Parasitoids are parasitic insects that kill their insect hosts in immature pre-reproductive stages. Parasitoids are employed in biological control programs worldwide to kill insect pests and are environmentally safe and benign alternatives to chemical pesticides. As resistance to chemical pesticides continues to escalate in many pest populations, attention is now refocusing on biologically-based strategies to control pest species in agriculture and forestry as well as insect vector populations that transmit human and animal diseases. Parasitoids are an economically critical element in this equation and integrated pest management.

Viruses have evolved intimate associations with parasitoids, and this book features sections on both symbiotic viruses that are integrated into the wasp s chromosomal DNA (polydnaviruses) that play critical roles in suppressing host immunity during parasitism. A separate section with additional chapters on viral pathogens that infect parasitoids to cause disease and act as detrimental agents that limit effectiveness of wasp species employed in biological control of pests is also featured. A third component is a section on parasitoid venoms, which are of interest to the pharmaceutical and medical communities as well as insect-oriented biologists.
Sections focus on both virus evolution and genomics as well as proteomics and functional roles of polydnavirus-encoded gene productsInternational researchers and emerging leaders in their fields provide readers with syntheses of the latest researchIncludes content on both symbiotic viruses and pathogenic viruses, plus new research on parasitoid venomsCutting-edge section on future directions in the field covers the impacts of polydnavirus research on medicine, human health, bioengineering and the economy, increasing the value for researchers and practitioners who need to stay on top of the research in this swiftly moving field"

Given the critical importance of insect immunology in insect vector-parasite interactions and vector control, biological control of agricultural insect pests, and other key areas of entomological research and practice, a new comprehensive work summarizing recent breakthroughs in this rapidly expanding field is sorely needed. This work will constitute the first book-length publication on the topic of insect immunology since 1991, complimenting earlier works by offering a fresh perspective on current research. Interactions of host immune systems with both parasites and pathogens will be presented as well as the genomics and proteomics approaches which have been lacking in other publication.
* Encompasses the most important topics of insect immunology including mechanisms, genes, proteins, evolution and phylogeny
* Provides comprehensive coverage of topics important to medical researchers including Drosophila as a model for studying cellular and humoral immune mechanisms, biochemical mediators of immunity, and insect blood cells and their functions
* Most up-to-date information published with contributions from international leaders in the field