seem as appropriate now as the original balance was when Dr A. D. Imms' textbook was first published over fifty years ago. There are 35 new figures, all based on published illustrations, the sources of which are acknowledged in the captions. We are grateful to the authors concerned and also to Miss K. Priest of Messrs Chapman & Hall, who saved us from many errors and omissions, and to Mrs R. G. Davies for substantial help in preparing the bibliographies and checking references. London O.W.R. May 1976 R.G.D. Part I ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY Chapter I INTRODUCTION Definition of the Insecta (Hexapoda) The insects are tracheate arthropods in which the body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen. A single pair of antennae (homologous with the anten nules of the Crustacea) is present and the head also bears a pair of mandibles and two pairs of maxillae, the second pair fused medially to form the labium. The thorax carries three pairs of legs and usually one or two pairs of wings. The abdomen is devoid of ambulatory appendages, and the genital opening is situated near the posterior end of the body. Postembryonic development is rarely direct and a metamorphosis usually occurs.
INSECTS PROVIDE an ideal medium in which to study all the problems of physiology. But if this medium is to be used to the best advantage, the principles and peculiarities of the insect's organization must be first appreciated. It is the purpose of this book to set forth these principles so far as they are understood at the present day. There exist already many excellent text-books of general ento mology; notably those of Imms, Weber, and Snodgrass, to mention only the more recent. But these authors have necessarily been preoccupied chiefly with describing the diversity of form among insects; discussions on function being correspondingly condensed. In the present work the emphasis is reversed. Struc ture is described only to an extent sufficient to make the physiological argument intelligible. Every anatomical peculiarity, every ecological specialization, has indeed its physiological counterpart. In that sense, anatomy, physiology and ecology are not separable. But regarded from the standpoint from which the present work is written, the endless modifications that are met with among insects are but illustrations of the general principles of their physiology, which it is the aim of this book to set forth. Completeness in such a work is not possible, or desirable; but an endeavour has been made to illustrate each physiological characteristic by a few concrete examples, and to include sufficient references to guide the student to the more important sources. The physiology of insects is to some the handmaid of Economic Entomology.
In the last decades a remarkable renaissance has materialized in insect morphology, mainly triggered by the development of new cutting-edge technologies. This is an exciting time for biological synthesis where the mysteries and data derived from genomes can be combined with centuries of data from morphology and development. And, now, more than ever, detailed knowledge of morphology is essential to understanding the evolution of all groups of organisms. In this “age of phylogenomics” researchers rely on morphological data to support molecular findings, test complex evolutionary scenarios, and for placing fossil taxa. This textbook provides an in-depth treatment of the structures and the phylogeny of the megadiverse Hexapoda. The first part presents an up-to-date overview of general insect morphology with detailed drawings, scanning electron micrographs, and 3-D reconstructions. Also included is a chapter covering innovative morphological techniques (e.g., μ-computer tomography, 3-D modeling), brief treatments of insect development and phylogenetic methods, and a comprehensive morphological glossary. The second part is of a modern synthesis of insect systematics that includes taxon-specific morphological information for all Orders. The work is an invaluable reference for students and researchers working in all facets of biology and is a must for evolutionary biologists. A detailed understanding of morphology is essential in unraveling phylogenetic relationships and developing complex evolutionary scenarios. Increasingly researchers in phylogenomics are re/turning to morphological data to support their findings, while the development of new cutting-edge technologies has further increased interest in this growing field. This definitive handbook provides an in-depth treatment of insect morphology. The first part presents an up-to-date overview of insect morphology with detailed drawings, brilliant scanning electron micrographs and 3-D reconstructions as interactive PDFs. This is complemented by a chapter on innovative morphological techniques (e.g., μ-computer tomography, 3-D modeling) and a comprehensive morphological glossary. The second part treats the state of the art in insect systematics and includes taxon-specific morphological information for all orders. Systematics are treated formally, with for example the arguments for relationships (“apomorphies”) always listed explicitly. The work is a useful reference for students and researchers working in different fields of biology and a must for those dealing with insects from an evolutionary perspective.
seem as appropriate now as the original balance was when Dr A. D. Imms' textbook was first published over fifty years ago. There are 35 new figures, all based on published illustrations, the sources of which are acknowledged in the captions. We are grateful to the authors concerned and also to Miss K. Priest of Messrs Chapman & Hall, who saved us from many errors and omissions, and to Mrs R. G. Davies for substantial help in preparing the bibliographies and checking references. London O. W. R. R. G. D. May 1976 Part III THEORDERSOFINSECTS THE CLASSIFICATION AND PHYLOGENY OF INSECTS The classification of insects has passed through many changes and with the growth of detailed knowledge an increasing number of orders has come to be recognized. Handlirsch (1908) and Wilson and Doner (1937) have reviewed the earlier attempts at classification, among which the schemes of Brauer (1885), Sharp (1899) and Borner (1904) did much to define the more distinctive recent orders. In 1908 Handlirsch published a more revolutionary system, incorporating recent and fossil forms, which gave the Collembola, Thysanura and Diplura the status of three independent Arthropodan classes and considered as separate orders such groups as the Sialoidea, Raphidioidea, Heteroptera and Homoptera. He also split up the old order Orthoptera, gave its components ordinal rank and regrouped them with some of the other orders into a subclass Orthopteroidea and another subclass Blattaeformia.
Cockroaches are ideal subjects for laboratory investigation at all educational levels. Compared with many other laboratory animals, cockroaches are easily and inexpensively maintained and cultured and require relatively little space. They are hardy and are readily available. The purpose of this book is to provide background material and experimental leads for utilizing cockroaches in the teaching laboratory and in designing research projects. The level of difficulty of the experiments varies according to the depth of understanding desi red by the instructor. In most cases at least a part of each experiment or technique can be incorporated into the laboratory component of elementary, high school or college curriculum. Sections of the lab book are appropriate for courses in Animal Behavior, Entomology, Organismic Biology and Insect Physiology. Aside from this main purpose, the book also provides a wealth of experimental ideas and techniques for a scientist at any level of education. Lawrence, Kansas June 15, 1981 W. J. B. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Virtually all graduate students who have worked on cockroach research in my laboratory have knowingly or unknowingly contributed to this book. The most important contribution was from Sandy Jones McPeak, who encouraged me to finish the project. Segments of various chapters were conceived, developed or reviewed by Michael D. Breed, Sandy Jones McPeak, Michael K. Rust, Coby Schal, Thomas R. Tobin, W. Alexander Hawkins, Gary R. Sams and Chris Parsons Sams.
