Charles W. Heckman - Böcker

This book recounts the habits of many interesting and unusual exceptions to the rule that insects are typically terrestrial forms of life. It examines the different ways that groups of species have developed modes of existence in or on the surface of water, and gives reasons why the gross morphology of insects is not favorable for life in or near bodies of water, such as wings that fail to function after coming into contact with water, rendering them useless.

Superbly written, this is an account by a participant in the airlift that supplied the blockaded capital of the Khmer Republic and several provincial capitals with food and other necessities of life during the last year of the United States' direct involvement in the Indochina War. Civilian pilots from many nations stepped in to fill the gap left by the departing American armed forces; they had to contend not only with makeshift facilities and heavy fire from the invading Vietnamese but also with a monumentally inept and corrupt Cambodian bureaucracy, which hindered the effective operation of the airlift in countless way.

This text provides an in-depth analysis of the ecological relationships in the northern part of the world's largest wetland in a near-natural state. It offers a survey of the flora and fauna of the region, which should make it particularly interesting for researchers in biodiversity and the biogeography of the Neotropical Region. It surveys this vast area of seasonally flooded plains of all major taxa of plants and animals, providing data obtained during a study lasting nearly four years and information available in myriad short publications in journals, many of which are hard to obtain. The book should be of interest to researchers in the wet-and-dry climatic zone of the tropics worldwide and to ecologists in South America in particular. It is meant to be a basic sourcebook of tropical ecology and wetland biology.

This text is designed to facilitate identification of South American insects likely to be encountered in, on, or near water, on wetlands, and in unusual aquatic habitats, such as bromelias, pitcher plants, and mosses. In the case of some taxa encompassing both aquatic and terrestrial species, it is expanded to permit identification of all species, regardless of habitat. This work begins with a short general introduction. The scope for the first volume is the Collembola. It includes all species known from South America by the end of the 1990s and permits a state-of-the-art identification to species. In the case of specimens belonging to undescribed species or those not previously reported from South America, it permits identification to genus or family and gives the reader reasonable certainty that his specimen does not belong to the known fauna of the continent. The keys are richly illustrated to permit non-specialists in the group to reliably identify specimens. Taxnomic revisions are intentionally avoided, but doubtful taxa are so-designated in the key.

After a general introduction to the study of Ephemeroptera, the mayflies, this text provides illustrated keys for the identification of all species in South America that were described by the beginning of 2002. The many illustrations facilitate identification of a mayfly specimen to species with reasonable certainty if the life stage has been described. If it has not been described, that is also clear from the information in the keys, letting taxonomists know where future studies would be fruitful. The book should prove useful to all scientists and students investigating the mayflies of South America.

This text is part of a series designed to facilitate identification of South American insects likely to be encountered in, on, or near water, on wetlands, and in unusual aquatic habitats. It permits identification of all known adults and larvae. Each volume of the "Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects" begins with a short general introduction. The scope of this volume is the Plecoptera. It includes all species known from South America as of the year 2002 and permits a state-of-the-art identification of the species. In the case of specimens belonging to undescribed species or those not previously reported from South America, it permits identification to genus or family and gives the reader reasonable certainty that his specimen does not belong to the known fauna of the continent. The keys are richly illustrated to permit non-specialists in the group to reliably identify specimens. Taxonomic revisions are intentionally avoided, but doubtful taxa are so designated in the keys. The volume is meant for anyone interested in identifying aquatic stoneflies, including entomologists, stream biologists, ecologists, zoogeographers, fishery biologists and naturalists.

Anisoptera, the first of two volumes on the Odonata, encompasses the large dragonfly species. The text introduces keys to identification of adult dragonflies and the known larvae, including anatomical features, known ranges of the species, synonyms, and citations of literature.

The original goal was to include all genera known from South America and all species from Brazil, but for most groups, the scope was expanded to encompass all species in South America, and, in some cases, to include terrestrial species of orders that include both terrestrial and aquatic taxa.

This book recounts the habits of many interesting and unusual exceptions to the rule that insects are typically terrestrial forms of life. It examines the different ways that groups of species have developed modes of existence in or on the surface of water, and gives reasons why the gross morphology of insects is not favorable for life in or near bodies of water, such as wings that fail to function after coming into contact with water, rendering them useless.

This order once encompassed all insects with a complex network of wing veins, regardless of whether their metamorphosis was incomplete or complete.  By the early 20th century, most of the species had been transferred to new orders, leaving only a small percentage of the insects once assigned to the Neuroptera remaining in that order.  By the second half of the 20th century, some of the taxonomists began to believe that the fragmentation of this order had gone too far, and that the order Megaloptera needed to be grouped in some way with Neuroptera, either by making them suborders of the same order or by creating a superorder to accommodate both.This volume provides a discussion of both taxa, tentatively regrouping both in the order Neuroptera.  While all known species of Megaloptera in South America have completely aquatic larval stages, few species in the suborder Planipennia, formerly called Neuroptera sensu stricto, are aquatic during any of their life stages.  The most interesting of the exceptions are species in the family Sisyridae, some of which develop as larvae inside freshwater sponges.Because only a relatively small number of species are still included in Neuroptera sensu lato, this book provides keys to all known South American species that have been described well enough to be identified with any degree of certainty.  Many species in the family Chloropidae, the neuropteran family with the greatest number of recognized species in South America, have proven to be valuable as biological controls for insect pests in agriculture.  Their importance for tropical agriculture is another reason for including terrestrial species in this book. The series will continue with volumes providing keys to identify species of other South American orders, but in most cases, only aquatic insects can be included in the keys to the species.

This order once encompassed all insects with a complex network of wing veins, regardless of whether their metamorphosis was incomplete or complete.  By the early 20th century, most of the species had been transferred to new orders, leaving only a small percentage of the insects once assigned to the Neuroptera remaining in that order.  By the second half of the 20th century, some of the taxonomists began to believe that the fragmentation of this order had gone too far, and that the order Megaloptera needed to be grouped in some way with Neuroptera, either by making them suborders of the same order or by creating a superorder to accommodate both.This volume provides a discussion of both taxa, tentatively regrouping both in the order Neuroptera.  While all known species of Megaloptera in South America have completely aquatic larval stages, few species in the suborder Planipennia, formerly called Neuroptera sensu stricto, are aquatic during any of their life stages.  The most interesting of the exceptions are species in the family Sisyridae, some of which develop as larvae inside freshwater sponges.Because only a relatively small number of species are still included in Neuroptera sensu lato, this book provides keys to all known South American species that have been described well enough to be identified with any degree of certainty.  Many species in the family Chloropidae, the neuropteran family with the greatest number of recognized species in South America, have proven to be valuable as biological controls for insect pests in agriculture.  Their importance for tropical agriculture is another reason for including terrestrial species in this book. The series will continue with volumes providing keys to identify species of other South American orders, but in most cases, only aquatic insects can be included in the keys to the species.

The Pantanal of Pocone provides an in-depth analysis of the ecological relationships in the northern part of the world's largest wetland in a near-natural state. It is the only book available that offers a survey of the flora and fauna of the region, making it particularly interesting for researchers in biodiversity and the biogeography of the Neotropical Region. It stands out among the few books on this vast area of seasonally flooded plains in surveying all major taxa of plants and animals, providing data obtained during a study lasting nearly four years and information available in myriad short publications in journals, many of which are very hard to obtain. The book will be of interest to researchers in the wet-and-dry climatic zone of the tropics worldwide and to ecologists in South America in particular. It is meant to be a basic sourcebook of tropical ecology and wetland biology.

This book is the first in a series designed to facilitate identification of South American insects likely to be encountered in, on, or near water, on wetlands, and in unusual aquatic habitats, such as bromelias, pitcher plants, and mosses. In the case of some taxa encompassing both aquatic and terrestrial species, it is expanded to permit identification of all species, regardless of habitat. The Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects begins with a short general introduction. The scope for the first volume is the Collembola. It includes all species known from South America by the end of the 1990s and permits a state-of-the-art identification to species. In the case of specimens belonging to undescribed species or those not previously reported from South America, it permits identification to genus or family and gives the reader reasonable certainty that his specimen does not belong to the known fauna of the continent. The keys are richly illustrated to permit non-specialists in the group to reliabily identify specimens. Taxonomic revisions are intentionally avoided, but doubtful taxa are so designated in the key.Already published within this encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Collembola ISBN: 0-7923-6704-9 Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Ephemeroptera ISBN: 1-4020-0775-2 Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Plecoptera ISBN: 1-4020-1520-8Forthcoming book titles: Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Odonata Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Orthoptera Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Heteroptera Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Neuroptera, including Megaloptera Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Trichoptera Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Lepidoptera Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Coleoptera Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Diptera Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Hymenoptera

This book is part of a series designed to facilitate identification of South American insects likely to be encountered in, on, or near water, on wetlands, and in unusual aquatic habitats. It permits identification of all known adults and larvae. Each volume of the Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects begins with a short general introduction. The scope of this volume is the Plecoptera. It includes all species known from South America as of the year 2002 and permits a state-of-the-art identification of the species. In the case of specimens belonging to undescribed species or those not previously reported from South America, it permits identification to genus or family and gives the reader reasonable certainty that his specimen does not belong to the known fauna of the continent. The keys are richly illustrated to permit non-specialists in the group to reliably identify specimens. Taxonomic revisions are intentionally avoided, but doubtful taxa are so designated in the keys. The volume is meant for anyone interested in identifying aquatic stoneflies, including entomologists, stream biologists, ecologists, zoogeographers, fishery biologists, and naturalists.Already published within this encyclopedia: -Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Collembola ISBN: 0-7923-6704-9-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Ephemeroptera ISBN: 1-4020-0775-2-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Plecoptera ISBN: 1-4020-1520-8 Forthcoming book titles: -Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Odonata-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Orthoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Heteroptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Neuroptera, including Megaloptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Trichoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Lepidoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Coleoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Diptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Hymenoptera

Anisoptera is the first of two volumes on the Odonata in the series Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects. The second will treat the Zygoptera.The Anisoptera volume encompasses the large dragonfly species. A brief review of the biology of the group includes illustrations of the main morphological features as well as explainations of alternative systems for naming the wing veins and other structures.  This will prepare the user of the volume to understand the different names for the same structures that he will encounter in the literature.   The review is then followed by keys to facilitate identification of the adult dragonflies and the known larvae, allowing the user a high probability of identifying his specimens correctly.  In addition to anatomical features, the keys include the known ranges of the species, synonyms, and citations of literature in which more information about each individual species can be obtained.  These citations are compiled in an extensive bibliography, including titles of the original publications in which descriptions of almost all South American species appeared.  Although taxonomic revisions are deliberately avoided, suggestions for additional research are provided where the validity of taxa seems doubtful.  To provide the user with the best possible opportunity to distinguish the species, the keys are richly illustrated with pen and ink drawings of thousands of individual morphological structures arranged in 797 figures.  It is certain that significant changes will occur in the systematics of South American dragonflies in the future, and this book should provide the impetus needed to accelerate the revisional work.  Meanwhile, it will provide a comprehensive overview of the Anisoptera in South America that is otherwise unavailable to most South American scientists because of the great difficulties in obtaining the hundreds of publications from numerous countries in which the descriptions and revisions of the species appeared.  It also provides young entomologists with a basic text for learning what they need to know to work effectively with the Anisoptera of South America and adjacent regions.  Already published within this encyclopedia: -Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Collembola ISBN: 0-7923-6704-9-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Ephemeroptera ISBN: 1-4020-0775-2-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Plecoptera ISBN: 1-4020-1520-8Forthcoming book titles: Forthcoming book titles: -Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Odonata - Zygoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Orthoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Heteroptera; -Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Neuroptera, including Megaloptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Trichoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Lepidoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Coleoptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Diptera-Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Hymenoptera

The original goal was to include all genera known from South America and all species from Brazil, but for most groups, the scope was expanded to encompass all species in South America, and, in some cases, to include terrestrial species of orders that include both terrestrial and aquatic taxa.

Hemiptera - Heteroptera encompasses the three well-defined suborders of the true bugs which are adapted to an aquatic or littoral habitat.  The book begins with a section on the biology these insects and provides illustrations of the basic features of their morphology and outlines the larval development.  Brief outlines of the ecological and zoogeographical peculiarities of the three aquatic suborders are presented individually, and various methods for observing, collecting, preserving, rearing, and examining specimens are discussed.Most of the book is devoted to keys for the identification of adults to species, and notes are provided that will help recognize the known larvae.  Unlike most other aquatic insects, the larval instars of the heteropteran species closely resemble the adults in their morphology, preferred habitats, and feeding habits.  Therefore, distinguishing features of those relatively few larvae which have been described in detail are usually mentioned in the keys to the adults rather than being included in separate keys.  In addition to the most important features for determining the individual species, many keys include additional notes on the morphology, which is intended to give the user a better chance of recognizing specimens of species not yet known to science.  After the currently recognized name of each species, the known range is provided.  Regions of the world outside of South America, South American countries, and the states of Brazil from which the species has been reported are listed.  Following the range information, major synonyms previously used for the species  in the literature are provided.  If subspecies have beendescribed and are still recognized as such, they are also discussed.  Finally, if the status of the species is regarded as uncertain because of a poor description, strong resemblance to another species, or any other reason, a note is added that a detailed study will be necessary to clarify the status of the taxon.  Taxonomic revisions in the book itself are strictly avoided.To provide the user of the keys with maximum assistance in making reliable identifications, the book is richly illustrated with pen and ink drawings of thousands of individual morphological structures arranged in 820 figures.  The book is intended to make a significant impact toward popularizing the study of South American water bugs by assembling and condensing the information in hundreds of individual publications on the group, which appeared in many books and journals published in many different countries over the past 200 years.  Some of these works are very difficult to obtain in South America, and their lack creates serious impediments to systematic, ecological, and zoogeographical research.  In the more than 730 titles appearing in the bibliography, the original descriptions and revisions of almost all South American species can be found.

Research was carried out in Udorn Thani beginning in September, 1975, in order to elucidate the effects of seasonal changes on the aquatic community of a rice field. Physical and chemical changes that occur during the course of a year were recorded and related to the structure and activity of the aquatic biological com­ munity. A rice field was selected that is typical of the countless habitats of this kind that are found in Northeastern Thailand (Fig. 1). For a variety of reasons these habitats and their location are of special interest (Fig. 2). Figure 1. The rice field investigated, north of the province capital, Udorn Thani, Thailand. Northeastern Thailand and a small part of Laos comprise the middle Mekong Valley. Its geographic situation and climatic conditions set this area apart as a dis­ tinct sub-region of Southeast Asia. It is unfortunate that sufficient biological research has not yet been carried out to delimit the SUb-regions according to their fauna and flora and to fully describe the various ecosystems that occur in them. The middle Mekong Valley is one of the most neglected areas of the region, and there is no comprehensive literature on its biota. Very little ecological information is available on many of the species that abound there.

The original goal was to include all genera known from South America and all species from Brazil, but for most groups, the scope was expanded to encompass all species in South America, and, in some cases, to include terrestrial species of orders comprising both terrestrial and aquatic taxa.