Chapters outline up-to-date strategies regarding breeding, chemical and biological control, cultural and environmental manipulation, diagnosis, nutrition, and sanitation and how these approaches directly influence ornamental plant health. This book is a presentation of the latest techniques for disease management by a global team of experts. The book addresses the major diseases of economically important ornamentals with the goal of capturing the latest disease management strategies along with diagnostic photographs. Florists' crops production has evolved considerably through new technological advances in irrigation, environmental control, along with the appearance of new centers of large scale production of plant material. These changes have necessitated the development of newer and innovative ways of suppressing pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes.

Recent research has added much to our knowledge of the nature and significance of chemoreception in insects. This text deals with both pure and applied aspects at the ecological level, and goes on to discuss the mechanisms by which insects detect and respond to chemicals at the molecular level. Throughout the text reference is made to appropriate techniques in both field and laboratory situations in order to provide an insight into the means of investigating the subject and to indicate the areas of likely future advances. Plant-insect interactions are considered in terms of plant chemical defences and of the co-evolved insect response to these. The role of pheromones is described with an account of the factors governing their synthesis and secretion. A chapter on pheromone gland morphology is also included. The electrophysiological approach is described and also the novel use of biochemical techniques to ascertain the mode of action of plant and insect-produced chemicals. Practical applications reported include the use of natural toxins in plant protections and the exploitation of pest-resistant crop varieties. This book should be of interest to fundamental and applied entomologists, agronomists, chemists and workers in the fields of chemoreception and chemical ecology.

It is an edited book with chapters written by multi-disciplinary specialists in their specific subject areas. It covers development of IPM components and packaging them for individual vegetable crops specifically targeted to tropical countries. Scientific background for IPM components or tactics will be included. There will be case studies of IPM packages developed and implemented in different countries. The concept of IPM has been in existence for the past six decades; however, a practical holistic program has not been developed and implemented for vegetable crops, in the developing countries. Currently the IPM adoption rate in the tropics is minimal and there is a need for implementation of IPM technologies that are environmentally safe, economical, and socially acceptable. We believe that adoption and implementation of IPM provided in this book will lead to significant reduction in crop losses and mitigate adverse impacts of pesticide use in the tropics. This book is an outcome 20 years of research, development and implementation of the IPM CRSP, a project supported by USAID and administered by Virginia Tech in several developing countries along the tropical belt in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Following an introductory section on How to use this book, this work is divided into two parts. The first contains illustrated instructions on breeding equipment and techniques and a breeder's diary, while the second gives detailed rearing instructions by species, or for closely related species. The book also contains a select bibliography of works on British and European Lepidoptera and a complete dual index to both insects and plants.

This first volume in the bi-lingual handbook "The Auchenorrhyncha of Central Europe / Die Zikaden Mitteleuropas (to be published in 3 volumes) is an essential and highly valuable addition to the literature available in this field since the last keys published date from 1935 (Haupt) and 1896 (Melichar) respectively.
These insects are a very important group: in grassland ecosystems they are one of the most abundant and diverse groups. They are collected in enormous numbers in every entomo-ecological project and are also important from a phytopathological point of view, since many species are virus vectors and/or damage crops as well as various herbs and ornamental trees and shrubs.
Simple keys allow an easy identification to the 250 species treated from Central Europe, Northern Europe and the UK. More than 250 drawings as well as 250 distribution maps are included. Almost all species are figured in (700) colour photographs. In addition, information on taxonomy, host plants, habitats, phenology, distribution and economic importance are given.
Planthoppers and leafhoppers are among the most abundant and diverse taxa in terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, this first volume of the handbook will be a very important reference tool, not only for entomologists but for everyone working in the fields of ecology, applied zoology and nature conservation.

This book describes about 30 years of theoretical, empirical, and experimental work on butterfly sperm competition. It considers the reproductive morphology and sperm utilisation interests of males and females, which shape the mating tactics of each sex. Females of most butterfly species mate multiple times throughout their lives. The reasons are explored, as well as the numerous adaptations males have developed to prevent future mating and fertilisation by the sperm of other males. In particular, this volume focuses on the role of apyrene sperm. Eupyrene and apyrene sperm dimorphism is most likely a key factor in sperm competition, and the study in butterflies promotes understanding of sexual selection across animal species with sperm polymorphism. This book, describing the evolutionary causes and consequences of the sperm competition in butterflies, is a recommended read for students of behavioural ecology.

The book brings to light the most recent findings on the biogeography, biodiversity, host plant induction and natural history of gall inducing insects in the Neotropical region. We attempt to summarize the work done so far in the region, promote several syntheses on many aspects such as host induction, host specialization, distribution among the several vegetation types and zones, the origin of super hosts and the mechanisms leading to geographical patterns in their distribution. Furthermore, the book constructs new perspectives for deeper understanding of galling insect evolutionary ecology and biogeopgraphy in the region.

This book serves both as an update of current technologies that have been proven successful for engineering insect tolerant crops and an overview of new technologies that are being pursued for the development of new genetically engineered crops in the future.