Insects represent over half of the planet’s biological diversity. This popular textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to this extraordinary diversity, and places entomology central to the theory and practice of evolutionary and ecological studies.
Fully revised, this fifth edition opens with a chapter concerning the popular side of insect studies, including insects in citizen science, zoos and butterfly houses, and insects as food for humans and animals. Key features of insect
structure, function, behaviour, ecology and classification are integrated with appropriate molecular studies. Much of the book is organized around major biological themes: living on the ground, in water, on plants, in colonies, and as predators, parasites/parasitoids and prey insects. A strong evolutionary theme is maintained throughout.
There is major revision to the chapter on systematics and a new chapter, Insects in a Changing World, includes insect responses to, and the consequences of, both climate change and human-assisted global alterations to distributions. Updated ‘Taxoboxes’ demonstrate topical issues and provide concise information on all aspects of each of the 28 major groupings (orders) of insects, plus the three orders of non-insect hexapods. New boxes describe a worrying increase in insect threats to landscape and commercial trees (including eucalypts, palms and coffee) and explain the value of genetic data, including evolutionary developmental biology and DNA barcoding, in insect biodiversity studies.
The authors maintain the clarity and conciseness of earlier editions, and extend the profuse illustrations with new hand-drawn figures. Over 50 colour photographs, together with the informative text and an accompanying website with links to video clips, appendices, textboxes and further reading lists, encourage a deeper scientific study of insects. The book is intended as the principal text for students studying entomology, as well as a reference text for undergraduate and graduate courses in the fields of ecology, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, palaeontology, zoology, and medical and veterinary science.
Table of Contents
List of colour plates ix
List of boxes xiii
Preface to the fifth edition xv
Preface to the fourth edition xvii
Preface to the third edition xix
Preface to the second edition xxi
Preface and acknowledgments for first edition xxiii
About the companion website xxv
1 THE IMPORTANCE DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION OF INSECTS 1
1.1 What is entomology? 2
1.2 The importance of insects 2
1.3 Insect biodiversity 6
1.4 Naming and classification of insects 10
1.5 Insects in popular culture and commerce 11
1.6 Culturing insects 13
1.7 Insect conservation 14
1.8 Insects as food 20
Further reading 25
2 EXTERNAL ANATOMY 26
2.1 The cuticle 27
2.2 Segmentation and tagmosis 33
2.3 The head 35
2.4 The thorax 45
2.5 The abdomen 52
Further reading 55
3 INTERNAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 56
3.1 Muscles and locomotion 57
3.2 The nervous system and co-ordination 63
3.3 The endocrine system and the function of hormones 66
3.4 The circulatory system 69
3.5 The tracheal system and gas exchange 73
3.6 The gut digestion and nutrition 77
3.7 The excretory system and waste disposal 86
3.8 Reproductive organs 90
Further reading 93
4 SENSORY SYSTEMS AND BEHAVIOUR 95
4.1 Mechanical stimuli 96
4.2 Thermal stimuli 105
4.3 Chemical stimuli 107
4.4 Insect vision 117
4.5 Insect behaviour 122
Further reading 124
5 REPRODUCTION 125
5.1 Bringing the sexes together 126
5.2 Courtship 128
5.3 Sexual selection 128
5.4 Copulation 131
5.5 Diversity in genitalic morphology 136
5.6 Sperm storage fertilization and sex determination 139
5.7 Sperm competition 140
5.8 Oviparity (egg-laying) 144
5.9 Ovoviviparity and viviparity 150
5.10 Other modes of reproduction 150
5.11 Physiological control of reproduction 153
Further reading 154
6 INSECT DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE HISTORIES 156
6.1 Growth 157
6.2 Life-history patterns and phases 158
6.3 Process and control of moulting 169
6.4 Voltinism 172
6.5 Diapause 173
6.6 Dealing with environmental extremes 174
6.7 Migration 178
6.8 Polymorphism and polyphenism 180
6.9 Age-grading 181
6.10 Environmental effects on development 183
Further reading 188
7 INSECT SYSTEMATICS: PHYLOGENY AND CLASSIFICATION 190
7.1 Systematics 191
7.2 The extant Hexapoda 201
7.3 Informal group Entognatha: Collembola (springtails) Diplura (diplurans) and Protura (proturans) 202
7.4 Class Insecta (true insects) 203
Further reading 224
8 INSECT EVOLUTION AND BIOGEOGRAPHY 227
8.1 Relationships of the Hexapoda to other Arthropoda 228
8.2 The antiquity of insects 229
8.3 Were the first insects aquatic or terrestrial? 236
8.4 Evolution of wings 238
8.5 Evolution of metamorphosis 241
8.6 Insect diversification 242
8.7 Insect biogeography 244
8.8 Insect evolution in the Pacific 245
Further reading 247
9 GROUND-DWELLING INSECTS 249
9.1 Insects of litter and soil 250
9.2 Insects and dead trees or decaying wood 260
9.3 Insects and dung 261
9.4 Insect–carrion interactions 264
9.5 Insect–fungal interactions 265
9.6 Cavernicolous insects 268
9.7 Environmental monitoring using ground-dwelling hexapods 268
Further reading 270
10 AQUATIC INSECTS 271
10.1 Taxonomic distribution and terminology 272
10.2 The evolution of aquatic lifestyles 275
10.3 Aquatic insects and their oxygen supplies 277
10.4 The aquatic environment 282
10.5 Environmental monitoring using aquatic insects 284
10.6 Functional feeding groups 285
10.7 Insects of temporary waterbodies 286
10.8 Insects of the marine intertidal and littoral zones 287
Further reading 288
11 INSECTS AND PLANTS 289
11.1 Coevolutionary interactions between insects and plants 291
11.2 Phytophagy (or herbivory) 293
11.3 Insects and plant reproductive biology 313
11.4 Insects that live mutualistically in specialized plant structures 318
Further reading 320
12 INSECT SOCIETIES 322
12.1 Subsociality in insects 323
12.2 Eusociality in insects 327
12.3 Inquilines and parasites of social insects 345
12.4 Evolution and maintenance of eusociality 348
12.5 Success of social insects 351
Further reading 353
13 INSECT PREDATION AND PARASITISM 354
13.1 Prey/host location 355
13.2 Prey/host acceptance and manipulation 361
13.3 Prey/host selection and specificity 364
13.4 Population biology – predator/parasitoid and prey/host abundance 372
13.5 The evolutionary success of insect predation and parasitism 375
Further reading 376
14 INSECT DEFENCE 377
14.1 Defence by hiding 379
14.2 Secondary lines of defence 380
14.3 Mechanical defences 382
14.4 Chemical defences 384
14.5 Defence by mimicry 388
14.6 Collective defences in gregarious and social insects 392
Further reading 396
15 MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 397
15.1 Insects as causes and vectors of disease 398
15.2 Generalized disease cycles 399
15.3 Pathogens 399
15.4 Forensic entomology 413
15.5 Insect nuisance and phobia 414
15.6 Venoms and allergens 416
Further reading 417
16 PEST MANAGEMENT 418
16.1 Insects as pests 419
16.2 The effects of insecticides 425
16.3 Integrated pest management 428
16.4 Chemical control 429
16.5 Biological control 435
16.6 Host-plant resistance to insects 447
16.7 Physical control 451
16.8 Cultural control 451
16.9 Pheromones and other insect attractants 452
16.10 Genetic manipulation of insect pests 454
Further reading 455
17 INSECTS IN A CHANGING WORLD 457
17.1 Models of change 458
17.2 Economically significant insects under climate change 463
17.3 Implications of climate change for insect biodiversity and conservation 467
17.4 Global trade and insects 468
Further reading 473
18 METHODS IN ENTOMOLOGY:COLLECTING PRESERVATIONCURATION AND IDENTIFICATION 474
18.1 Collection 475
18.2 Preservation and curation 478
18.3 Identification 488
Further reading 491
TAXOBOXES 493
1 Entognatha: non-insect hexapods(Collembola Diplura and Protura) 493
2 Archaeognatha (Microcoryphia; archaeognathans or bristletails) 495
3 Zygentoma (silverfish) 496
4 Ephemeroptera (mayflies) 497
5 Odonata (damselflies anddragonflies) 498
6 Plecoptera (stoneflies) 500
7 Dermaptera (earwigs) 500
8 Zoraptera (zorapterans or angelinsects) 501
9 Orthoptera (grasshoppers locustskatydids and crickets) 502
10 Embioptera (Embiidina Emboidea;embiopterans or webspinners) 503
11 Phasmatodea (phasmids stick-insects or walking sticks) 503
12 Grylloblattodea (Grylloblattaria or Notoptera; grylloblattids ice crawlers or rock crawlers) 504
13 Mantophasmatodea (heelwalkers) 505
14 Mantodea (mantids mantises or praying mantids) 506
15 Blattodea: roach families (cockroaches or roaches) 507
16 Blattodea: epifamily Termitoidae (former order Isoptera; termites “white ants”) 508
17 Psocodea: “Psocoptera” (bark lice and book lice) 509
18 Psocodea: “Phthiraptera” (chewing lice and sucking lice) 510
19 Thysanoptera (thrips) 511
20 Hemiptera (bugs moss bugs cicadas leafhoppers planthoppers spittle bugs treehoppers aphids jumping plant lice scale insects and whiteflies) 512
21 Neuropterida: Neuroptera (lacewings owlflies and antlions) Megaloptera (alderflies dobsonflies and fishflies) and Raphidioptera (snakeflies) 514
22 Coleoptera (beetles) 516
23 Strepsiptera (strepsipterans) 517
24 Diptera (true flies) 519
25 Mecoptera (hangingflies scorpionflies and snowfleas) 520
26 Siphonaptera (fleas) 521
27 Trichoptera (caddisflies) 522
28 Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) 523
29 Hymenoptera (ants bees wasps sawflies and wood wasps) 524
Glossary 526
References 555
Index 563
Appendix: A reference guide to orders 589
