Fire Ants And Leaf-cutting Ants

Fire Ants And Leaf-cutting Ants

Author: Clifford S. Lofgren

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2019-03-08

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 0429691645

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The 1985 Research Conference on Fire Ants and Leaf-Cutting Ants covered the most recent developments in research and control of these insect pests of the New World tropical and subtropical zones, the southern United States, South and Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. This volume contains chapters that discuss the history and economics, biology and ecology, behavior, pheromones and other semiochemicals, physiology, and biochemistry of fire ants and leaf-cutting ants, as well as current and future control strategies. The information provided illustrates past and present agricultural and medical problems associated with these pest ants; however, it also brings out the point that they may at times be beneficial. The chapters on basic aspects of the biology and ecology of the ants provide up-to-date information that is useful for a more complete understanding of their social behavior and the unique symbiotic relationship between leaf-cutting ants and their fungi. New approaches to control are illustrated by innovative research on anti-feedant chemicals from plants that prevent feeding by leaf-cutting ants. The present status of chemical baits and biocontrol is addressed, as well as the possibilities of future novel methods based on the use of anti-metabolites, insect hormones, behavior modifying substances, and species-specific toxic bait systems to create integrated pest management systems.


Leaf-Cutting Ants

Leaf-Cutting Ants

Author: Helen Frost

Publisher: Capstone

Published: 2002-06

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13: 9780736814577

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Simple text and photographs present the features and behavior of an unusual species of ants.


The Humane Gardener

The Humane Gardener

Author: Nancy Lawson

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Published: 2017-04-18

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1616896175

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In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.


The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct

The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct

Author: Bert Hölldobler

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2010-11-15

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 0393340872

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From the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of The Ants comes this dynamic and visually spectacular portrait of Earth's ultimate superorganism. The Leafcutter Ants is the most detailed and authoritative description of any ant species ever produced. With a text suitable for both a lay and a scientific audience, the book provides an unforgettable tour of Earth's most evolved animal societies. Each colony of leafcutters contains as many as five million workers, all the daughters of a single queen that can live over a decade. A gigantic nest can stretch thirty feet across, rise five feet or more above the ground, and consist of hundreds of chambers that reach twenty-five feet below the ground surface. Indeed, the leafcutters have parlayed their instinctive civilization into a virtual domination of forest, grassland, and cropland—from Louisiana to Patagonia. Inspired by a section of the authors' acclaimed The Superorganism, this brilliantly illustrated work provides the ultimate explanation of what a social order with a half-billion years of animal evolution has achieved.


Fire Ants And Leaf-cutting Ants

Fire Ants And Leaf-cutting Ants

Author: Clifford S. Lofgren

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2019-03-08

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 0429711654

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The 1985 Research Conference on Fire Ants and Leaf-Cutting Ants covered the most recent developments in research and control of these insect pests of the New World tropical and subtropical zones, the southern United States, South and Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. This volume contains chapters that discuss the history and economics, biology and ecology, behavior, pheromones and other semiochemicals, physiology, and biochemistry of fire ants and leaf-cutting ants, as well as current and future control strategies. The information provided illustrates past and present agricultural and medical problems associated with these pest ants; however, it also brings out the point that they may at times be beneficial. The chapters on basic aspects of the biology and ecology of the ants provide up-to-date information that is useful for a more complete understanding of their social behavior and the unique symbiotic relationship between leaf-cutting ants and their fungi. New approaches to control are illustrated by innovative research on anti-feedant chemicals from plants that prevent feeding by leaf-cutting ants. The present status of chemical baits and biocontrol is addressed, as well as the possibilities of future novel methods based on the use of anti-metabolites, insect hormones, behavior modifying substances, and species-specific toxic bait systems to create integrated pest management systems.


Herbivory of Leaf-Cutting Ants

Herbivory of Leaf-Cutting Ants

Author: Rainer Wirth

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-04-18

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 3662052598

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Plant-animal interactions have become a focus of ecological research, with the processes of herbivory being of special interest. This volume examines the interactions of leaf-cutting ants with the rainforest vegetation on Barro Colorado Islands in Central America. It is the synthesis of field research on multiple scales extending over a period of several years. This work can serve as a model study summarizing and extending knowledge about herbivorous insect-plant relationships, and the resulting consequences on structural and functional features of tropical ecosystems. The text is an invaluable reference for researchers and land managers working in the fields of plant-animal interactions, herbivory, community ecology and biodiversity.


A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert

A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert

Author: Steven J. Phillips

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 676

ISBN-13: 9780520219809

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"A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert provides the most complete collection of Sonoran Desert natural history information ever compiled and is a perfect introduction to this biologically rich desert of North America."--BOOK JACKET.


Planet of the Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth's Tiny Conquerors

Planet of the Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth's Tiny Conquerors

Author: Susanne Foitzik

Publisher: The Experiment, LLC

Published: 2022-03-29

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 1615197133

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“Beautifully illustrated with color photographs, the book offers a view into parallels between seemingly out-of-this-world ant societies and our own, including cities, an intense work ethic, division of labor, intragroup cooperation combined with genocidal outgroup warfare, even a kind of to-the-death national loyalty. The authors’ scientific rigor is matched by their joy in their subjects.”—The Wall Street Journal Shortlisted for the 2022 Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize This sweeping portrait of the world’s uncontested six-legged conquerors will open your eyes to the secret societies thriving right beneath your feet—and shift your perspective on humanity. The closer you get to ants, the more human they look. Ants build megacities, tend gardens, wage wars, and farm livestock. Ants have flourished since the age of the dinosaurs. There are one million ants for every one of us. Engineered by nature to fulfill their particular roles, ants flawlessly perform a complex symphony of tasks to sustain their colony—seemingly without a conductor—from fearsome army ants, who stage twelve-hour hunting raids where they devour thousands, to gentle leafcutters cooperatively gardening in their peaceful underground kingdoms. Acclaimed biologist Susanne Foitzik has traveled the globe to study these master architects of Earth. Joined by journalist Olaf Fritsche, Foitzik invites readers deep into her world in both the field and the lab. Exploring these insects’ tiny yet incredible lives will inspire new respect for ants as a global superpower. Publisher’s note: Planet of the Ants was previously published in hardcover as Empire of Ants.


Insects of the Texas Lost Pines

Insects of the Texas Lost Pines

Author: Stephen Welton Taber

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2003-07-01

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9781585442362

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In an isolated pine forest on the eastern edge of Central Texas, there lies an island of abundant and diversified life known as the Lost Pines. Separated from the rest of the state’s East Texas pine forests by more than one hundred miles, the Lost Pines marks the westernmost stand of the loblolly pine and is a refuge for plants and animals more typically associated with the southeastern United States where the tree originated. Surrounded now by pastures and scattered oak woodlands, the Lost Pines supports a remarkable ecosystem, a primeval sanctuary amidst the urban bustle of nearby Austin and of neighboring communities Bastrop, Elgin, and Smithville. This 100,000 acre island includes portions of Bastrop and Buescher State Parks, and it was here that Stephen W. Taber and Scott Fleenor encountered insect life of astonishing diversity. Setting out to identify and describe the insects and related animals most readily observed in the Lost Pines, they also discovered some hidden, rare, and never-before-described species. The result is this book, a bestiary of more than 280 species of invertebrates including insects, millipedes, centipedes, spiders, scorpions, mollusks, and worms. Each species description includes common and scientific names; information on biology, distribution, and similar species; and the authors’ special remarks. Many of these animals occur outside the forest, making Insects of the Texas Lost Pines a useful guide to Texas invertebrates in general. When you visit Bastrop State Park, you are likely to see more bugs and spineless creatures than any other form of animal life. The next time you go, turn over a few logs, look at the ants, and don’t swat the flies. Take along this new guide and open up a world of life in one of Texas's most unique and popular landscapes.


Ant-Plant Interactions

Ant-Plant Interactions

Author: Paulo S. Oliveira

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-08-17

Total Pages: 461

ISBN-13: 110715975X

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The first volume devoted to anthropogenic effects on interactions between ants and flowering plants, considered major parts of terrestrial ecosystems.