social insects. I was not, until having read Heinrich's book, familiar with the very major differences between honey and bumblebees. This book not only presents an excellent overview of how bumblebee's function (thermoregulation of flight muscles and suchforth) but also the economic factors (in pollen and nectar) that form the trade-offs that dictate behavior. Heinrich's observation that bumblebees develop 'major and minor' flower specialties that they exploit preferentially is a fascinating bit of information that synthesizes two commonly concieved as different fields.

I'd highly recommend this book as not just beach reading for scientists but as a brilliant and accessible book on a very common pollinator.

Brilliantly written, a classic
The author explains that Bumble-bee queens (which are not accompanied by a swarm of workers as are Honey-bees), must by themselves select and furnish a nest site, lay eggs and brood the resulting larva and then forage for pollen and nectar - whose sugar provides the energy needed for flying and nest warming. Heinrich brilliantly contrasts the foraging strategies of the bumble-bees with those of the plants which provide nectar and pollen and are in return cross-pollinated. He also explains how the bees control the heat flow from their thorax which contains the flight muscles, depending on whether they need to fly which requires a relatively high thorax temperature, or need merely to crawl, which allows them to dissipate less energy. The book concludes with a large set of references to the entomological literature at the time of publication, and a set of color plates to help in identifying about fifty North and Central American species of Bumble bees.

Native Bee Keeping?
This study of the bumble bee was fascinating. (For a moment I wanted to go back to school and study entomology.) It may be of particular interest to those interested in native bee-keeping. Instructions for building a bumblebee nesting box, and how to get a colony started, is included in the appendices.

Science writing at its best
The bumblebee spends its days gathering the resources needed by the hive -- honey for energy and pollen for protein. This endeavor requires expenditure of nearly all the energy resources that the bee is capable of acquiring. Living on the edge as they do, energy requirements inform every aspect of the bees' lives -- from the way they choose flowers to harvest all the way to the way that blood flow may be redirected between the muscles of the thorax and the lower abdomen. It may sound as dry as an economics text when I tell it, but the author transports you to his summer home in Maine, where he sits and watches the bees and then devises simple but elegant experiments to tease out the subtle relationships between energy, anatomy and behavior, and the energy balances between the individual and the hive, and between the adults and the newborns. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the world's most insightful writers on the subject brings together an array of important and readable information on the ways in which insects and plants coexist in nature. Interrelationship Between Insects and Plants is a rare and expansive look at the intertwining of these two vastly different species. Its aim is to summarize in a simple and understandable way the basis of food selection among insects, and to review the various sides of their relationships with plants. ... Read more

Book Description

Migration is one of the most fascinating and dramatic of all animal behaviors.Historically, however, the study of migration has been fragmented, with ornithologists, entomologists, and marine biologists paying little attention to work outside their own fields.This treatment of the subject shows how comparisons across taxa can in fact illuminate migratory life cycles and the relation of migration to other movements; it takes an integrated ecological perspective, focusing on migration as a biological phenomenon. Part One defines migration, gives examples, and places migration in the spectrum of movement behaviors, concluding with a chapter on methods for its study.Part Two focuses on proximate mechanisms, including physiology and morphology (and the constraints associated with them), the interactions between migration and wind and current patterns, and the various orientation and navigation mechanisms by which migrants find their way about.Part Three, on the evolution of migratory life histories, addresses the evolutionary and ecological basis for migration and the roles of migration not only in the lives of organisms, but also in the ecological communities in which they live.Part Four is devoted to a brief consideration of migration and its relation to pest management and conservation.As a major contribution to a vital subject, this work will be valued by all researchers and students in the field of animal behavior, ecology, and zoology. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE comprehensive review of the topic
... I'm a researcher whose field of study includes animal movement and migration -- Hugh Dingle is one of the premier scientists in this field of study, and this book is THE seminal work on the topic. I reference it regularly.

Rather than just describing all the different examples of migration, Hugh attempts to unify the field under one comprehensive theoretical framework. He succeeds magnificently, starting with an explicit working defininiton of what migration is, then using this to discuss the physiology, mechanisms, and evolution of this behavior. The book is filled with fascinating examples from the scientific literature that clearly illustrate the points he is trying to make. If there are gaps in the story, it is no fault of the author -- there are many gaps in our knowledge. ...Hugh is obsessed with insects, there is a good reason for that. Insects make excellent test subjects for these studies -- they perform impressive migrations, they are easy to deal with, and easy to manipulate experimentally. Consequently, a great deal of migration research has involved one kind of insect or another.

The book is articulate and highly readable, though I agree that a good background in the biological sciences will help. It is not intended for the casual reader. I highly recommend it (five stars isn't enough), though, for anyone who wants to really delve into the subject.

A tedious read
Dingle has tried to encompass all the different modes of migration of so many species into one book, and this is just impossible, since you can't make such broad categorizations. He sets up definitions of what migration is in the beginning of the book, contrasting migration and foraging or dispersing, but ends up not following his own rules when he, for instance, goes into detail about insect dispersal (according to his definition of dispersal!) (He is obviously pretty obsessed with insects, since most of his examples deal with them.) It just seemed like he crammed as many examples as possible into this book, and you don't end up learning the grand scheme, which was his goal--to link all these modes of migration. The main problem I had with this book is that it is just not very well organized, and you have to work hard to pick out the relevant ideas, or figure out what his main point is. He tends to use many very scientific words, for which he initially gives very sketchy definitions, and then uses throughout the text. This leaves the reader pretty bewildered, if not already familiar with these terms. Don't get me wrong, there are loads of very interesting facts in this book... the hard part is being able to extract them from his book! If you are well-educated in biology/zoology, etc., you'll probably get a lot more out of this book, since you'll be able to read with more ease. As I said before, there are a LOT of interesting facts about migration, if you can make it through all the boring stuff. ... Read more

Book Description

Insect Chemical Ecology provides a comprehensive view of how natural selection acts upon interacting organisms and how particular physical and biological properties of chemical compounds act as constraints upon which natural selection may act. Individual chapters raise specific questions as to the nature of these interactions.The first part contains reviews on antagonistic and mutualistic chemical interactions, the `raw materials' of chemical evolution, the economics of offensive and defensive chemicals, and neurobiology.The second part discusses particular problems such as the evolution of resistance, insect pollination, learning, pheromones, sequestration of semiochemicals, the role of microorganisms, sex attractants, the evolution of host races and biotypes, and the role of semiochemicals and the evolution of sociality of insects. The last chapter discusses the role of chemical-based pest management programs in an ecological and evolutionary framework. ... Read more