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.
Sobre o autor
Penny Gullan and Peter Cranston are adjunct professors in Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, in the Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, where they conduct research on the biodiversity and systematics of Coccoidea and Chironomidae, respectively. Both maintain emeritus connections with the Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, USA.
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