"The third edition of Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates continues the tradition of in-depth coverage of the biology, ecology, phylogeny, and identification of freshwater invertebrates from the USA and Canada. This text serves as an authoritative single source for a broad coverage of the anatomy, physiology, ecology, and phylogeny of all major groups of invertebrates in inland waters of North America, north of Mexico." --Book Jacket.
The only book to deal comprehensively with insect feeding was published by C. T. Brues in 1946. His Insect Dietary was an account of insect feeding habits. Since that time there has been a revolution in biology, and almost all aspects of our understanding of insect feeding have expanded to an extent and into areas that would have been unthinkable in Brues' day. Yet, our book does not replace Insect Dietary but, instead, complements it, because our aim is to bring together information on the mechanisms by which food quality and quantity are regulated. We deliberately focus attention on the feeding process; to include food-finding would have required a much larger book and would have moved the focus away from more proximate mechanisms. This book is dedicated to the late Vincent G. Dethier. As a pioneer in studying the physiological basis of animal behavior, he focused on regulation of feeding in flies and caterpillars. His work on the blowfly, together with that by his many students and co-workers, still provides the most completely described mechanism of insect feeding. The citation of his work in almost every chapter in this book illustrates the importance of his findings and ideas to our current understanding of regulation of insect feeding. The authors in this book provide many innovative and stimulating ideas typifying Dethier's approach to the study of feeding be havior.
Readers familiar with the first three editions of Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates (edited by J.H. Thorp and A.P. Covich) will welcome the comprehensive revision and expansion of that trusted professional reference manual and educational textbook from a single North American tome into a developing multi-volume series covering inland water invertebrates of the world. The series entitled Thorp and Covich's Freshwater Invertebrates (edited by J.H. Thorp) begins with the current Volume I: Ecology and General Biology (edited by J.H. Thorp and D.C. Rogers), which is designed as a companion volume for the remaining books in the series. Those following volumes provide taxonomic coverage for specific zoogeographic regions of the world, starting with Keys to Nearctic Fauna (Vol. II) and Keys to Palaearctic Fauna (Vol. III). Volume I maintains the ecological and general biological focus of the previous editions but now expands coverage globally in all chapters, includes more taxonomic groups (e.g., chapters on individual insect orders), and covers additional functional topics such as invasive species, economic impacts, and functional ecology. As in previous editions, the 4th edition of Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates is designed for use by professionals in universities, government agencies, and private companies as well as by undergraduate and graduate students. - Global coverage of aquatic invertebrate ecology - Discussions on invertebrate ecology, phylogeny, and general biology written by international experts for each group - Separate chapters on invasive species and economic impacts and uses of invertebrates - Eight additional chapters on insect orders and a chapter on freshwater millipedes - Four new chapters on collecting and culturing techniques, ecology of invasive species, economic impacts, and ecological function of invertebrates - Overall expansion of ecology and general biology and a shift of the even more detailed taxonomic keys to other volumes in the projected 9-volume series - Identification keys to lower taxonomic levels
Acarology - the study of mites and ticks, is a subdiscipline of Zoology, and is many times considered in the field of Entomology (the study of insects). Mites and ticks are distributed throughout the world and inhabit almost every ecosystem (both terrestrial and aquatic) including grassland soils. More than 55,000 species of mites and ticks are already described. Mites and ticks directly affects humans as pests of different crops, fruit plants, vegetable crops and field crops; as parasites of human beings, veterinary animals, poultry and pets; pests of stored grains and other products; mushrooms and cheese; and as parasites of honeybees. Mite infestations are responsible for economic losses worth billions of dollars in terms of reduced crop yields and lowered quality of produce. Many species of mites serve as vectors of various plant diseases; some species of ticks cause losses through blood feeding and by transmitting many diseases among man and animals. House-dust mite allergies, and tick bite allergies are also common in many parts of the world.Present Book, "Fundamentals of Applied Acarology," is written keeping in view non-availability of any standard text dealing in different aspects of acarology at one place. Separate chapters in this book are devoted to Importance of Acarology, Historical account, acarine technology, morphology and anatomy of Acari; Feeding, Development and Reproduction. Molecular developments in relation to mites and ticks are also discussed. Role of mites and ticks in Quarantines of plants and animals; forensic/criminal investigations; and importance of accidental acarophagy are discussed in detail. Safe usage of pesticides based on their mode of action (IRAC’s Groups), development of acaricide resistance and measures to mitigate it are discussed. Mite pests of fruit trees, vegetable plants, and floricultural plants; field crops; mite problems in greenhouses/polyhouses; and mite problems encountered under organic cultivation of plants; and their management through minimum usage of pesticides are emphasized. Role of different predaceous mites in controlling plant pests like thrips, aphids and scale insects is elaborately discussed. Biological control of phytophagous mites is discussed in detail. Different animal parasitic mites and ticks are discussed from veterinary and medical point of view.At the end of each chapter, many important references for further reading; and Electronic References (ER) in the form of youtube links and other weblinks are given to understand fully how these tiny creatures look like; behave, feed and reproduce; nature of damage they cause to plants and animals; and measures to mitigate them. Weblinks will stimulate interest in the readers for more information about different mites and ticks. The knowledge contained in the book may prove as best material for "General and Applied Acarology" course for graduate and post-graduate levels, teachers and researchers in entomology, pest control advisors, professional entomologists, pesticide industry managers, policy planners, and others having interest in mites and ticks./div
The Field Guide to Freshwater Invertebrates of North America focuses on freshwater invertebrates that can be identified using at most an inexpensive magnifying glass. This Guide will be useful for experienced nature enthusiasts, students doing aquatic field projects, and anglers looking for the best fish bait, lure, or fly. Color photographs and art, as well as the broad geographic coverage, set this guide apart. - 362 color photographs and detailed descriptions aid in the identification of species - Introductory chapters instruct the reader on how to use the book, different inland water habitats and basic ecological relationships of freshwater invertebrates - Broad taxonomic coverage is more comprehensive than any guide currently available
When established four years ago, the scope of this international series in electron microscopy essentially was to provide an opportunity for the pUblication of selected review contributions by specialists in ultrastructural research. Previous volumes presented over the last three years have focused on special topics of present interest in ~'ontemporary biomedicine such as endocrine cells, reproduction, and connective tissues. In these fielCls, in fact, integrated methods of electron microscopy have contributed much to generate new ideas and concepts of general value in both basic and clinical applications. The Ultrastructure of the Digestive Tract basically follows the same guidelines and style of the other books in the series and is an invited collection of selected contributions of authors from various laboratories active in the field of electron microscopy. Therefore, although the various chapters consist of individual topics, they nevertheless should be considered as interrelated contributions of specific subjects in the field. The idea was to have critical reviews of aspects previously published elsewhere by experts in the field who, as a rule, include other relevant information in their articles in order to update and enrich the subject. This book contains fifteen chapters by renowned electron microscopists. Each chapter, according to the policy of the editors, reviews a particular topic in great detail, providing updated information, study methods and results, authors' ideas on future investigative approaches, and possible guidelines for forthcoming work. We hope that this book will be useful to cell biologists, morphologists, physiologists, and pathologists.
Entomological research benefits from a great diversity of technical approaches - from the molecular to the descriptive - and these are applied to an even greater diversity of insect species. As a consequence, common themes and trends in entomological research can often be overlooked as each researcher focuses on his or her own area of interest. The purpose of this volume is to bring together diverse areas of research under one common theme. The book is divisible into four conceptual areas: the structural biology of the midgut; digestion and transport; the insect midgut as a target for control strategies; and the idgut as an environment for other organisms. Each chapter is written by scientists active in the reviewed research area and a truly international team of contributors has been chosen by the editors. Biology of the Insect Midgut will be of immense use to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, and researchers in entomology, physiology and pest control.
A completely updated and translated edition of the author's famous book Atlas zur Biologie der Wasserinsekten. br/> This comprehensive work gives a vivid overview of the numerous adaptations of aquatic insects to life in an aquatic environment. 148 picture plates show more than 900 scanning electron microscope photographs with magnifications from 2.5 to 12,000 times natural size. Besides the habitus, they depict the wealth of morphological structures on the body surfaces. Explanatory texts as well as more than 150 additional line drawings, graphs and diagrams accompany each picture plate on its opposite page. In order to create an overview, on which the readers can orient themselves, a broad spectrum of all insect orders that include aquatic and semiaquatic insects has been chosen: Collembola, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Plecoptera, Heteroptera (Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha), Megaloptera, Planipennia, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera (Tipulidae, Limoniidae, Blephariceridae, Deuterophlebiidae, Psychodidae, Ptychopteridae, Dixidae, Chaoboridae, Culicidae, Simuliidae, Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae, Stratiomyidae, Athericidae, Tabanidae, Syrphidae, Ephydridae, Muscidae). The book includes aquatic insects from all continents and from a wide variety of aquatic habitats. The Biological Atlas of Aquatic Insects was inspired by the fascinating variety of aquatic insects and their diverse adaptations to a life in the aquatic environment. Underlying the diversity of life histories and differing life forms (burrowers, climbers, sprawlers, clingers, and swimmers) and the adaptations of mouthparts and feeding behaviour to the trophic systems (shredders, collectors, scrapers, piercers, predators, and parasites) are the necessary physiological mechanisms that make it possible for the insects to ecologically adapt to an aquatic mode of life. The central themes of the book, the basic functions of an aquatic mode of life, respiration and osmoregulation, have been described for all of the insect groups. Without these basic functions life in fresh water would not be possible. They are important physiological components and play a significant role in answering the question: What makes originally land dwelling insects turn into aquatic insects? The Biological Atlas of Aquatic Insects is intended for both professional and amateur entomologists working with aquatic insects as well as for students of biology and limnology and should reveal to them the fully adapted aquatic insects, which participate in freshwater ecosystems. The Biological Atlas of Aquatic Insects has already had some fine reviews in entomological journals.
In this volume, seven of the chapters deal with feeding and diet, which is reasonable since insects consume an estimated l5-20% of all the world's planted crops. Many insects even have a specialized larval feeding stage that usually occupies a different ecological niche to the adult and so does not compete for the adult's food stock. Other chapters describe the means by which insects maintain their water balance, nitrogen balance and temperature balance under a range of conditions. These involve regulation by hormonal and behavioural systems that are also described here. The l4 chapters are all extensively illustrated and referenced and therefore provide excellent summaries of current knowledge. They will be of great value to entomologists, zoologists and biologists in general.
