This book describes new strategies being used to combat disease agents and invertebrate pests. Outstanding experts from the United States, Belgium, China, Guatemala, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand have contributed chapters that cover the latest achievements in genetic engineering, emphasizing the microbial and viral biological control agents that can provide environmentally safe, economical control systems. Topics discussed include genetic engineering of Bacillus thuringiensis and B. sphaericus, the development of insect resistance to microbial biocontrol agents, engineering of baculoviruses and nematodes, bioengineering of plants, plant transformation by particle bombardment, fusion of cultured insect cells, new immunodiagnostic assays and control measures against parasitic human diseases, and genetically engineered microbial agents for malaria control. The book also presents improved mass production procedures of microbial and viral biocontrol agents, as well as regulatory and environmental aspects of genetically engineered biocontrol agents. Biotechnology for Biological Control of Pests and Vectors will provide a valuable reference for researchers and students of biological control, microbiology, virology, and molecular biology.

This book focuses on chemicals that effect aggregation for mating and elicit sexual behavior in insects, mites, and ticks, mainly on "sex pheromonal" or "mating" activity. These pheromones are useful to both agriculture science and industry because of their potential as detection and control agents.

For nearly 50 years, pest control was mostly based on broad-spectrum conv- tional insecticides such as organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids. However, the severe adverse effects of pesticides on the environment, problems of resistance reaching crisis proportions and public protests led to stricter regulations and legislation aimed at reducing their use. Ways to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides in plant protection and to use more alternative and novel me- ods for pest control or biorational control are the challenges of pest control for the twenty-first century. The term biorational (biological + rational) pesticides can be defined as the use of specific and selective chemicals, often with a unique modes of action, that are compatible with natural enemies and the environment, with minimal effect on n- target organisms. Biorational control is based on a diversity of chemical, biological and physical approaches for controlling insect pests which results in minimum risk to man and the environment.

Every science, including the study of insects, may have circumscribed limits, but its deeper principles open up new worlds of possibility. Milward uncovers these hidden principles by examining the daily lives and habits of insects. His studies lead him to fascinating speculations, taking the reader into the realms not only of literature, as suggested by the subtitle, but also of philosophy and theology.When Milward discusses what everybody knows about insects and what he has personally observed, he relates insects to human life in general. His insights help us feel a certain fellowship with the insects, or at least with some of the more familiar insects. He does not let us forget that there is an important diff erence between human beings and insects. Human beings think. It is our ability to think that makes us what we are, but it is thinking that enables us to discover our affi nity with insects.The Secret Life of Insects does not probe into the hidden lives of insects or treat them as individuals. His main interest is the light insects may throw on our human experience, and the assistance they may lend us as we seek to transcend our human experience. Milward aims at the level of common knowledge. In contrast to entomological scientists, Milward finds shadowy glimpses of hidden meaning in the insect world. Th ese intimations or shadowy glimpses reveal thoughts and possibilities that will extend the human imagination. As a consequence, this work will inspire philosophers, as well as general readers interested in refl ecting on the profundity of ordinary life.

This book consisting of ten review chapters contributed by leading workers in their respective fields, from around the world, covers the whole subject of insect reproduction.It begins with the basic physiological questions of insect reproduction, moves on to discuss the new advances seen in the fields of behavioural and ecological mechanisms, and culminates by examining the recent work on evolutionary biology and its application in the field. Each chapter, although including a brief review of the basic seminal work, focuses mainly on the advances made within the last ten years and highlights those areas in which the respective authors see the greatest scope for further important advances

The first section of the book includes information about how tourism-related infrastructure and activities promote biological invasions, including key pathways for non-native invasive species introductions. This section provides case studies of different organisms that are known to be introduced and/or promoted by tourism in different ecosystems or regions. The second section elaborates on known and potential impacts of invasive species on tourism and recreation, including how they may affect, positively or negatively, the economic revenue from tourism, tourist access, recreation, aesthetic values and tourists' perceptions. The last section focuses on management and policy, covering aspects of how visitors perceive invasive species and their willingness to manage them, biosecurity measures to prevent invasion related to tourism, as well as potential policy options moving forward. The book draws on a number of examples across multiple taxa, landscapes and regions of the world.

The characteristics of all main groups of soil-bound insects are given in this book.

A thorough update of Arnett's The Beetles of the United States, American Beetles, Volumes I and II cover the genera of beetles that occur in Alaska, Canada, and the contiguous United States. Built on the foundation of the original work and almost completely rewritten with contributions from more than 60 coleopterists, these volumes describe each family with separate paragraphs for head, thorax, abdomen, genitalia, eggs, larvae, and pupae. This bestselling first volume covers the suborders Archostemata, Myxophaga, and Adephaga, plus the series Staphyliniformia of the suborder Polyphaga.Arnett and Thomas offer the most sweeping text available on the subject of North American beetles. Each section is presented in the same concise format, and the organization of the information is bt family. The editors have chosen the most respected of specialists to contribute the entries.

Continuing in the tradition of its predecessors, this new edition combines an informal, easy to read style with a thorough introduction to concepts and terminology of plant pathology. After reviewing fundamental concepts, the book discusses groups of plant pathogens and molecular tools for studying them, pathogen interactions, epidemiology and disease control, and special topics in plant pathology. The book details various disease-causing organisms, including viruses, fungi, prokaryotics, nematodes, and various biotic agents. It also examines various plant-pathogen interactions, molecular attack strategies, extracellular enzymes, host defenses, and disruption of plant function. New in the Third Edition Molecular plant-fungal interactions Expanded treatment of molecular tools Advanced biocontrol concepts How to use and care for microscopes

Insects and plants, whether or not they coevolved, have intimate interrelationships. This book concisely yet thoroughly describes these phenomena. In one chapter the salient facts known about carnivorous plants are described. In another, ant and plant relationships are summarized as an introduction to this vast subject. Pollination, of great interest to agriculturists and horticulturists, is briefly explained without the complexities detailed in the massive literature on this topic. Many other subjects are discussed, such as the memory of adult butterflies, which enables them to return to their host plants in the case of the polyphagous species. The book is seeded with such thought-provoking discussions as prostitution among the orchids and botanical indigestion in some plants.

Northeastern Tiger Beetles: A Field Guide to Tiger Beetles of New England and Eastern Canada is the first book to draw together information about adult and larvae of tiger beetles of New England and Eastern Canada. Details are provided about key characteristics of adults and larvae; habitat; range; and life history information of the various species, including notes on conservation status of rare or endangered species.

Offering a complete accounting of the insects of North America, this handbook is an up-dated edition of the first handbook ever compiled in the history of American entomology.By using American Insects, A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico, Second Edition, readers can quickly determine the taxonomic position of any species, genus, or higher taxon of insect known to occur in America and Canada. Every order, family, and genus is conveniently numbered and indexed, making this volume the only complete single source for all of the names of orders, families, and genera currently available. This book fills the need for an accurate way to identify, with the several hundred drawings and photos, the common insects of all orders. Now there is a tool available to those working without a major collection and library; and those who would like to have a general knowledge of insect life without becoming overwhelmed by the vast number of minute insect species. This usable guide provides sizes, shapes, color patterns and salient features of some species of each major family by pointing out those groups most likely to be encountered, including all North America pests.What's New in this Edition? Researchers in many orders use the results of cladistics, a new tool for determining the relationship of orders, families, genera, and species of organisms, including plants as well as animals Specialists have provided lengthy lists of generic changes Many of the identification keys have been revised by adding more illustrations and making sure all description terms are in the Glossary The bibliographies of each Order section have been updated to include all important works that have appeared since the original edition

Experts offer the most sweeping reference available on the subject of North American beetles. Their rigorous standards for the presentation of data create a concise, useful format that is consistent throughout the book. This is the resource of choice for quick, accurate, and easily accessible information.

This book offers an introduction to the biology and identification of the larvae of the Cecidomyiidae. The family does not only consist of well known gall-makers, among which many species of economic importance occur, but also of many soil-dwelling and mycetophagous species with very peculiar habits like paedogenesis (larva-producing larvae). Subjects such as trophic habits - mycetophagy, gall inducing and zoophagy - specialization on food resources, reproduction, paedogenesis, larval development, larval mobility, induction of diapause and pupation are subject of a chapter on biology. A chapter considering morphology presents a survey of larval characteristics and comparative morphology. The main body of the book consists of identification keys and descriptions of those gall midge species which pass at least some phases of their life-cycle (larval and/or pupal stages) in the soil. The original Russian version of 1965 was a landmark in gall midge studies. The present edition makes the book accessible to non-Russian biologists. With some additions by the editor to update the taxonomy and terminology, the book is indispensable for students of Diptera, soil biologists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists.

An unprecedented look at the complex and beautiful world of underground ant architecture Walter Tschinkel has spent much of his career investigating the hidden subterranean realm of ant nests. This wonderfully illustrated book takes you inside an unseen world where thousands of ants build intricate homes in the soil beneath our feet. Tschinkel describes the ingenious methods he has devised to study ant nests, showing how he fills a nest with plaster, molten metal, or wax and painstakingly excavates the cast. He guides you through living ant nests chamber by chamber, revealing how nests are created and how colonies function. How does nest architecture vary across species? Do ants have "architectural plans"? How do nests affect our environment? As he delves into these and other questions, Tschinkel provides a one-of-a-kind natural history of the planet's most successful creatures and a compelling firsthand account of a life of scientific discovery. Offering a unique look at how simple methods can lead to pioneering science, Ant Architecture addresses the unsolved mysteries of underground ant nests while charting new directions for tomorrow's research, and reflects on the role of beauty in nature and the joys of shoestring science.

The field of insect nutritional ecology has been defined by how insects deal with nutritional and non-nutritional compounds, and how these compounds influence their biology in evolutionary time. In contrast, Insect Bioecology and Nutrition for Integrated Pest Management presents these entomological concepts within the framework of integrated pest management (IPM). It specifically addresses bioecology and insect nutrition in modern agriculture. Written for graduate students and professionals in entomology, this book covers neotropical information in three sections: General Aspects: Basic bioecology and insect nutrition; artificial diets; insect/plant interactions; insect symbionts; the interface of chemical ecology with the food; and insect cannibalism Specific Aspects: Specific feeding guilds of insects including ants, social bees, leaf chewers, seed suckers, seed chewers, root feeders, gall makers, detritivorous feeders, pests of storage grains, fruit flies, aphids, endo- and ectoparasitoids, predators, crisopids, and hematophagous insects Applied Aspects: Host plant resistance and the design of IPM programs in the context of insect bioecology and nutrition Much of the research on which these chapters were written was done in Brazil and based on its neotropical fauna. The complexity and diversity of the neotropics provides enough data that readers from all zoogeographical regions can readily translate the information in this book to their specific conditions. The book's value as an entry point for further research is enhanced by the inclusion of approximately 4,000 references.

Ants are familiar to every naturalist, ecologist, entomologist, and pest control operator. The identification of the 233 species of Florida ants is technically difficult, and information on Florida ants is dispersed among hundreds of technical journal articles. This book uses detailed and beautiful scientific drawings for convenient identification. To most Florida biologists ants are currently the most inaccessible group of conspicuous and intrusive insects. This book solves the twin problems of ant identification and the extraordinary fragmentation of natural history information about Florida ants.

This book provides an overview of our current understanding of polyembryony in insects. The study of polyembronic insects has advanced considerably over the last several decades.The book shows the exciting potential of polyembryonic insects and their impact on life sciences. It describes the mechanisms of polyembryogenesis; tissue-compatible invasion of the host, which is the first case of compatible cellular interaction between phylogenetically distant organisms without rejection; the sex differences in defense; and the environmental regulation of caste structure. The first book devoted to polyembryony in insects, it draws on the author's research on polyembryonic wasps from 1990 to the present day, covering various topics such as polyembryogenesis in vitro, host-parasite interaction, sex differences in soldier function/humoral toxic factor, and the transcription analysis of polyembryogenesis.It is intended not only for researchers in the field of entomology, parasitology, ontogeny, reproductive biology, developmental biology, sociobiology, and evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo), but also for postgraduate students in these fields.