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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Invertebrates
This book surveys attachment structures and adhesive secretions occurring in this class of animals and discusses the relationships between structure, properties, and function in the context of evolutionary trends, and biomimetic potential. Topics comprise mechanical attachment devices, such as clamps, claws, hooks, spines and wraps, as well as hairy and smooth adhesive pads, nano-fibrils, suction cups, and viscid and solidifying adhesives. Attachment is one of the major types of interactions between an organism and its environment. There are numerous studies that deal with this phenomenon in lizards, frogs, insects, barnacles, mussels and echinoderms, but the second largest class of animals, the Arachnida, was highly neglected so far. The authors demonstrated that most arachnid adhesive structures are highly analogous to those of insects and vertebrates, but there are also numerous unique developments with some intriguing working principles. Because arachnid attachment organs have a very strong potential of technological ideas for the development of new materials and systems, inspirations from biology could also be interesting for a broad range of topics in materials and surface engineering.
JOHN G. HILDEBRAND Research on insect olfaction is important for at least two reasons. First, the olfactory systems of insects and their arthropod kin are experi mentally favourable models for studies aimed at learning about general principles of olfaction that apply to vertebrates and invertebrates alike. Detailed comparisons between the olfactory pathways in vertebrates and insects have revealed striking similarities of functional organisation, physiol ogy, and development, suggesting that olfactory information is processed through neural mechanisms more similar than different in these evolution arily remote creatures. Second, insect olfaction itself is important because of the economic and medical impact of insects that are agricultural pests and disease vectors, as well as positive impact of beneficial species, such as the bees and moths responsible for pollination and production of honey. The harm or benefit attributable to an insect is a function of what it does - that is, of its behaviour - which is shaped by sensory information. Often olfaction is the key modality for control of basic insect behaviour, such as ori entation and movement toward, and interactions with, potential mates, appro priate sites for oviposition, and sources of food. Not surprisingly, therefore, much work on insect olfaction has been motivated by long-term hopes of using knowledge of this pivotal sensory system to design strategies for mon itoring and managing harmful species and fostering the welfare of beneficial ones."
Intensive and extensive cultivation of grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) leads to serious pest problem in vineyards in major grape growing areas of the world. Climatic conditions in India are favorable for high production of table and wine grapes, and thus also for incidence of variety of pests. These include the sucking insect pests namely thrips, hoppers, mealybugs etc., and beetle pests like stem borer, stem girdler, flea beetles, chafer beetles, shot hole borer and several lepidopteron, mites, nematodes and vertebrate pests. Pests of grapes in other countries relevant to Indian conditions are also dealt herewith since they may get introduced in India in future. Up to date information on biology, damage, seasonal development, management practices of the pests are covered in this book. Some of the pest management practices followed in other countries are also given, which will be useful to Indian conditions. Pesticide residue is a serious problem both for export and internal market in grapes. Guideline for pesticide residue management in grapes is also given in this book. The authors have tried to accommodate almost all the important information generated on the grape pests up to 2012. A complete list of grape pests (except disease) occurring in different grape growing regions of the world is also covered in this book which will be ready reckoner for the grape workers. The authors sincerely hope that this book will provide useful information to many entomologists, students working on grapes and the grape growers in the country. It is a pleasure to thank all those people who gave help, suggestions and encouragement in the preparation of our book "The Grape Entomology".
The great variety in structure and function of arthropod sensory organs is due to the huge number of species living in spatially and temporally different environments and to great variation in behavioral patterns. This atlas compiles the electron microscopic anatomy of arthropod sensory organophotoreceptors, chemoreceptors, and others in relation to function, behavior, and environment. The authors show how each sensory receptor is finely tuned to detect the necessary information in the arthropods surroundings and how the sensory receptors dynamically change their fine structures according to their functional and adaptational states. In each two-page spread of the book, electron or light micrographs are shown on the right, with diagrammatic illustrations and accompanying text on the left, in a format that is attractive and easy to understand. The atlas thus provides an important bridge between the physiology and morphology of arthropod sensory receptors.
This volume deals with various aspects of the biology and aquaculture of the sea urchin.
This book is mainly directed towards postgraduate students and professionals in the field of research and implementation of integrated pest and disease management programmes in greenhouse crops. After presenting the major pests and diseases that affect greenhouse vegetable and ornamental crops, several chapters deal with the tools for designing and implementing IP&DM in protected cultivation with particular emphasis on biological control. Current implementation and the future of IP&DM in the most important protected crops world-wide are presented in the concluding chapters. Protected cultivation is practised in many hundreds of thousands of hectares throughout the world under quite different social, economic and technical conditions. Contributions to the book reflect such a diversity of situations: from the high-technology glasshouses of northern Europe and America to the simple plastic tunnels of the Mediterranean area and temperate eastern Asia. Furthermore, the editors have entrusted each chapter to authors whose activity and perspectives could be complementary: pathologists and entomologists, from private and public sectors, and from differentiated geographical regions. Probably no book published to date has offered such a diverse yet integrated approach to pest and disease control in greenhouse crops. The book originated from an international course taught at the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies in Zaragoza, Spain. The authors are specialists from universities, research institutions and companies in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Volumes I and II of this world catalogue of dragon flies provide a survey about the system of the group, their geographic distribution and the most important specific literature. In this catalogue, taxa are methodized on supraspecific level, below which specific and intraspecific taxa are presented in alphabetical order.
Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships (Pau 1986)
The 2nd International Symposium on Trichoptera was held at the University of Reading, England, 25-29 July 1977. It attracted 68 participants from 22 countries, which was a gratifying response to the circulation of about 250 workers on caddis flies. It was H. MALICKY who appreciated the need for a specialized meeting of this kind and organized the 1st International Symposium on Trichoptera, which was held at Lunz am See, Austria, 16-20 September 1974. This volume of Proceedings includes 38 papers; all except one were presented and discussed in the sessions listed in the programme. The papers were given in a lecture theatre of the Palmer Building, and demonstrations were laid out in a laboratory of the Department of Zoology where members met for their mprning and afternoon breaks. Members were accommodated in St Patrick's Hall, one of the University Halls of Residence. They were the guests of the University at an informal reception on 25 July. On the afternoon of 27 July an excursion was made to the River Lambourn at Bagnor near NeWbUry. This chalk stream has been the subject of an ecological study by a team from the Department of Zoology since 1970. The excursion was also an opportunity to see something of the local caddis fauna, and to do some collecting. The final session on 29 July, under the chairmanship of G. B. WIGGINS, was followed by a discussion on future plans."
The papers in this volume have been grouped according to the main sub-themes of the congress and primarily deal with the biodiversity issues of invasive crustacea, ecology and behaviour and fisheries and aquaculture.
Acridids (grasshoppers and locusts) can range from being rare curiosities to abundant menaces. Some are threatened with extinction and become subjects of intensive conservation efforts, while others are devastating pests and become the objects of massive control programmes. Even within a species, there are times when the animal is so abundant that its crushed masses cause the wheels of trains to skid (the Rocky Mountain grasshopper, Melanoplus spretus Walsh in western North America in the 1860s and I 870s), while at other times the animal is alarmingly scarce (the Rocky Mountain grasshopper went extinct in the early 1900s). Why are there these extremes in one insect family, and even in a single species? The NATO workshop examined this paradox and its implications for Environmental Security, which must address both the elements of land use (agricultural production and pest management) and conservation of biodiversity. The reconciliation of these objectives clearly demands a critical assessment of current knowledge and policies, identification of future research, and close working relationships among scientists. Insects can present two clear faces, as well as the intervening gradation. These extremes require us to respond in two ways: conservation of scarce species and suppression of abundant (harmful) species. But perhaps most important, these opposite poles also provide the opportunity for an exchange of information and insight.
Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are among the most destructive agricultural pests in the world, eating their way through acres and acres of citrus and other fruits at an alarming rate and forcing food and agriculture agencies to spend millions of dollars in control and management measures. But until now, the study of fruit flies has been traditionally biased towards applied aspects (e.g., management, monitoring, and mass rearing)-understandable, given the tremendous economic impact of this species.
Initially, this work was designed to document and study the diversification of modern mammalian groups and was quite successful and satisfying. However, as field and laboratory work continued, there began to develop a suspicion that not all of the Eocene story was being told. It became apparent that most fossil samples, especially those from the American West, were derived from similar preservational circumstances and similar depositional settings. A program was initiated to look for other potential sources of fossil samples, either from non-traditional lithologies or from geographic areas that were not typically sampled. As this program of research grew it began to demonstrate that different lithologies and different geographic areas told different stories from those that had been developed based on more typical faunal assemblages. This book is conceived as an introduction to non-traditional Eocene fossils samples, and as a place to document and discuss features of these fossil assemblages that are rare or that come from rarely represented habitats.
Whether you are out in the countryside or at work in the garden, you might encounter several different kinds of caterpillars. The larval stages of butterflies and moths, caterpillars come in many shapes, sizes and colours, and each has its own particular charm. But can you tell a Comma from a Small Tortoiseshell? Or distinguish between the caterpillar of a Drinker and Fox Moth? These are only a few of the hundreds of caterpillars found in the UK, many of which are just as beautiful and varied as their adult counterparts. RSPB ID Spotlight Caterpillars is a reliable fold-out chart that presents illustrations of 60 of our most widespread and familiar caterpillars by renowned artist Richard Lewington. * Species are grouped by family and helpfully labelled to assist with identification * Artworks are shown side by side for quick comparison and easy reference at home or in the field * The reverse of the chart provides information on the habitats, behaviour, life cycles and diets of our caterpillars, as well as the conservation issues they are facing and how the RSPB and other conservation charities are working to support them * Practical tips on how to make your garden more caterpillar-friendly are also included The ID Spotlight charts help wildlife enthusiasts identify and learn more about our most common species using accurate colour illustrations and informative, accessible text.
The behaviour of these bees has been adapted to some extent to meet beekeeping requirements but few advances have been made in altering their behaviour so that honey and wax production is increased. Bee pheromone research aims to identify the pheromones and make analogous synthetic chemicals thus allowing the control of the colony's activities and enhancing honey production. This book evaluates the present state of knowledge of each known pheromone, discusses the pheromones of the stingless bees and describes the effect of pheromones on the social organization and mating behaviour of bumblebees. Suggestions are made for further and different types of research into pheromones. The book should be of interest to zoologists, entomologists and general biologists.
This volume of the Subcellular Biochemistry series is the result of the long-standing research interest of the editor in the molecular mechanism underlying Alzheimer's disease and other amyloid diseases, indicated also by the earlier book in the series (Volume 38), devoted to Alzheimer's disease. The broad coverage within the present amyloidogenesis book represents an attempt to collate current knowledge relating to the proteins and peptides involved in most of the known amyloid diseases, together with some amyloid/fibril-forming proteins and peptides that are not involved in diseases. Thus, the range of topics included is comprehensive and furthermore it was thought appropriate to include both basic science and clinical presentation of the subjects under discussion.
When Franklin published her book on cyst nematodes in 1951, the cyst nematodes were already known as serious pests of brassicas, cereals, potatoes and sugar beets. However, at that time this group of nematode, with about 12 species, was considered tobe largely temperate in distribu tion. Now a total of 105 species (including those that are considered as synonyms or species inquirende by some or all) within six genera of cyst nematodes have been described from temperate, tropical, and subtropical regions and at least five species are important constraints to crop produc tion in tropical agriculture. The previous impression of localization of cyst nematodes in the temperate region was seemingly an artifact due to a greater concentration of nematologists in the temperate regions. Based on my own experience of working in several Asian and African countries, I believe that many more undescribed species are present in the tropical countries of Asia and Africa, and probably in other tropical regions. Most growers, extension workers, and research managers in these regions are still not aware of the possible harm of presence of these nematodes in their agricultural soils. The cyst nematodes are perhaps smaller than the smallest available computer chip but they are very well programmed to survive and pro pagate despite severe hardships. These nematodes are very selective in their choice of food; about 50% of known species are parasites of plants mainly in the families Poaceae and Fabaceae."
Enter a hidden world of snail killers, silly names and crazy sex in The Secret Life of Flies. Entomolologist Erica McAlister dispels many common misconceptions and reveals how truly amazing, exotic and important these creatures really are. From hungry herbivores and precocious pollinators to robberflies, danceflies and the much maligned mosquito, McAlister describes the different types of fly, their unique and often unusual characteristics, and the unpredictable nature of their daily life. She travels from the drawers of wonder at the Natural History Museum, to piles of poo in Ethiopia, via underground caves, smelly latrines and the English country garden. She discovers flies without wings, rotating genitalia and the terrible hairy fly, while pausing along the way to consider today's key issues of conservation, taxonomy, forensic entomology and climate change. Combining her deep knowledge and love of flies with a wonderful knack for storytelling, Erica McAlister allows us to peer - amazed and captivated - into the secret life of flies.
In aquatic ecosystems, the oligochaetes are often a major component of the community. Their relevance in sediment quality assessment is largely related to their benthic and detritivorous life habit. In this book, we aim to present the state of the art of Pollution Biology using oligochaete worms in laboratory and field studies. Future research will require the combination of a variety of methodological approaches and the integration of the resulting information, avoiding fragmented and often conflicting visions of the relationships of the species with their environment. Current approaches to ecotoxicology and bioaccumulation using ecological risk assessment provide the opportunity to relate community studies with probability of effects. This book addresses three main themes: Ecological and Field Studies using the composition and structure of oligochaete communities, Toxicology and Laboratory Studies, and Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer Studies. Two appendices list values of toxicological parameters (LC50, EC50) and several bioaccumulation variables (bioaccumulation factors, biological half-life, toxicokinetic coefficients, and critical body residues) for different oligochaete species. Additional information is provided on Methodological Issues and on the Taxonomy of several oligochaete families, with information on the most recent taxonomic debates. Each chapter includes a critical view, based on the authors experience, of a number of current issues which have been raised in the literature.
This book presents comprehensive information on various aspects of ecology with special reference to insects, to form a platform to design an ecologically sound insect pest management. Insects are the most dominant and diverse group of living organism on earth. Owing to their smaller size, smaller space and food requirements, more number of generation per unit time, insects serves as one of the best subject matter for studies on various ecological aspects such as chemical ecology, population dynamics, predator/parasitoid-prey interactions etc. The knowledge on various aspects of insect ecology helps in formulating an effective environmentally benign insect pest management. This book is of interest and use to the post graduate students and researchers working on various aspects of insect ecology with special emphasis on population dynamics, chemical ecology, tri tropic interactions, ecological engineering and Ecological Insect pest management. |
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