Insekter

Half of all insect species are dependent on living plant tissues, consuming about 10% of plant annual production in natural habitats and an even greater percentage in agricultural systems, despite sophisticated control measures. Plants possess defences that are effective against almost all herbivorous insect species. Host-plant specialization, observed in over 80% of these animals, appears to be an effective adaptation to breach these defence systems. The mechanisms underlying plant defence to invading herbivores on the one side, and insect adaptations to utilize plants for nutrition, defence and shelter on the other, are the main subjects of this book. In the case of plants exposed to insect herbivores, they include the activation of defence systems in order to minimize damage, as well as the emission of chemical signals that may attract natural enemies of the invading herbivores and may be exploited by neighbouring plants that mount defences as well. For insects, they include complex bevioural adaptations and their underlying sensory systems (with their implications for learning and nutritional plasticity), as well as the endocrinological aspects of life cycle synchronization with host-plant phenology.Insect-Plant Biology discusses the operation of these mechanisms at the molecular and organismal levels and explicitly puts these in the context of both ecological interactions and evolutionary processes. In doing so, it uncovers the highly intricate antagonistic as well as mutualistic interactions that have evolved between plants and insects. The book concludes with a chapter on the application of our knowledge of insect-plant interactions to agricultural production.This multidisciplinary approach will appeal to students in biology, agricultural entomology, ecology, and indeed anyone interested in the principles underlying the relationships between the two largest groups of organisms on earth: plants and insects.

This landmark work, the distillation of a lifetime of research by the world’s leading myrmecologists, is a thoroughgoing survey of one of the largest and most diverse groups of animals on the planet. Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson review in exhaustive detail virtually all topics in the anatomy, physiology, social organization, ecology, and natural history of the ants. In large format, with almost a thousand line drawings, photographs, and paintings, it is one of the most visually rich and all-encompassing views of any group of organisms on earth. It will be welcomed both as an introduction to the subject and as an encyclopedia reference for researchers in entomology, ecology, and sociobiology.

There is not just one story of silk. In silk is science, history and mythology. In silk is the future. Aarathi Prasad’s Silk is a gorgeous new history weaving together the story of a unique material that has fascinated the world for millennia. Through the scientists who have studied silk, and the biology of the animals from which it has been drawn, Prasad explores the global history, natural history, and future of a unique material that has fascinated the world for millennia.For silk, prized for its lightness, luminosity, and beauty is also one of the strongest biological materials ever known. More than a century ago, it was used to make the first bulletproof vest, and yet science has barely even begun to tap its potential. As the technologies it has inspired – from sutures to pharmaceuticals, replacement body parts to holograms – continue to be developed in laboratories around the world, they are now also beginning to offer a desperately needed, sustainable alternative to the plastics choking our planet.Prasad's Silk is a cultural and biological history from the origins and ancient routes of silk to the biologists who learned the secrets of silk-producing animals, manipulating the habitats and physiologies of moths, spiders and molluscs. Because there is more than one silk, there is more than one story of silk. More than one road, more than one people who discovered it, and wove its threads.From the moths of China, Indonesia and India to the spiders of South America and Madagascar, to the silk-producing molluscs of the Mediterranean, Silk is a book rich in the passionate connections made by women and men of science to the diversity of the animal world. It is an intoxicating mix of biography, intellectual history and science writing that brings to life the human obsession with silk.

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 insectstructure, 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.

Beekeeping is a sixteen-billion-dollar-a-year business. But the invaluable honey bee now faces severe threats from diseases, mites, pesticides, and overwork, not to mention the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder, which causes seemingly healthy bees to abandon their hives en masse, never to return. In The Quest for the Perfect Hive, entomologist Gene Kritsky offers a concise, beautifully illustrated history of beekeeping, tracing the evolution of hive design from ancient Egypt to the present. Not simply a descriptive account, the book suggests that beekeeping's long history may in fact contain clues to help beekeepers fight the decline in honey bee numbers. Kritsky guides us through the progression from early mud-based horizontal hives to the ascent of the simple straw skep (the inverted basket which has been in use for over 1,500 years), from hive design's Golden Age in Victorian England up through the present. He discusses what worked, what did not, and what we have forgotten about past hives that might help counter the menace to beekeeping today. Indeed, while we have sequenced the honey bee genome and advanced our knowledge of the insects themselves, we still keep our bees in hives that have changed little during the past century. If beekeeping is to survive, Kritsky argues, we must start inventing again. We must find the perfect hive for our times. For thousands of years, the honey bee has been a vital part of human culture. The Quest for the Perfect Hive not only offers a colorful account of this long history, but also provides a guide for ensuring its continuation into the future.

Insects are essential for life as we know it. There are at least one million species of insects, together making up over 80 per cent of all living species on Earth. Around 10,000 new species of insects are discovered every year. In Insectarium learn about the secret world thriving right underneath your feet. How did insects evolve into what they are today? How do they work together and how do they defend themselves? Explore the rooms of Insectarium and meet the beautiful demoiselle and the gigantic goliath beetle. Learn why these small creatures have such a huge impact on the world around us, and why we should be protecting them. This latest addition to the Welcome to the Museum series will appeal to any budding entomologist or nature lover with a thirst for more knowledge.Written by award-winning author, Dave Goulson.

A rich and surprising exploration of the intelligence of bees Most of us are aware of the hive mind—the power of bees as an amazing collective. But do we know how uniquely intelligent bees are as individuals? In The Mind of a Bee, Lars Chittka draws from decades of research, including his own pioneering work, to argue that bees have remarkable cognitive abilities. He shows that they are profoundly smart, have distinct personalities, can recognize flowers and human faces, exhibit basic emotions, count, use simple tools, solve problems, and learn by observing others. They may even possess consciousness.Taking readers deep into the sensory world of bees, Chittka illustrates how bee brains are unparalleled in the animal kingdom in terms of how much sophisticated material is packed into their tiny nervous systems. He looks at their innate behaviors and the ways their evolution as foragers may have contributed to their keen spatial memory. Chittka also examines the psychological differences between bees and the ethical dilemmas that arise in conservation and laboratory settings because bees feel and think. Throughout, he touches on the fascinating history behind the study of bee behavior.Exploring an insect whose sensory experiences rival those of humans, The Mind of a Bee reveals the singular abilities of some of the world’s most incredible creatures.

He met his wife Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell on a research trip to the dragonflies of Japan.Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell has been studying and filming dragonflies for 30 years.

A beautifully illustrated introduction to the incredible variety of bees from around the worldWhen many people think of bees, they are likely to picture the western domesticated honey bee, insects that live in large, socially complex societies inside a hive with a single queen and thousands of workers. But this familiar bee is just one of more than 20,000 species of bees—and almost none of the others is anything like it. In Bees of the World, Laurence Packer, one of the world’s foremost experts on wild bees, celebrates the amazing diversity of bees—from size and appearance to nests and social organization.Providing clear, accurate accounts of the seven bee families, Bees of the World presents all the key information on generic characteristics, habits, and habitat, illustrated with incredible and often rare photographs that show bees in their natural habitats—foraging, nesting, raising their young, and more. The book reveals the secrets of these extraordinary insects as well as their importance in the global ecosystem and the ways humans can help protect them.Provides a richly illustrated exploration of bees from around the worldExamines more than 100 genera of bees, giving a taste of the remarkable breadth of bee appearance and biologyExplores bee anatomy, behavior, classification, evolution, life cycle, and habitats

A highly illustrated and authoritative introduction to the world’s OrthopteraGrasshoppers, locusts, crickets, bush crickets, and katydids make up the order of insects known as Orthoptera. Although there are about 30,000 species of Orthoptera around the world, many people pay little attention to them and even scientists know relatively little about them. Yet the world of grasshoppers is a fascinating and diverse one. In this richly illustrated book, leading researchers from around the world detail the many facets of these insects, including their evolution, life cycles, and mating behavior. The book presents interesting facts and stories about species such as monkey hoppers, Cooloola monsters, king crickets, wetas, and sandgropers. It also describes efforts to protect grasshoppers and the relationship between humans and these insects.The book features four main sections:Orthoptera in space and time: fossil record, evolution, and systematicsThe biology of Orthoptera: life cycle, ecology, and bioacousticsThe diversity of Orthoptera by geographic regionOrthoptera and humans: locusts, Orthoptera as food, Orthoptera as pets, and conservation

A lavishly illustrated guide to the diversity of the world’s butterfliesConspicuous for their beauty, butterflies are one of the most popular and well-studied insects. This book explores the astonishing variety of butterfly species around the world and examines their central role in maintaining a range of delicate ecosystems. Their sensitivity to changes in the environment across their life stages makes them effective indicators for monitoring the health of habitats and populations. The use of a variety of strategies has ensured their survival, such as the ability to shift host plants at different life stages and the colorful wing patterns they use for mimicry, camouflage, and predator deterrence. In this expert guide, the introductory section covers topics ranging from anatomy and evolution to life stages and conservation. A directory of profiles follows, highlighting the remarkable appearance, characteristics, and ecology of notable species. Blending the latest science with breathtaking illustrations, Butterflies of the World is the premier guide to these exquisite creatures.More than 200 stunning color photosEach profile features current taxonomy, a commentary, distribution map, and table of informationIncludes examples from every butterfly family and subfamily

For many of us, the buzzing of a bee elicits panic. But the next time you hear that low droning sound, look closer: the beehas navigated to this particular spot for a reason using a fascinating set of tools. She may be using her sensitive olfactoryorgans, which provide a 3D scent map of her surroundings. She may be following visual landmarks or instructionsrelayed by a hive-mate. She may even be tracking electrostatic traces left on flowers by other bees. What a Bee Knows:Exploring the Thoughts, Memories, and Personalities of Bees invites us to follow bees’ mysterious paths and experience theiralien world.Although their brains are incredibly small—just one million neurons compared to humans’ 100 billion—bees haveremarkable abilities to navigate, learn, communicate, and remember. In What a Bee Knows, entomologist StephenBuchmann explores a bee’s way of seeing the world and introduces the scientists who make the journey possible. We travel into the field and to the laboratories of noted bee biologists who have spent their careers digging into the questionsmost of us never thought to ask (for example: Do bees dream? And if so, why?). With each discovery, Buchmann’sinsatiable curiosity and sense of wonder is infectious.What a Bee Knows will challenge your idea of a bee’s place in the world—and perhaps our own. This lively journey into abee’s mind reminds us that the world is more complex than our senses can tell us.

A marvelously illustrated guide to the world’s mothsWith more than 160,000 named species, moths are a familiar sight to most of us, flickering around lights, pollinating wildflowers about meadows and gardens, and as unwelcome visitors to our woolens. They come in a variety of colors, from earthy greens and browns to gorgeous patterns of infinite variety, and range in size from enormous atlas moths to tiny leafmining moths. Moths of the World is an essential guide to this astonishing group of insects, highlighting their remarkable diversity, miraculous metamorphoses, marvelous caterpillars, and much more.Features hundreds of breathtaking color photos of moths from around the worldCovers anatomy, evolution, life cycle, behavior, ecology, and conservationProfiles species from every major family, showcasing their endless variety of sizes, colors, shapes, and fascinating life historiesDiscusses habitats, distribution, and hostplant associationsWritten by a world-renowned expertA Guide to Every Family is a richly illustrated series covering some of the world’s most fascinating organisms, using a family-by-family approach wherever possible. Each book explores key topics such as anatomy, evolution, habitats, and lifestyle, and includes profiles of selected species to reveal the remarkable breadth of characteristics, appearance, and behavior across genera and families. Stunning color photographs, distribution maps, tables of information, and compelling species accounts combine to make this series irresistible for anyone interested in natural history at the global scale.

A beautiful and unique guide to Britain’s bees – a perfect gift for all gardeners and nature loversBees are much-loved and hugely important creatures. But most of us know next to nothing about them. There are actually over 200 species in this country. They live in burrows, holes in trees and even empty snail shells. They have favourite flowers. Some even sleep curled up in the blooms.They are more fascinating, beautiful and surprising than you can imagine. Once you start to notice bees, sitting in the garden or going for a stroll will never be the same.This handy little guide is the perfect way to start the journey. It’s beautifully illustrated and has a delightful and thoughtful text by one of Britain’s leading bee experts, Dave Goulson, author of the best-selling ‘Garden Jungle’.Discover mason bees and mining bees, cuckoo bees and carder bees, even a couple of convincing bee impersonators. Learn to distinguish your white-tailed bumblebee from your buff-tailed bumblebee, your pantaloon bee from your hairy-footed flower bee.

An eagerly anticipated addition to the New Naturalist series.The shieldbug is an amazing and beautiful species, rich with diversity in shape, form, size, life history, ecology, physiology and behaviour. But they are not commonly known, outside of specialist circles.Richard Jones’ groundbreaking New Naturalist volume on shieldbugs encourages those enthusiasts who would otherwise be put off by the, to date, rather technical literature that has dominated the field, providing a comprehensive natural history of this fascinating and beautiful group of insects.

An eagerly anticipated addition to the New Naturalist series.The shieldbug is an amazing and beautiful species, rich with diversity in shape, form, size, life history, ecology, physiology and behaviour. But they are not commonly known, outside of specialist circles.Richard Jones’ groundbreaking New Naturalist volume on shieldbugs encourages those enthusiasts who would otherwise be put off by the, to date, rather technical literature that has dominated the field, providing a comprehensive natural history of this fascinating and beautiful group of insects.

‘A funny and beautifully written welcome to the enigmatic, weird and wonderful world of wasps’ DAVE GOULSON, author of SILENT EARTHThere may be no insect with a worse reputation than the wasp, and none guarding so many undiscovered wonders. Where bees and ants have long been the darlings of the insect world, wasps are much older, cleverer and more diverse. They are the bee’s evolutionary ancestors – flying 100 million years earlier – and today they are just as essential for the survival of our environment. A bee, ecologist Professor Seirian Sumner argues, is just a wasp that has forgotten how to hunt. For readers of Entangled Life, Other Minds and The Gospel of Eels, this is a book to upturn your expectations about one overlooked animal and the wider architecture of our natural world.With endless surprises, this book might teach you about the wasps that spend their entire lives sealed inside a fig, about stinging wasps, about parasitic wasps, about wasps that turn cockroaches into living zombies, about how wasps taught us to make paper.It offers up a maligned insect in all its diverse, unexpected splendour; as both predator and pollinator, the wasp is an essential pest controller worldwide. Inside their sophisticated social worlds is the best model we have for the earth’s major evolutionary transitions. In their understudied biology are clues to progressing medicine, including a possible cure for cancer.The closer you look at these spurned, winged insects – both custodians and bouncers of our planet – the more you see. Their secrets have so far gone mostly untapped, but the potential of the wasp is endless.

‘A funny and beautifully written welcome to the enigmatic, weird and wonderful world of wasps’ DAVE GOULSON, author of SILENT EARTHThere may be no insect with a worse reputation than the wasp, and none guarding so many undiscovered wonders. Where bees and ants have long been the darlings of the insect world, wasps are much older, cleverer and more diverse. They are the bee’s evolutionary ancestors – flying 100 million years earlier – and today they are just as essential for the survival of our environment. A bee, ecologist Professor Seirian Sumner argues, is just a wasp that has forgotten how to hunt. For readers of Entangled Life, Other Minds and The Gospel of Eels, this is a book to upturn your expectations about one overlooked animal and the wider architecture of our natural world.With endless surprises, this book might teach you about the wasps that spend their entire lives sealed inside a fig, about stinging wasps, about parasitic wasps, about wasps that turn cockroaches into living zombies, about how wasps taught us to make paper.It offers up a maligned insect in all its diverse, unexpected splendour; as both predator and pollinator, the wasp is an essential pest controller worldwide. Inside their sophisticated social worlds is the best model we have for the earth’s major evolutionary transitions. In their understudied biology are clues to progressing medicine, including a possible cure for cancer.The closer you look at these spurned, winged insects – both custodians and bouncers of our planet – the more you see. Their secrets have so far gone mostly untapped, but the potential of the wasp is endless.

‘A funny and beautifully written welcome to the enigmatic, weird and wonderful world of wasps’ DAVE GOULSON, author of SILENT EARTHThere may be no insect with a worse reputation than the wasp, and none guarding so many undiscovered wonders. Where bees and ants have long been the darlings of the insect world, wasps are much older, cleverer and more diverse. They are the bee’s evolutionary ancestors – flying 100 million years earlier – and today they are just as essential for the survival of our environment. A bee, ecologist Professor Seirian Sumner argues, is just a wasp that has forgotten how to hunt. For readers of Entangled Life, Other Minds and The Gospel of Eels, this is a book to upturn your expectations about one overlooked animal and the wider architecture of our natural world.With endless surprises, this book might teach you about the wasps that spend their entire lives sealed inside a fig, about stinging wasps, about parasitic wasps, about wasps that turn cockroaches into living zombies, about how wasps taught us to make paper.It offers up a maligned insect in all its diverse, unexpected splendour; as both predator and pollinator, the wasp is an essential pest controller worldwide. Inside their sophisticated social worlds is the best model we have for the earth’s major evolutionary transitions. In their understudied biology are clues to progressing medicine, including a possible cure for cancer.The closer you look at these spurned, winged insects – both custodians and bouncers of our planet – the more you see. Their secrets have so far gone mostly untapped, but the potential of the wasp is endless.

There is not just one story of silk.In silk is science, history and mythology.In silk is the future. Aarathi Prasad’s Silk is a gorgeous new history weaving together the story of a unique material that has fascinated the world for millennia. Through the scientists who have studied silk, and the biology of the animals from which it has been drawn, Prasad explores the global history, natural history, and future of a unique material that has fascinated the world for millennia.For silk, prized for its lightness, luminosity, and beauty is also one of the strongest biological materials ever known. More than a century ago, it was used to make the first bulletproof vest, and yet science has barely even begun to tap its potential. As the technologies it has inspired – from sutures to pharmaceuticals, replacement body parts to holograms – continue to be developed in laboratories around the world, they are now also beginning to offer a desperately needed, sustainable alternative to the plastics choking our planet.Prasad's Silk is a cultural and biological history from the origins and ancient routes of silk to the biologists who learned the secrets of silk-producing animals, manipulating the habitats and physiologies of moths, spiders and molluscs. Because there is more than one silk, there is more than one story of silk. More than one road, more than one people who discovered it, and wove its threads.From the moths of China, Indonesia and India to the spiders of South America and Madagascar, to the silk-producing molluscs of the Mediterranean, Silk is a book rich in the passionate connections made by women and men of science to the diversity of the animal world. It is an intoxicating mix of biography, intellectual history and science writing that brings to life the human obsession with silk.

Mossy greens, conker browns, cream, chocolate and deepest black; add stripes, swirls and splotches and you have some of the most striking wildlife Britain has to offer. In Meetings with Moths ecologist Katty Baird roams Scotland seeking out, documenting and observing moths. Green Longhorns, Pimpinel Pugs and Peacock Moths are just some of the species that catch her attention as she climbs into holes, ventures behind waterfalls and wanders forests with her boundless curiosity.But you needn’t travel far and wide to see beautiful moths. Katty shows that you can easily enjoy discovering moths and caterpillars without specialist knowledge by creating your own light trap or simply looking more closely at your immediate landscape.Meetings with Moths is a story about green health and the power of a passion to sustain us.

‘Evokes the thrill of the chase’ SPECTATOR ‘This book is a revelation’ THE HERALD ‘Baird writes with gusto . . . her remarkable book can guide all of us back towards the light’ SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL Green Longhorns, Pimpinel Pugs and Peacock Moths – these are just some of the striking species that catch ecologist Katty Baird’s attention. Roaming Scotland in all manner of weather, she climbs down abandoned mines and ventures behind waterfalls in search of these misunderstood and maligned creatures. Meetings with Moths is an uplifting call for everyone to look more closely at their surroundings and discover nature’s hidden secrets, but perhaps more importantly to find the passion that ignites us.

Beekeeping is a popular past time that more and more people are turning to for personal enjoyment, or even small commercial gain. Today you will find hives in backyards, gardens, and on rooftops, benefiting both the bee and the keeper.For those who have begun their beekeeping journey and need a go-to pocket guide on establishing and maintaining their hives, The Beekeeper’s Field Guide is the perfect book. Not only will readers learn about a wide range of bee species and their life cycle, behaviour, and preferred plants, but readers will also be informed about the practicalities of beekeeping, from personal safety and hygiene to record keeping and legal requirements.With an extensive troubleshooting section that debunks myths, and includes explanations and solutions for “bad” bee behavior, diseases, and pests, The Beekeeper’s Field Guide is a handy-sized yet comprehensive tool for all keen and established beekeepers.Contents:Introduction – 6A Guide to Honeybees and the Hive – 14Beekeeping Tasks and Equipment – 64Responsible Beekeeping – 144Troubleshooting – 212Resources and Suppliers – 278

Crawling through the dirt, worms are hard at work, helping plants to grow. Worms help the fruit and vegetables we eat by loosening the soil and feeding the plants. Read and find out about these wiggling wonders!

Advances in Insect Physiology, Volume 56, provides readers with the latest interdisciplinary reviews on the topic. It is an essential reference source for invertebrate physiologists, neurobiologists, entomologists, zoologists, and insect chemists, with this new release focusing on the Effects of resource limitation on the strengths of tradeoffs in insect lifecycles, The circadian system in insects: cellular, molecular, and functional organization, Molecular Physiology of the Insect Midgut, The Cryptonephridic system in Lepidoptera, Subsocial insects and the physiology of parental care, Mechanisms regulating phenotypically plastic traits in wing polymorphic insects, and more.

Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors Presents the latest release in the Advances in Insect Physiology series Contains important, comprehensive, and in-depth reviews on insect physiology

Biological rhythms, such as the sleep-wake cycle or circadian clock, are an intriguing aspect of biology. The regulation of daily rhythmicity has long been a mystery, up until the mid-1980's when a key gene in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, was molecularly identified. Genetic and molecular chronobiology of Drosophila has been a driving force in this field of inquiry ever since. Genetics and Molecular Biology of Rhythms in Drosophila and Other Insects describes and evaluates all of the studies of this sort, discussing the manner by which these investigations have spread out in various directions of rhythmic biology, including genetic and molecular approaches used on other insect species. Discusses rhythm genetics in insects, from early investigations to current state-of-the-art Presents all relevant mutants and genes Highlights the mystery of the "clock mechanism" in full detail including the remaining puzzles to be solved