Bees, both commercially managed honey bees and wild bees, play an important role in global food production. In the United States alone, the value of insect pollination to U.S. agricultural production is estimated at $16 billion annually, of which about three-fourths is attributable to honey bees. Worldwide, the contribution of bees and other insects to global crop production for human food is valued at about $190 billion. Given the importance of bees and other types of pollinators to food production, many have expressed concern about whether a pollinator crisis has been occurring in recent decades. Worldwide reports indicate that populations of both managed honey bees and native bees have been declining, with colony losses in some cases described as severe or unusual. In Europe, managed honey bee colony numbers have been declining since the mid-1960s, and individual beekeepers have reported unusual weakening and mortality in colonies, particularly during the period spanning winter through spring. According to the United Nations, many insect pollinator species may be becoming rarer, causing some to question whether this is a sign of an overall global biodiversity decline. This book examines selected U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies bee-related monitoring, research and outreach, as well as conservation efforts, and The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts to protect bees through its regulation of pesticides.

Greatly anticipated and sorely needed, this book updates the successful guide to North American mosquitoes published by the American Mosquito Control Association in 1981. It includes 12 new species that have since been added to the North American mosquito fauna, revised distribution maps of all species, and revised and completely illustrated identification keys for the adult females and fourth instar larvae of all 174 species and subspecies known to occur in North America, north of Mexico. In chapters on adult and larval morphology, the coauthors-both world-renowned in their field of taxonomy-discuss the anatomical structures mentioned in the keys and pictured on full-page plates. They provide separate generic keys for adult females and larvae and keys to the species of each genus. In addition, they show the geographical distribution of each taxon in a series of maps and include a synopsis of the occurrence of species in the states and provinces of the United States and Canada. This book's usefulness to mosquito control programs cannot be overestimated. For example, it deals with 9 exotic species that have been introduced and today successfully thrive in North America. Several are increasing their range and this book will help identify these species when they first invade an area. Because of the occurrence of mosquito-borne diseases and the widespread distribution of mosquitoes as pests to humans, professionals must know how to identify them. With its wealth of up-to-date information, this book is the only one of its kind available for specialists working on mosquito-borne diseases and in mosquito control units and for both introductory and advanced students who study entomology.

Introduces readers to the roles of bees in world ecosystems, as well as threats to bee populations and conservation efforts. Eye-catching infographics, clear text, and a "That's Amazing!" feature make this book an engaging exploration of the importance of bees.