The Insects: An Outline of Entomology

by Gullan, P. J.; Cranston, P. S.

• ISBN13: 9780632053438
• ISBN10: 0632053437
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-12-01
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Summary

This established textbook continues to provide a comprehensive and stimulating introduction to insects, a group of animals that represent over half of the planet's biological diversity. It commences with a review of the significance of insects, their immense diversity and their patterns of distribution. Insects influence all of our activities, and in seeking to understand their success, the key features of insect anatomy, physiology, behaviour, ecology, phylogeny and evolution are identified by the authors. The book is organized around major biological themes - the ecology and behaviour of living on the ground, in water, on plants, in colonies, and as predators, parasites and prey; a strong evolutionary theme is maintained throughout. The economic importance of insects is considered in chapters on medical and veterinary entomology, and pest management. A systematic synopsis of each insect order is given in the appropriate chapter, summarized in the end pages, and replaces the traditional taxon-by-taxon arrangement of other books. Methods of collecting, preserving and identifying insects are dealt with in a new final chapter, and the book ends with a tabular identification guide to insect orders. The authors maintain the tradition of clarity and conciseness set by the first edition, and the text is extensively illustrated with many newly-commissioned hand-drawn figures. A colour plate section has also been added to enhance the text and visually demonstrate essential points in the book. 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 taking courses in entomology, as well as wider degree programmes in which the study of insects is important, such as ecology, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, palaeontology, zoology, and medical and veterinary science.

Author Biography

Penny Gullan is Reader at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Table of Contents

List of colour plates	x
Preface to the second edition	xiii
Preface and acknowledgements for first edition	xv
The importance and diversity of insects	1	(14)
What is entomology?	2	(1)
The importance of insects	2	(2)
Insect biodiversity	4	(4)
The described taxonomic richness of insects	4	(1)
The estimated taxonomic richness of insects	4	(1)
The location of insect species richness	5	(1)
Some reasons for insect species richness	6	(2)
Insect biogeography	8	(1)
Naming and classification of insects	9	(2)
Insects as food	11	(4)
Insects as human food: entomophagy	11	(3)
Insects as feed for domesticated animals	14	(1)
External anatomy	15	(30)
The cuticle	16	(6)
Colour production	21	(1)
Segmentation and tagmosis	22	(2)
The head	24	(8)
Mouthparts	25	(5)
Cephalic sensory structures	30	(2)
The thorax	32	(7)
Legs	33	(3)
Wings	36	(3)
The abdomen	39	(6)
Terminalia	40	(5)
Internal anatomy and physiology	45	(38)
Muscles and locomotion	46	(7)
Muscles	46	(2)
Muscle attachments	48	(1)
Crawling, wriggling, swimming and walking	49	(1)
Flight	50	(3)
The nervous system and co-ordination	53	(2)
The endocrine system and the function of hormones	55	(3)
Endocrine centres	55	(1)
Neurosecretory cells	55	(1)
Corpora cardiaca	55	(1)
Prothoracic glands	56	(1)
Corpora allata	56	(2)
Hormones	58	(1)
The circulatory system	58	(4)
Haemolymph	59	(1)
Circulation	60	(1)
Protection and defence by the haemolymph	61	(1)
The tracheal system and gas exchange	62	(4)
Diffusion and ventilation	64	(2)
The gut, digestion and nutrition	66	(8)
Structure of the gut	66	(4)
Saliva and food ingestion	70	(1)
Digestion of food	71	(1)
The fat body	72	(1)
Nutrition and microorganisms	73	(1)
The excretory system and waste disposal	74	(4)
The Malpighian tubules and rectum	74	(2)
Nitrogen excretion	76	(2)
Reproductive organs	78	(5)
The female system	78	(2)
The male system	80	(3)
Sensory systems and behaviour	83	(28)
Mechanical stimuli	84	(9)
Tactile mechanoreception	84	(1)
Position mechanoreception (proprioceptors)	84	(1)
Sound reception	85	(1)
Non-tympanal vibration reception	86	(2)
Tympanal reception	88	(3)
Sound production	91	(2)
Thermal stimuli	93	(2)
Thermoreception	93	(1)
Thermoregulation	93	(1)
Behavioural thermoregulation (ectothermy)	94	(1)
Physiological thermoregulation (endothermy)	94	(1)
Chemical stimuli	95	(8)
Chemoreception	95	(1)
Semiochemicals: pheromones	96	(3)
Sex pheromones	99	(1)
Aggregation pheromones	100	(1)
Spacing pheromones	101	(1)
Trail-marking pheromones	101	(1)
Alarm pheromones	101	(1)
Semiochemicals: kairomones, allomones and synomones	102	(1)
Kairomones	102	(1)
Allomones	102	(1)
Synomones	103	(1)
Insect vision	103	(6)
Dermal detection	103	(1)
Stemmata	104	(1)
Ocelli	104	(2)
Compound eyes	106	(1)
Light production	107	(2)
Insect behaviour	109	(2)
Reproduction	111	(28)
Bringing the sexs together	112	(2)
Courtship	114	(1)
Sexual selection	114	(2)
Copulation	116	(5)
Diversity in genitalic morphology	121	(3)
Sperm storage, fertilization and sex determination	124	(1)
Sperm competition	125	(1)
Oviparity (egg-laying)	126	(6)
Ovoviviparity and viviparity	132	(1)
Atypical modes of reproduction	132	(2)
Parthenogenesis, paedogenesis and neoteny	132	(1)
Hermaphroditism	133	(1)
Polyembryony	133	(1)
Sex ratio distortion by endosymbionts	134	(1)
Physiological control of reproduction	134	(5)
Vitellogenesis and its regulation	136	(3)
Insect development and life histories	139	(36)
Growth	140	(1)
Life-history patterns and phases	141	(11)
Phases in insect ontogeny	143	(1)
Embryonic phase	143	(5)
Larval or nymphal pahse	148	(1)
Metamorphosis	149	(2)
Imaginal or adult phase	151	(1)
Process and control of moulting	152	(3)
Voltinism	155	(1)
Diapause	156	(1)
Dealing with environmental extremes	157	(4)
Cold	157	(1)
Freeze tolerance	157	(1)
Freeze avoidance	158	(1)
Chill tolerance	158	(1)
Chill susceptibility	158	(1)
Opportunistic survival	159	(1)
Heat	159	(1)
Aridity	160	(1)
Migration	161	(1)
Polymorphism and polyphenism	162	(2)
Genetic polymorphism	162	(1)
Environmental polymorphism or polyphenism	163	(1)
Age-grading	164	(2)
Age-grading of immature insects	164	(1)
Age-grading of adult insects	164	(2)
Environmental effects on development	166	(5)
Temperature	166	(3)
Photoperiod	169	(1)
Humidity	169	(1)
Mutagens and toxins	169	(1)
Biotic effects	170	(1)
Climatic modelling of insect distributions	171	(4)
Insect systematics: phylogeny and evolution	175	(20)
Phylogenetics	176	(2)
Phylogenetic methods	177	(1)
Taxonomy and classification	178	(1)
The antiquity of insects	178	(4)
The insect fossil record	178	(3)
Living insects: the evidence for antiquity	181	(1)
Insect radiations	182	(1)
Evolution of wings	183	(4)
Classification and selected diagnostic features of extant hexapods	187	(8)
Class and order Protura (proturans)	189	(1)
Class and order Collembola (springtails)	189	(1)
Class and order Diplura (diplurans)	189	(1)
Class Insecta (true insects)	189	(1)
Informal grouping `Apterygota' (Archaeognatha and Thysanura)	189	(1)
Infraclass Pterygota	190	(5)
Ground-dwelling insects	195	(20)
Insects of litter and soil	196	(3)
Root-feeding insects	198	(1)
Insects and dead trees or decaying wood	199	(2)
Insects and dung	201	(2)
Insect-carrion interactions	203	(1)
Insect-fungal interactions	204	(3)
Fungivorous insects	204	(1)
Fungus farming by leaf-cutter ants	204	(2)
Fungus cultivation by termites	206	(1)
Cavernicolous insects	207	(1)
Environmental monitoring using ground-dwelling hexapods	207	(8)
Aquatic insects	215	(24)
Taxonomic distribution and terminology	216	(1)
The evolution of aquatic lifestyles	216	(1)
Aquatic insects and their oxygen supplies	217	(4)
The physical properties of oxygen	217	(1)
Gaseous exchange in aquatic insects	217	(1)
Oxygen uptake with a closed tracheal system	218	(1)
Oxygen uptake with an open spiracular system	219	(1)
Behavioural ventilation	220	(1)
The aquatic environment	221	(4)
Lotic adaptations	221	(2)
Lentic adaptations	223	(2)
Environmental monitoring using aquatic insects	225	(1)
Functional feeding groups	226	(1)
Insects of temporary waterbodies	227	(1)
Insects of the marine, intertidal and littoral zones	228	(11)
Insects and plants	239	(38)
Coevolutionary interactions between insects and plants	241	(1)
Phytophagy (or herbivory)	241	(16)
Leaf chewing	243	(2)
Plant mining and boring	245	(3)
Sap sucking	248	(2)
Gall formation	250	(4)
Seed predation	254	(1)
Insects as biological control agents for weeds	255	(2)
Insects and plant reproductive biology	257	(6)
Pollination	258	(4)
Myrmecochory: seed dispersal by ants	262	(1)
Insects that live mutualistically in specialized plant structures	263	(14)
Ant-plant interactions involving domatia	263	(1)
Phytotelmata: plant-held water containers	264	(13)
Insect societies	277	(30)
Subsociality in insects	278	(5)
Aggregation	278	(1)
Parental care as a social behaviour	278	(1)
Parental care without nesting	279	(1)
Parental care with solitary nesting	279	(2)
Parental care with communal nesting	281	(1)
Subsocial aphids and thrips	281	(1)
Quasisociality and semisociality	282	(1)
Eusociality in insects	283	(17)
The primitively eusocial hymenopterans	283	(2)
Specialized eusocial hymenopterans: wasps and bees	285	(1)
Colony and castes in eusocial wasps and bees	285	(4)
Nest construction in eusocial wasps	289	(1)
Nesting in honey bees	290	(2)
Specialized hymenopterans: ants	292	(1)
Colony and castes in ants	292	(2)
Nesting in ants	294	(1)
Isoptera (termites)	295	(1)
Colony and castes in termites	295	(4)
Nesting in termites	299	(1)
Inquilines and parasites of social insects	300	(2)
Evolution of eusociality	302	(3)
The origins of eusociality in Hymenoptera	302	(2)
The origins of eusociality in Isoptera	304	(1)
Success of eusocial insects	305	(2)
Insect predation and parasitism	307	(26)
Prey/host location	308	(6)
Sitting-and-waiting	309	(2)
Active foraging	311	(1)
Random, or non-directional foraging	311	(1)
Non-random, or directional foraging	312	(1)
Phoresy	313	(1)
Prey/host acceptance and manipulation	314	(3)
Prey manipulation by predators	314	(2)
Host acceptance and manipulation by parasitoids	316	(1)
Overcoming host immune responses	316	(1)
Prey/host selection and specificity	317	(8)
Host use by parasitoids	319	(3)
Host manipulation and development of parasitoids	322	(1)
Patterns of host use and specificity in parasites	323	(2)
Models of abundances of predator/parasitoids and prey/hosts	325	(2)
The evolutionary success of insect predation and parasitism	327	(6)
Insect defence	333	(20)
Defence by hiding	334	(2)
Secondary lines of defence	336	(2)
Mechanical defences	338	(1)
Chemical defences	339	(3)
Classification by function of defensive chemicals	339	(1)
The chemical nature of defensive compounds	340	(1)
Sources of defensive chemicals	340	(1)
Organs of chemical defence	341	(1)
Defence by mimicry	342	(5)
Batesian mimicry	345	(1)
Mullerian mimicry	345	(1)
Mimicry as a continuum	346	(1)
Collective defences in gregarious and social insects	347	(6)
Medical and veterinary entomology	353	(20)
Insect nuisance and phobia	354	(1)
Venoms and allergens	354	(1)
Insect venoms	354	(1)
Blister and urtica (itch)-inducing insects	355	(1)
Insect allergenicity	355	(1)
Insects as causes and vectors of disease	355	(1)
Generalized disease cycles	356	(1)
Pathogens	357	(10)
Malaria	357	(1)
The disease	357	(1)
Life cycle of Plasmodium	358	(2)
Malaria epidemiology	360	(3)
Arboviruses	363	(1)
Rickettsias and plague	364	(1)
Protists other than malaria	365	(1)
Trypanosoma	365	(1)
Leishmania	366	(1)
Filariases	366	(1)
Bancroftian and brugian filariasis	366	(1)
Onchocerciasis	367	(1)
Forensic entomology	367	(6)
Pest management	373	(32)
Insects as pests	374	(4)
Assessment of pest status	374	(2)
Why insects become pests	376	(2)
The effects of insecticides	378	(3)
Insecticide resistance	380	(1)
Integrated pest management (IPM)	381	(1)
Chemical control	382	(3)
Insecticides (chemical poisons)	382	(2)
Insect growth regulators	384	(1)
Neuropeptides and insect control	385	(1)
Biological control	385	(11)
Arthropod natural enemies	389	(2)
Microbial control	391	(1)
Nematodes	392	(1)
Fungi	393	(1)
Bacteria	393	(2)
Viruses	395	(1)
Host-plant resistance to insects	396	(3)
Genetic engineering of host resistance	397	(2)
Mechanical or physical control	399	(1)
Cultural control	399	(1)
Pheromones and other insect attractants	400	(2)
Genetic manipulation of insect pests	402	(3)
Methods in entomology: collecting, preservation, curation and identification	405	(18)
Collection	406	(3)
Active collecting	406	(1)
Passive collecting	407	(2)
Preservation and curation	409	(9)
Dry preservation	409	(1)
Killing and handling prior to dry mounting	409	(1)
Pinning, staging, pointing, carding, spreading and setting	409	(4)
Fixing and wet preservation	413	(1)
Microscope slide mounting	414	(1)
Habitats, mounting and preservation of individual orders	414	(3)
Curation	417	(1)
Labelling	417	(1)
Care of collections	418	(1)
Identification	418	(5)
Identification keys	419	(1)
Unofficial taxonomies	420	(3)
Glossary of entomological and selected technical terms	423	(20)
References	443	(8)
Index	451
Appendix: A reference guide to orders