Freshwater invertebrates identification guide for both professionals and non-professionals. Contains a key to all the macroinvertebrate groups and photographs of live specimens.
Mayflies are one of the world’s most diverse, abundant and important aquatic insects. Famous for their brief adult life spans, mayflies play a key role in the ecology of aquatic and associated terrestrial ecosystems, and are critical bioindicators of ecosystem health. Sitting at the southern limit of Australia’s temperate zone, Tasmania is home to a diverse array of mayflies and renowned fisheries based on them. The state’s storied ‘Lambda Dun’ hatches bring fishers from all over Australia to try their luck each summer on its rivers and ponds. Yet little is known about their behaviour and ecology, and more than half of the mayflies in Tasmania have never been described. This extensively illustrated book is the first synthesis of the biology of south-east Australia’s mayflies, with a focus on those in Tasmania. It combines information gleaned from scientific literature as well as more than 30 years of the author’s studies and flyfishing experiences. It explores the biology, identification, conservation, ecology and behaviour of mayflies, and also includes fishing strategies and fly patterns. Tasmanian Mayflies is an essential information source for Australia’s aquatic biologists and for flyfishers, novice and experienced alike, who chase the insects and the fish that feed on them.
This volume is the proceedings of the IX International Conference on Ephemeroptera and the XII International Symposium on Plecoptera, held in Tucuman, Argentina. Divided into comprehensive thematic sections, the early sections cover studies on ecology and behavior ranging from life cycles and general biology to genetic divergence and vibrational communication, while the latter sections reveal the diversified studies being developed worldwide. This book will be useful for beginners and specialists, providing important data for ecological, distributional, morphological, and biogeographical studies.
Documents morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, evolutionary changes, and interactions of 23 orders of insects from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous faunas in Northern China This book showcases 23 different orders of insect fossils from the Mid Mesozoic period (165 to 125 Ma) that were discovered in Northeastern China. It covers not only their taxonomy and morphology, but also their potential implications on natural sciences, such as phylogeny, function, interaction, evolution, and ecology. It covers fossil sites; paleogeology; co-existing animals and plants in well-balanced eco-systems; insects in the spotlight; morphological evolution and functional development; and interactions of insects with co-existing plants, vertebrates, and other insects. The book also includes many elegant and beautiful photographs, line drawings, and 3-D reconstructions of fossilized and extant insects. Rhythms of Insect Evolution: Evidence from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in Northern China features chapter coverage of such insects as the: Ephemeroptera; Odonata; Blattaria; Isoptera; Orthoptera; Notoptera; Dermaptera; Chresmodidae; Phasmatodea; Plecoptera; Psocoptera; Homoptera; Heteroptera; Megaloptera; Raphidioptera; Neuroptera; Coleoptera; Hymenoptera Diptera; Mecoptera; Siphonaptera; Trichoptera and Lepidoptera. Combines academic natural science, popular science, and artistic presentation to illustrate rhythms of evolution for fossil insects from the Mid Mesozoic of Northern China Documents morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolutionary changes of 23 orders of insects from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous faunas in Northern China Presents interactions of insects with plants, vertebrates, and other insects based on well-preserved fossil evidence Uses photos of extant insects and plants, fossil and amber specimens, line drawings, and 3-D computer-generated reconstruction artworks to give readers clear and enjoyable impressions of the scientific findings Introduces insect-related stories from western and Chinese culture in text or sidebars to give global readers broader exposures Rhythms of Insect Evolution: Evidence from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in Northern China will appeal to entomologists, evolutionists, paleontologists, paleoecologists, and natural scientists.
The purpose of this volume is to encourage and facilitate focused research and provide a forum for scholarly exchange about the status of Mayfly and Stonefly science. Professor John Brittain, whose research is focused on freshwater entomology, especially egg development and life cycle strategies of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera, presents a chapter reflecting on the quality of mayflies as good indicators of global warming and the quality of streams and lakes. Professor Emeritus Andrew Sheldon, whose interests have encompassed community and population ecology of aquatic animals over a span of more than 40 years, especially insects and fishes, explores topics of Scale and Hierarchy and the Ecology of Plecoptera, discussing how studies emphasizing scale and perspective reveal importance of stoneflies to ecosystems. Other topics cover a broad base of disciplines including morphology, physiology, phylogeny, taxonomy, ecology and conservation. The chapters have been compiled into three sections for this volume: Ecology, Zoogeography and Systematics.
The published works are derived from the Zoological catalogue of Australia database. Taxa in the Australian fauna are divided among volumes to form sets of about 1800-2000 species available names, such that each volume comprises the whole or part of one or more major groups.
The book introduces basic entomology, emphasising perspectives on insect diversity important in conservation assessment and setting priorities for management, as a foundation for managers and others without entomological training or background. It bridges the gap between photographic essays on insect identification and more technical texts, to illustrate and discuss many aspects of taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary diversity in the Australian insect fauna, and its impacts in human life, through outlines of many aspects of insect natural history.
Freshwater macroinvertebrates provide a useful and reliable indicator of the health of our rivers, streams, ponds and wetlands. As environmental awareness within the community increases, there is an increasing interest in the need to assess the health of our local waterways and school curriculums are changing to reflect this important ecological trend. The Waterbug Book provides a comprehensive and accurate identification guide for both professionals and non-professionals. It contains an easy-to-use key to all the macroinvertebrate groups and, for the first time, high quality colour photographs of live specimens. It provides a wealth of basic information on the biology of macroinvertebrates, and describes the SIGNAL method for assessing river health. The Waterbug Book is full of practical tips about where to find various animals, and what their presence can tell about their environment. Winner of the 2003 Eureka Science Book Prize and the 2003 Whitley Medal.