Far from being an abnormal or infrequent activity, cannibalism is a naturally occurring behavior with far-reaching implications for the ecology, life history, and evolution of many species. This book offers the first detailed review of the subject, covering the contextual and taxonomic diversity of cannibalism, and explaining its costs, benefits and taxonomic consequences for a broad distribution of species from lower eukaryotes to higher primates. The authors explore the different varieties of cannibalism, including infanticide, mating and courtship rituals, gerontophagy, oophagy, and competitive interactions. They also assess the ecological and evolutionary causes and effects of cannibalistic behavior, using the theoretical tools successfully applied to the study of foraging behavior, sociality, demography, and genetics. These findings will interest a broad audience of ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and students of animal behavior.

Insects and arachnids display the most impressive diversity of mating and social behavior among all animals. This book investigates sexual competition in these groups, and the variety of ways in which males and females pursue, persuade, manipulate, control and help one another, enabling us to gain a better understanding of how conflicts and confluences of interest evolve together. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of mating systems in particular insect and arachnid groups, discusses intrinsic and extrinsic factors responsible for observed mating strategies, and suggests fruitful avenues for further research. The book culminates in a synthesis, reviewing the data in terms of the theory of sexual conflict. This broad-based book will be of immense value to students and researchers interested in reproductive strategies, behavioral ecology, entomology and arachnology.

'Social' insects and arachnids exhibit forms of complex behaviour that involve cooperation in building a nest, defending against attackers or rearing offspring. This book is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to sociality and its evolution in a wide range of taxa. In it, leading researchers review the extent of sociality in different insect and arachnid groups, analyse the genetic, ecological and demographic causes of sociality from a comparative perspective and suggest ways in which the field can be moved on. It contains fascinating accounts of the social lives of many different insects and arachnids, as well as tests of current theories of the evolution of social behaviour. The Evolution of Social Behaviour in Insects and Arachnids provides essential reading and insight for students and researchers interested in social behaviour, behavioural ecology, entomology and arachnology.