This text presents an up-to-date account of the soft-scale insects, "Coccidae", and covers almost the entire spectrum of the knowledge of this insect family. It is divided into three sections, covering: soft scale insects; their natural enemies; and damage and control.
The history of biological control of harmful organisms by mites is marked by outstanding achievements with a few premiere natural enemies. Early works concentrated on the use of predatory mites for the control of synanthropic flies, More recently, the focus has been mostly on mites of the family Phytoseiidae for the control of plant feeding mites. This is an important family of acarine predators of plant pest mites, which are effectively used in agriculture worldwide. Besides the vast knowledge in several species in this family, there are as well many opportunities for biological control, represented in an array of organisms and through the improvement of management techniques, which are constantly explored by researchers worldwide. This has resulted in an increasing interest in predatory mite species within the families Stigmaeidae, Ascidae, Laelapidae, Rhodacaroidea, Macrochelidae, Erythraeidae and Cheyletidae, among others. This book will compile important developments with predatory mite species within these families, which are emerging as important tools for integrated pest management. New developments with predatory insects and pathogenic organisms attacking mites will also be a subject of this book. Finally, the potential and gaps in knowledge in biological control of acarine plant pests will be addressed.
Toxic substances threatens aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and ultimately human health. The book is a thoughtful effort in bringing forth the role of biotechnology for bioremediation and restoration of the ecosystems degraded by toxic and heavy metal pollution. The introductory chapters of the book deal with the understanding of the issues concerned with the pollution caused by toxic elements and heavy metals and their impacts on the different ecosystems followed by the techniques involved in monitoring of the pollution. These techniques include use of bio-indicators as well as modern techniques for the assessment and monitoring of toxicants in the environment. Detailed chapters discussing the role of microbial biota, aquatic plants, terrestrial plants to enhance the accumulation efficiency of these toxic and heavy metals are followed by remediation techniques involving myco-remediation, bio-pesticides, bio-fertilizers, phyto-remediation and rhizo-filtration. A sizable portion of the book has been dedicated to the advanced bio-remediation techniques which are finding their way from the laboratory to the field for revival of the degraded ecosystems. These involve bio-films, micro-algae, genetically modified plants and filter feeders. Furthermore, the book is a detailed comprehensive account for the treatment technologies from unsustainable to sustainable. We believe academicians, researchers and students will find this book informative as a complete reference for biotechnological intervention for sustainable treatment of pollution.
This book presents a broad view of the ecology and behavior of aquatic insects, raising awareness of this conspicuous and yet little known fauna that inhabits inland waterbodies such as rivers, lakes and streams, and is particularly abundant and diverse in tropical ecosystems. The chapters address topics such as distribution, dispersal, territoriality, mating behavior, parental care and the role of sensory systems in the response to external and internal cues. In the context of ecology, it discusses aquatic insects as bio indicators that may be used to assess environmental disturbances, either in protected or urban areas, and provides insights into how genetic connectivity can support the development of novel conservation strategies. It also explores how aquatic insects can inspire solutions for various problems faced by modern society, presenting examples in the fields of material science, optics, sensorics and robotics.
"The publication of the present work on The Wonders of Life has been occasioned by the success of The Riddle of the Universe, which was written five years prior to this volume. Within a few months of the issue of this study of the monistic philosophy, in the autumn of 1899, ten thousand copies were sold. The clear opposition of the author's monistic philosophy, based as it was on the most advanced and sound scientific knowledge, to the conventional ideas and to an outworn "revelation," led to the publication of a vast number of criticisms and attacks. The present work on the wonders of life is, as the title indicates, a supplementary volume to The Riddle of the Universe. While the latter undertook to make a comprehensive survey of the general questions of science--as cosmological problems--in the light of the monistic philosophy, the present volume is confined to the realm of organic science, or the science of life. It seeks to deal connectedly with the general problems of biology, in strict accord with the monistic and mechanical principles which had been laid down by the author in 1866 in his work titled, General Morphology. In the latter publication, special stress was placed on the universality of the law of substance and the substantial unity of nature, which had been further treated in the second and fourteenth chapters of The Riddle of the Universe. The arrangement of the vast material for this study of the wonders of life was modeled on that of the Riddle. Retained in the present volume is the division into larger and smaller sections and the synopses of the various chapters. Thus the whole biological content falls into four sections and twenty chapters"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
"This Directory is a facsimile reprint of the original Eva Crane classic that was published in 1984. From the thousands of plant species on which they had collected data, Eva Crane and her team selected 467 which could be justifiably described as the 'important world honey sources' of the book's title. For each plant species, data is provided on its economic and other uses, how much nectar / pollen and/or honeydew it provides, honey flow data (if any exist), and concerning the honey's chemical and physical properties."--Page 4 of cover.
The ultimate visual journey into the beautiful and complex world of wasps Wasps are far more diverse than the familiar yellowjackets and hornets that harass picnickers and build nests under the eaves of our homes. These amazing, mostly solitary creatures thrive in nearly every habitat on Earth, and their influence on our lives is overwhelmingly beneficial. Wasps are agents of pest control in agriculture and gardens. They are subjects of study in medicine, engineering, and other important fields. Wasps pollinate flowers, engage in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, and create architectural masterpieces in the form of their nests. This richly illustrated book introduces you to some of the most spectacular members of the wasp realm, colorful in both appearance and lifestyle. From minute fairyflies to gargantuan tarantula hawks, wasps exploit almost every niche on the planet. So successful are they at survival that other organisms emulate their appearance and behavior. The sting is the least reason to respect wasps and, as you will see, no reason to loathe them, either. Written by a leading authority on these remarkable insects, Wasps reveals a world of staggering variety and endless fascination. Packed with more than 150 incredible color photos Includes a wealth of eye-popping infographics Provides comprehensive treatments of most wasp families Describes wasp species from all corners of the world Covers wasp evolution, ecology, physiology, diversity, and behavior Highlights the positive relationships wasps share with humans and the environment
From the perspective of local scientists, this book provides insight into bees and bee management of Asia, with a special focus on honey bees. Asia is home to at least nine honey bee species, including the introduced European honey bee, Apis mellifera. Although A. mellifera and the native Asian honey bee, Apis cerana, are the most commonly employed species for commercial beekeeping, the remaining non-managed native honey bee species have important ecological and economic roles on the continent. Species distributions of most honey bee species overlap in Southeast Asia, thus promoting the potential for interspecies transmission of pests and parasites, as well as their spread to other parts of the world by human translocation. Losses of managed A. mellifera colonies is of great concern around the world, including in Asia. Such global colony losses are believed to be caused, in part, by pests and parasites originating from Asia such as the mite Varroa destructor, the microsporidian Nosema ceranae, and several bee viruses. Taking advantage of the experience of leading regional bee researchers, this book provides insight into the current situation of bees and bee management in Asia. Recent introductions of honey bee parasites of Asian origin to other parts of the world ensures that the contents of this book are broadly relevant to bee scientists, researchers, government offi cials, and the general public around the world.