The Insects: An Outline of Entomology » (4th Edition)

Penny Gullan and Peter Cranston are professors in the Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, USA., where they jointly teach undergraduate courses in biodiversity, insect systematics and general entomology, and conduct research on Coccoidea and Chironomidae, respectively. They maintain strong connections to the Australian National University, Canberra, where, as Visiting Fellows, much of this fourth edition was revised.

This established, popular textbook provides a stimulating and comprehensive introduction to the insects, the animals that represent over half of the planet's biological diversity. In this new fourth edition, the authors introduce the key features of insect structure, function, behavior, ecology and classification, placed within the latest ideas on insect evolution. Much of the book is organised around major biological themes - living on the ground, in water, on plants, in colonies, and as predators, parasites/parasitoids and prey. A strong evolutionary theme is maintained throughout. The ever-growing economic importance of insects is emphasized in new boxes on insect pests, and in chapters on medical and veterinary entomology, and pest management. Updated 'taxoboxes' provide concise information on all aspects of each of the 27 major groupings (orders) of insects.

The authors maintain the tradition of clarity and conciseness set by earlier editions, and the text is illustrated profusely with specially commissioned hand-drawn figures. The illustrations and the informative text aim to encourage the scientific study of insects, either as a vocation or as a hobby. The book is intended as the principal text for students studying entomology, as well as a reference text for undergraduate and graduate courses in fields of ecology, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, palaeontology, zoology, and medical and veterinary science.

List of boxes

1 The Importance, Diversity, and Conservation of Insects 1

2 External Anatomy 23

3 Internal Anatomy and Physiology 53

4 Sensory Systems and Behavior 91

5 Reproduction 121

6 Insect Development and Life Histories 151

7 Insect Systematics: Phylogeny and Classification 189

8 Insect Biogeography and Evolution 223

9 Ground-Dwelling Insects 241

10 Aquatic Insects 257

11 Insects and Plants 277

12 Insect Societies 307

13 Insect Predation and Parasitism 339

14 Insect Defense 365

16 Pest Management 407

17 Methods in Entomology: Collecting, Preservation, Curation, and Identification 443

Taxoboxes 461

Glossary 499

References 527

Index 535

Appendix A reference guide to orders 559