The dipteran family Chironomidae is the most widely distributed and frequently the most abundant group of insects in freshwater, with rep resentatives in both terrestrial and marine environments. A very wide range of gradients of temperature, pH, oxygen concentration, salinity, current velocity, depth, productivity, altitude and latitude have been exploited, by at least some chironomid species, and in grossly polluted environments chironomids may be the only insects present. The ability to exist in such a wide range of conditions has been achieved largely by behavioural and physiological adaptations with relatively slight morphological changes. It has been estimated that the number of species world-wide may be as high as 15000. This high species diversity has been attributed to the antiquity of the family, relatively low vagility leading to isolation, and evolutionary plasticity. In many aquatic ecosystems the number of chironomid species present may account for at least 50% of the total macroinvertebrate species recorded. This species richness, wide distribution and tolerance to adverse conditions has meant that the group is frequently recorded in ecological studies but taxonomic difficulties have in the past prevented non-specialist identification beyond family or subfamily level. Recent works, including genetic studies, have meant that the family is receiving much more attention globally."

Harmonia axyridis has been described as the "most invasive ladybird on Earth". It has a long history of use as a classical biological control agent in the USA and more recently in Europe. This beetle has been effective at controlling pest insects in a variety of crop systems but it poses unacceptable risks by impacting on non-target species as both an intraguild predator and competitor. Written by renowned scientists, this book is a synthesis of recent research on H. axyridis and provides informative insights into current perspectives and future directions. Biological control is an essential component of sustainable agriculture but the distinction between a successful biological control agent and an invasive species can be narrow. We hope that lessons can be learnt from H. axyridis.

Insect Learning is a comprehensive review of a new field. Until recently, insects were viewed as rigidly programmed automatons; now, however, it is recognized that they can learn and that their behavior is plastic. This fundamental change in viewpoint is causing a re-examination of all aspects of the relationship between insects and their environment. This change in perspective is occurring at a time of heightened interest in brain function in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Insects potentially play a major role in this expanding area. Because of their experimental tractability and genetic diversity, they provide unique opportunities for testing hypotheses on the ecology and evolution of learning. As organisms of economic importance, they are perennial objects of research by both basic and applied scientists. Insect Learning covers both social and non-social insects from multiple perspectives. The book covers mechanisms; syntheses of work on physiology, behavior, and ecology; and micro- and macroevolution. The concluding section discusses future directions for research, including applications to pest management.

Provides new insights into the persistent species "problem." Focuses on conceptual history and identifies pivotal landmarks in the history of the concept of species Argues for a scientific consistency of species pluralism. Discusses the "evolving species-hood" in the context of new essentialism.

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.

The small fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has for over a century now had a large impact on biological and biomedical research; however, our knowledge of the fly brain has lagged significantly behind our understanding of other aspects of its development, physiology, and function. In The Making and Un-Making of Neuronal Circuits in Drosophila, innovative expert neuroscientists in the field present the ideas and concepts behind the methods, tools, and tricks that are currently being utilized to decode the secrets of this valuable insect's brain. Focused on the concept of a neuronal circuit, defined as a series of synaptically connected neurons subservient to a particular behavioral modality, this volume contains chapters dealing with anatomical analysis with a focus on cellular and sub-cellular morphologies. These detailed approaches fall under the headings of "Physiology" and "Behavior", conveniently divided the book into two sections. Written in the easy-to-follow Neuromethods series format, this work provides the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results. Inventive and accessible, The Making and Un-Making of Neuronal Circuits in Drosophila provides the information and tools necessary to carry out current experiments and, more importantly, further advance the progress of the Drosophila neurobiology field and neurobiology in general.

This balanced, comprehensive account traces the alterations in body form that insects undergo as they adapt to seasonal change, exploring both theoretical aspects and practical issues, such as the impact of seasonality on insect pest management.

TheInternationalConferencesonEphemeroptera(Mayflies)andSymposiaonPlecoptera (Stoneflies)areheldeverythreeyears,indifferentpartsoftheworld. Theseeventsallow specialistsfromdifferentcountriestointeractandpresenttheresultsoftheirlatest investigations. TheIXInternationalConferenceonEphemeropteraandXillInternationalSymposiumon Plecoptera,wereheldAugust16-21,1998,andAugust20-23,1998,respectively,inTaffdel Valle,Tucuman,Argentina,withajointsymposiumonAugust20,1998. Theseeventswerehos- tedbythe"InstitutoSuperiordeEntomologfa"FacultaddeCienciasNaturales,fromtheNational UniversityofTucuman,andattendedbyapproximately80specialistsfrom25countries. Atpresent,whenthebiodiversitycrisisandthepressuresonfresh-waterenvironmentsand theirinhabitantsareworsethaneverbefore,theinformation,discussionsandguidelinescoming outofeventsofthiskindarebecomingmoreandmoreimportant. The54papersincludedinthisvolumeareamongthosepresentedduringthemeetings, andacceptedafterpeerreviewbyinternationalspecialists. Thepapersaregroupedinfivelooselydefinedsections(exceptthefirstthatcorresponds toapaneldiscussion),althoughseveralofthepaperscouldexceedthesubjectboundaries wheretheyarelocated. Iwouldliketothankthemanyindividualsandinstitutionsthathelpedwithboththis bookandtheorganizationoftheevents,namely: Themembersoftheorganizingcommittee:H. R. Fernandez,M. G. Cuezzo, F. Romero, C. Molineriand C. Nieto. AlsocollaboratingwereM. Ceraolo,1. Chocobar,M. Guzmande Tome,S. Moro,M. Orce,V. Manzoandmanyvolunteersandstudentstoonumeroustodetail here. Withouttheiruntiringefforts,theeventssimplywouldnothavebeenpossible. Thefollowingpersonsactedasmanuscriptreviewers:J. Alba-Tercedor,J. V. Arnekleiv, R. Baumann,J. E. Brittain, 1. C. Campbell,J. M. Elouard,J. F. Flannagan,R. W. Flowers, C. Froehlich,E. Gaino,M. T. Gillies,P. Goloboff,P. M. Grant,M. D. Hubbard, Y. Isobe,J. Jackson,N. N. Kapoor,P. Landolt, W. P. McCafferty, 1. McLellan,R. Nelson, W. L. Peters,G. Pritchard,M. Sartori,!. Sivec,1. Stanford, K. W. Stewart,D. Studemann,B. Stark,P. Suter,B. Sweeney,S. Szczytko,andP. Zwick. Theseinstitutionsprovidedtheirinstitutionaland/oreconomicsupport:Facultadde CienciasNaturaleseInstitutoMiguelLillo,UniversidadNacionaldeTucuman;ConsejoNa- cionaldeInvestigacionesCientificasyTecnicas(CONICET);ConsejodeInvestigaciones, UniversidadNacionaldeTucuman(CIUNT);Fundaci6nAntorchas,Fundaci6nMiguelLillo; Direcci6ndeTurismo,MunicipalidaddeTaffdelValle. vii viii Preface ThePermanentCommitteeonEphemeropteraConferencesprovidedpartialfinancial supportforfellowshipsforstudentsfromtheCzechRepublic,ChinaandSlovenia;andthe NorthAmericanBenthologicalSocietyforstudentsfromBoliviaandVenezuela. Thecompletionofthisbookwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheinvaluableeffort ofGustavoSanchez,whomadethedigitalworkoftheoriginalsandthecoverdesign, C. Molineriand C. Nietowhopatientlyreviewedthefinalcopies,andvaluableadvicefrom MaryAnnMcCarraandRobertWheeler. ThecoverillustrationsweredonebyS. RoigJu- nen!(Ephemeroptera)and A. Dupuy(Plecoptera). EduardoDominguez ConvenorandEditor August,2000 CONTENTS STATUS OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF EPHEMEROPTERA IN THE WORLD IntroductiontothePanelDiscussion . 1. Alba-Tercedor StatusoftheKnowledgeofEphemeropterainNortheastAsiaandGuidelinesfor FutureResearch...3 y. 1. Bae TheCurrentStatusofEphemeropteraBiologyinAustralia...7 I. C. Campbell KnowledgeoftheAfrican-MalagasyMayflies ...13 J. M. Elouard TheGentleQuest: 200YearsinSearchofNorthAmericanMayflies...21 W. P. McCafferty TheStatusoftheTaxonomyoftheMayfly(Ephemeroptera)FaunaofSouthAmerica. . 37 M. L. Pescador,M. D. Hubbard,andM. delC. Zuniga TheEphemeropteraofNewZealandandNewCaledonia...43 W. L. Peters CurrentKnowledgeofMayflyResearchinEurope(Ephemeroptera)...47 M. Sartori StatusoftheSystematicKnowledgeandPrioritiesinEphemeropteraStudies: theOrientalRegion '...53 T. Soldan ECOLOGYANDBEHA~OUR LifeCycleandAnnualProductionof Caenissp(Ephemeroptera,Caenidae) inLakeEscondido(Bariloche,Argentina)...67 D. A. AnonSuarezandR. 1. Albarino ix x Contents EffectsofRotenoneTreatmentonMayflyDriftandStandingStocks inTwoNorwegianRivers...77 1. V. Arnekleiv,D. Dolmen,and L. Rj(jnning LongitudinalDistributionoftheMayfly(Ephemeroptera)Communities attheChocancharavaRiverBasin(Cordoba,Argentina)...89 M. delC. Corigliano,C. M. Gualdoni, A. M. Oberto,andG. B. Raffaini EmergenceofEphemeropterafromtheAssiniboineRiver,Canada...97 1. F. Flannagan,1. Alba-Tercedor,R. G. Lowen,andD. G. Cobb MayfliesasFood 107 P. M. Grant SeasonalVariationofEphemeropterainFourStreamsofGuatopoNational Park,Venezuela...:...125 V. Maldonado,B. Perez,andC. Cressa AbundanceandAltitudinalDistributionofEphemeropterainan Andean-PatagoneanRiverSystem(Argentina)...

The parasitic Hymenoptera are a highly successful and important group of insects comprising probably over a million species. Despite the vast amount of research that has been carried out on the group over the last 100 years or so, there are still many unexplained aspects of their biology. In recent years interest in the parasitic Hymenoptera has grown as a result of the increasing demand for biological methods for pest control and their possible use as natural enemies. Parasitic wasps are also tremendously important in research on pollution dynamics and on host-parasite interactions. In this unique volume Donald Quicke provides an up-to-date review of the biology of parasitic wasps which focuses primarily on genetics, developmental biology, physiology, anatomy and molecular biology, though many aspects of behaviour and ecology are also covered. Attention is drawn to the importance of both life history strategy an phylogeny to many features of parasitic wasp biology, and exciting new areas of research are highlighted. Parasitic Wasps provides an extensive guide to the relevant literature. The book will prove invaluable to researchers working on this group and to those with broader interests in entomology, physiology, behaviour, ecology and pest control.

This book provides updated information on this intriguing and exciting group of insects: Neotropical Social Wasps. These insects have a particular biology and their colonies are formed by a few cooperative females living in either small or massive, structured nests where stinging individuals organize their activities and defend their offspring. Topics include evolutionary aspects, biogeography, post-embryonic development, community behavior and ecology, economic importance, and research methods.

During the past decade, the study of the chemical structures used by insects has advanced from a subject that could be reviewed in a single volume to a vastly more advanced level. This important new volume brings together a focused group of reviews that offer perspective on the most interesting advances in insect chemical ecology. Chemical Ecology of Insects 2 brings together an internationally respected group of experts covering such topics as chemoreception and integration, orientation mechanisms, plant-insect interactions and insect-insect interactions. An important benefit of these reviews lies in the identification of the boundaries of our current knowledge and the most profitable areas in which we should expect these areas to develop. This important work will appeal to entomologists and ecologists working directly with insects. In addition, plant scientists interested in the interaction of plants and insects will find much valuable information. The book is intended to benefit both field and laboratory researchers as well as advanced students.

In 1961, neurobiologists found that the conduction velocity of the nerve impulse in the giant nerve fiber of the" Penaeus "shrimp abdominal nerve cord was over 200 m/s, the highest speed of information transmission ever observed in the animal kingdom. The peculiar myelin sheath with its unique nodal structure and the electrical properties of the nerve fibers of the shrimp have continued to be investigated for a quarter of century and are now fully described in this book. The investigation dispels the commonly held belief that the fastest recorded impulse conduction is about 120 m/s in the thickest vertebrate myelinated nerve fibers. In the shrimp, researchers found a completely novel type of functional node in the giant fiber which they designated as the fenestration node. In portions of the myelinated fiber, the fenestration node furnished the sites of excitation. Also discovered was a new strategy for increasing impulse conduction in the shrimp. The book includes a section on the formation of the fenestration node and the discovery of a strategy that allows the shrimp to escape its predators by an action of the fastest velocity. The data presented in this volume on the myelin sheath of invertebrates present a new direction for this field and a rich source of information for neurobiologists worldwide.

Only four short decades ago, the control of insect pests by means of chemicals was in its early infancy. The pioneers in the area consisted largely of a group of dedicated applied entomologists working to the best of their abilities with a very limited arsenal of chemicals that included inorganics (arsenicals, fluorides, etc.), some botanicals (nicotine), and a few synthetic organics (dinitro-o-cresol, organothiocyanates). Much of the early research was devoted to solving practical problems associated with the formulation and application of the few existing materials, and although the discovery of new types of insecticidal chemicals was undoubtedly a pipe dream in the minds of some, little or no basic research effort was expended in this direction. The discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT by Paul Miiller in 1939 has to be viewed as the event which marked the birth of modern insecticide chemistry and which has served as the cornerstone for its subse quent developement. DDT clearly demonstrated for the first time the dramatic potential of synthetic organic chemicals for insect control and provided the initial stimulus which has caused insecticide chemistry to become a field not only of immense agricultural and public health importance but also one that has had remarkable and unforseeable repercussions in broad areas of the physical, biological, and social sciences. Indeed, there can be few other synthetic chemicals which will be judged in history to have had such a broad and telling impact on mankind as has DDT."

Beekeeping is a sixteen-billion-dollar-a-year business. But the invaluable honey bee now faces severe threats from diseases, mites, pesticides, and overwork, not to mention the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder, which causes seemingly healthy bees to abandon their hives en masse, never to return.
In The Quest for the Perfect Hive, entomologist Gene Kritsky offers a concise, beautifully illustrated history of beekeeping, tracing the evolution of hive design from ancient Egypt to the present. Not simply a descriptive account, the book suggests that beekeeping's long history may in fact contain clues to help beekeepers fight the decline in honey bee numbers. Kritsky guides us through the progression from early mud-based horizontal hives to the ascent of the simple straw skep (the inverted basket which has been in use for over 1,500 years), from hive design's Golden Age in Victorian England up through the present. He discusses what worked, what did not, and what we have forgotten about past hives that might help counter the menace to beekeeping today. Indeed, while we have sequenced the honey bee genome and advanced our knowledge of the insects themselves, we still keep our bees in hives that have changed little during the past century. If beekeeping is to survive, Kritsky argues, we must start inventing again. We must find the perfect hive for our times.
For thousands of years, the honey bee has been a vital part of human culture. The Quest for the Perfect Hive not only offers a colorful account of this long history, but also provides a guide for ensuring its continuation into the future.

This text provides an introductory account of the physiology of insects, intelligible to any reader with an elementary knowledge of biology. It should be of interest to undergraduate students of biology, entomology and agriculture.

Arthropods are one of the most concerning threats in poultry industries due to both direct and indirect pathogenic effects. One of the most important arthropods affecting poultry production is in the genus Dermanyssus (Acari: Dermanyssidae) with Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer) the most important (Fletcher and Axtell 1991; Maurer and Baumga rtner 1992). Dermanyssus gallinae, also known as 'poultry red mite' or 'red mite' is a direct pest becauseitisanobligatoryblood-suckingparasite;itisonthebirdonlytofeedfor30-60 min and to spend the rest of the time concealed in cracks and crevices or in the litter. Its eggs are laid in the hiding places and hatch into six-legged larvae in 2-3 days. The chicken mite is seldom seen on the birds because of its intermittent feeding at night but skin lesions (especially on the breast and lower legs) are evidence of the feeding (Baker 1999). InEurope,D.gallinaeisoneofthemajorproblemsinlayingcagedhensandlessinbroiler industries (Chauve 1998) due to the longer productive cycle related to the former mana- ment.Theprevalenceofinfestedfarmsrangesfrom60%inUK(Guyetal.2004;Fiddesetal.

Arthropods are invertebrates that constitute over 90% of the animal kingdom, and their bio-ecology is closely linked with global functioning and survival. Arthropods play an important role in maintaining the health of ecosystems, provide livelihoods and nutrition to human communities, and are important indicators of environmental change. Yet the population trends of several arthropods species show them to be in decline. Arthropods constitute a dominant group with 1.2 million species influencing earth's biodiversity. Among arthropods, insects are predominant, with ca. 1 million species and having evolved some 350 million years ago. Arthropods are closely associated with living and non-living entities alike, making the ecosystem services they provide crucially important. In order to be effective, plans for the conservation of arthropods and ecosystems should include a mixture of strategies like protecting key habitats and genomic studies to formulate relevant policies for in situ and ex situ conservation. This two-volume book focuses on capturing the essentials of arthropod inventories, biology, and conservation.Further, it seeks to identify the mechanisms by which arthropod populations can be sustained in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and by means of which certain problematic species be managed without producing harmful environmental side-effects. This edited compilation includes chapters contributed by over 80 biologists on a wide range of topics embracing the diversity, distribution, utility and conservation of arthropods and select groups of insect taxa. More importantly, it describes in detail the mechanisms of sustaining arthropod ecosystems, services and populations. It addresses the contribution of modern biological tools such as molecular and genetic techniques regulating gene expression, as well as conventional, indigenous practices in arthropod conservation. The contributors reiterate the importance of documenting and understanding the biology of arthropods from a holistic perspective before addressing conservation issues at large. This book offers a valuable resource for all zoologists, entomologists, ecologists, conservation biologists, policy makers, teachers and students interested in the conservation of biological resources.

Biomonitoring is a vital and rapidly growing field. Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Macroinvertebrates presents a state-of-the-art look at the use of benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans, and worms) in the biological assessment of water quality in lakes and streams. The use of these organisms has increased dramatically in the past two decades in both North America and Europe; no other comprehensive overview of the topic is available. This book contains contributions from nineteen experts from North America, Europe, and Australia. Some chapters contain updates and syntheses of new information on previously reviewed topics, while others present the first detailed coverage of a topic. The book includes much useful reference material on the history of biomonitoring with invertebrates as well as work of a more practical nature. The design, implementation, analysis and interpretation of benthic surveys are discussed in detail, as are toxicity testing and field experiments. This timely and important book will be of interest to professional entomologists, invertebrate zoologists, and aquatic ecologists, especially those in applied areas concerned with environmental quality, preservation, and restoration. Those working in the growing environmental biotechnology field, or in government agencies responsible for monitoring drinking water, environmental quality, or marine habitats, will also find many new ideas here.

Machine learning is a novel discipline concerned with the analysis of large and multiple variables data. It involves computationally intensive methods, like factor analysis, cluster analysis, and discriminant analysis. It is currently mainly the domain of computer scientists, and is already commonly used in social sciences, marketing research, operational research and applied sciences. It is virtually unused in clinical research. This is probably due to the traditional belief of clinicians in clinical trials where multiple variables are equally balanced by the randomization process and are not further taken into account. In contrast, modern computer data files often involve hundreds of variables like genes and other laboratory values, and computationally intensive methods are required. This book was written as a hand-hold presentation accessible to clinicians, and as a must-read publication for those new to the methods.

Based on research in Bolinao, this book assesses the importance of small-scale disturbance by burrowing shrimps. It covers the distribution of burrowing shrimp disturbance, the behavior of the snapping shrimp Alpheus macellarius in situ and as observed from tank experiments, and the effects of short-term burial and leaf clipping on the growth patterns of the dominant seagrass Thalassia hemprichii. The book examines the role of bioturbation by burrowing shrimps in seagrass meadows, foraging strategies of A. macellarius and its mutualistic symbiosis with Cryptocentrus spp., shrimp disturbance and T. hemprichii, and small-scale disturbance and large-scale dynamics.

This book is a basic account of the life cycles and life history strategies of the major groups of desert arthropods. It covers a wide variety of topics including an overview of major adaptations in desert arthropods, characteristic features of deserts, a comprehensive review of life history theory, and a detailed description of embryonic and postembryonic development. The book also provides an in-depth discussion of the life history traits in these animals including development time, growth rates and patterns, age and size at maturity, size and number of offspring, sex ratios, costs associated with reproduction and longevity, and explains how these traits are inextricably connected by various trade-offs including those between current reproduction and survival, current and future reproduction, and between number, size and sex of offspring. Finally, the relationship between behavioral ecology and life history traits is discussed.

This book addresses the needs of professional and amateur taxonomists on the subject of ascidians in Asia. This is the first book of its kind and features color illustrations done by the authors in Asia. This book provides a brief overview of ascidians in addition to both the taxonomy and distribution of ascidians along India's southern coast. It also opens a new arena for marine researchers in the field of ascidians in Asia. This book is the outcome of the authors' 15 years of research experience in the field of ascidians, making it very helpful for researchers, coastal planners, port authorities and the proper management of coastal thermal plants and atomic power plants.