Download or read book Secret Weapons written by Thomas Eisner and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2007-04-30 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mostly tiny, infinitely delicate, and short-lived, insects and their relatives—arthropods—nonetheless outnumber all their fellow creatures on earth. How lowly arthropods achieved this unlikely preeminence is a story deftly and colorfully told in this follow-up to the award-winning For Love of Insects. Part handbook, part field guide, part photo album, Secret Weapons chronicles the diverse and often astonishing defensive strategies that have allowed insects, spiders, scorpions, and other many-legged creatures not just to survive, but to thrive. In 69 chapters, each brilliantly illustrated with photographs culled from Thomas Eisner’s legendary collection, we meet a largely North American cast of arthropods—as well as a few of their kin from Australia, Europe, and Asia—and observe at firsthand the nature and extent of the defenses that lie at the root of their evolutionary success. Here are the cockroaches and termites, the carpenter ants and honeybees, and all the miniature creatures in between, deploying their sprays and venom, froth and feces, camouflage and sticky coatings. And along with a marvelous bug’s-eye view of how these secret weapons actually work, here is a close-up look at the science behind them, from taxonomy to chemical formulas, as well as an appendix with instructions for studying chemical defenses at home. Whether dipped into here and there or read cover-to-cover, Secret Weapons will prove invaluable to hands-on researchers and amateur naturalists alike, and will captivate any reader for whom nature is a source of wonder.
Download or read book Chemical Defenses of Arthropods written by Murry Blum and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 575 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chemical Defenses of Arthropods charts the significant progress in the study of chemical defenses in arthropods, a rapidly expanding area of chemical ecology. The book groups the defensive compounds secreted by arthropods based on their main functionalities and sequentially lists them according to their carbon numbers. Organized into 19 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the defensive exudates of arthropods and how arthropods have exploited these compounds to deter the ubiquitous and omnipresent predators around them. The next chapters introduce the reader to the defensive compounds produced in the exocrine glands of arthropods, ranging from alcohols and ketones to hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, esters, 1,4-quinones and hydroquinones, lactones, phenols, steroids, and proteinaceous venoms. The book also discusses the taxonomic value of arthropod defensive compounds, with emphasis on factors affecting the composition of defensive secretions and taxonomic correlations that utilize them. Later chapters focus on arthropod biosynthesis of exocrine compounds, how insects tolerate the presence of plant toxins in their diets, and identified defensive compounds in arthropods. The book concludes with an analysis of the properties and characteristic distributions of arthropod natural products, along with their adaptiveness as defensive agents. This book is a valuable resource for biologists and chemists.
Download or read book The Chemistry of Pheromones and Other Semiochemicals I written by Stefan Schulz and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2004-10-22 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This series presents critical reviews of the present position and future trends in modern chemical research.
Download or read book Insect Defenses written by David L. Evans and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 1990-01-01 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work takes a fresh, modern approach to investigate and explain the predator and prey relationships of insects and spiders, the major terrestrial fauna on earth. Devoted to broad and in-depth analysis of arthropod defenses against predators, the book's approach is both experimentally and theoretically based with major emphasis on evolution, predator strategies and tactics, and prey defensive adaptations and behaviors. The authors explain such topics as cryptic and aposematic coloration, the conflict between sexual and survival needs, web spider prey choice and evolution of prey counter defenses, predator-prey interactions and the origins of intelligence, bird predatory tactics, and caterpillar defense strategies. Also examined is the use of timing for fitness and survival, evolutionary gamesmanship in the predatory bat-moth relationship, colony defense by aper wasps, startle as a defense by moths, aggregation as a defense, chemicals as defenses, plant chemicals as defenses, and venoms as defenses. The authors illustrate each topic with numerous specific well-documented examples presented in a clear, readable style.
Download or read book Biology of Chrysomelidae written by P. Jolivet and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As in most groups of insects, scientific research on the Chrysomelidae began in Europe in 1758, with the description of a few genera and species by the Scandinavian entomologists C. von Linne, I.C. Fabricius, and others. As the 19th century dawned, many systematic entomologists took up the study of chrysomelid beetles, together with other groups of beetles, and many new species and genera were described from all parts of the world. This trend has, of course, continued down to the present time. However, researches on the Chrysomelidae did not remain restricted to systematics, and many new lines of study have been followed, especially in the present century, by workers who have benefitted from the advances made in related fields of pure and applied entomology. Much has been achieved in the study of the Chrysomelidae, as elsewhere, and it is the aim of the present book to provide a summary and guide to these achievements. It is also to be expected that this book will provide a stimulus for further studies on the Chrysomelidae, so that we can anticipate continuing progress in our knowledge and understanding of this group through the endeavours of an ever-increasing number of scientists. I offer my congratulations to all concerned in the preparation of this book and my best wishes for its success.
Download or read book Behaviour and Evolution written by Peter James Bramwell Slater and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994-09-15 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some of the most exciting recent advances in animal behaviour have occurred at the interface between that subject and the study of evolution. This book, written by experts in this area, illustrates how the profound changes in our understanding of evolution have influenced behavioural research. Its chapters span both studies of how behaviour itself has evolved, dealing with topics such as comparative studies, the genetics of behaviour, speciation and the evolution of sociality and of intelligence, and also the adaptiveness which this evolution has brought about, with treatment of mating and fighting strategies, and theories of kinship and altruism.Behaviour and Evolution will be invaluable to senior undergraduate and graduate students of biology and psychology, especially those studying animal behaviour, behavioural ecology, sociobiology, evolution, ecology and environmental biology.
Download or read book Co Evolution of Secondary Metabolites written by Jean-Michel Mérillon and published by Springer. This book was released on 2020-02-24 with total page 973 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Reference Work is devoted to plant secondary metabolites and their evolutionary adaptation to different hosts and pests. Secondary metabolites play an important biological role in plants’ defence against herbivores, abiotic stresses and pathogens, and they also attract beneficial organisms such as pollinators. In this work, readers will find a comprehensive review of the phytochemical diversity, modification and adaptation of secondary metabolites, and the consequences of their co-evolution with plant parasites, pollinators, and herbivores. Chapters from expert contributors are organised into twelve sections that collate the current knowledge in intra-/inter-specific diversity in plant secondary metabolites, changes in secondary metabolites during plants’ adaptation to different environmental conditions, and co-evolution of host-parasite metabolites. Among the twelve themed parts, readers will also discover expert analysis on the genetics and chemical ecology evolution of secondary metabolites, and particular attention is also given to allelochemicals, bioactive molecules in plant defence and the evolution of sensory perception in vertebrates. This reference work will appeal to students, researchers and professionals interested in the field of plant pathology, plant breeding, biotechnology, agriculture and phytochemistry.
Download or read book Tiger Moths and Woolly Bears written by William E. Conner and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moths of the family Arctiidae, with their brilliant coloration, spectacular courtship rituals, and bizarre defenses, are wonders of the natural world. Unpalatable by virtue of secondary chemicals acquired from their hostplants, these moths advertise their defenses by their coloration and often mimic butterflies, wasps, bees, stinkbugs, and even cockroaches. They have ears with which they hear the echolocation of bats, and some answer with aposematic warnings, while some may jam the bats' sonar.This book, the first written on this fascinating group, documents how tiger moths and woolly bears-the adults and larvae of the Arctiidae-flourish in a world rife with predators, parasites, and competitors. The contributing authors' accounts, each written by a recognized expert in the field, weave together seminal studies on phylogeny and behavior, natural history, chemical communication, mate choice and sexual selection, chemical ecology, parasite-host relationships, self medication, animal orientation, predator-prey interactions, mimicry, adaptive coloration, speciation, biodiversity, and more.
Download or read book Biochemistry of Insects written by Morris Rockstein and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 666 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biochemistry of Insects reviews the state of knowledge in insect biochemistry. The book begins by examining the function of carbohydrates in regulating and maintaining the life processes of insects. This is followed by separate chapters on the functional roles of lipids and proteins in insects; and protein synthesis in insects. Subsequent chapters cover the chemistry of insect cuticle; the structure, distribution, and chemistry of insect biochromes; and chemical control of insect behavior. Also discussed are the biochemical aspects of the natural products used by insects in defensive contexts; the reaction of insecticides and related compounds with their targets; detoxification mechanisms in insects; and genetic variation in natural populations. Designed to serve as a basic textbook in field, this volume should be equally useful as an auxiliary text for most relevant courses in insect biology, particularly insect physiology, insect ecology, insect control, and economic entomology. The book should also serve as an important reference source for the advanced student, the research scientist, and the professional entomologist seeking authoritative details of relevant areas of subject matter.
Download or read book How Not to Be Eaten written by Gilbert Waldbauer and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2021-04-06 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “At times this informative book turns wonderfully gross and lovely, reminding us that there’s an entire universe of largely unnoticed creatures all around us.”—Audubon All animals must eat. But who eats who, and why, or why not? Because insects outnumber and collectively outweigh all other animals combined, they comprise the largest amount of animal food available for potential consumption. How do they avoid being eaten? From masterful disguises to physical and chemical lures and traps, predatory insects have devised ingenious and bizarre methods of finding food. Equally ingenious are the means of hiding, mimicry, escape, and defense waged by prospective prey in order to stay alive. This absorbing book demonstrates that the relationship between the eaten and the eater is a central—perhaps the central—aspect of what goes on in the community of organisms. By explaining the many ways in which insects avoid becoming a meal for a predator, and the ways in which predators evade their defensive strategies, Gilbert Waldbauer conveys an essential understanding of the unrelenting coevolutionary forces at work in the world around us.
Download or read book Annual Plant Reviews Insect Plant Interactions written by Claudia Voelckel and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-05-02 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This latest volume in Wiley Blackwell’s prestigious Annual Plant Reviews brings together articles that describe the biochemical, genetic, and ecological aspects of plant interactions with insect herbivores.. The biochemistry section of this outstanding volume includes reviews highlighting significant findings in the area of plant signalling cascades, recognition of herbivore-associated molecular patterns, sequestration of plant defensive metabolites and perception of plant semiochemicals by insects. Chapters in the genetics section are focused on genetic mapping of herbivore resistance traits and the analysis of transcriptional responses in both plants and insects. The ecology section includes chapters that describe plant-insect interactions at a higher level, including multitrophic interactions, investigations of the cost-benefit paradigm and the altitudinal niche-breadth hypothesis, and a re-evaluation of co-evolution in the light of recent molecular research. Written by many of the world’s leading researchers in these subjects, and edited by Claudia Voelckel and Georg Jander, this volume is designed for students and researchers with some background in plant molecular biology or ecology, who would like to learn more about recent advances or obtain a more in-depth understanding of this field. This volume will also be of great use and interest to a wide range of plant scientists and entomologists and is an essential purchase for universities and research establishments where biological sciences are studied and taught. To view details of volumes in Annual Plant Reviews, visit: www.wiley.com/go/apr Also available from Wiley: Plant Defense Dale Walters 9781405175890 Herbicides and Plant Physiology, 2nd Edn Andrew Cobb & John Reade 9781405129350
Download or read book For Love of Insects written by Thomas Eisner and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2005-10-31 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine beetles ejecting defensive sprays as hot as boiling water; female moths holding their mates for ransom; caterpillars disguising themselves as flowers by fastening petals to their bodies; termites emitting a viscous glue to rally fellow soldiers--and you will have entered an insect world once beyond imagining, a world observed and described down to its tiniest astonishing detail by Thomas Eisner. The story of a lifetime of such minute explorations, For Love of Insects celebrates the small creatures that have emerged triumphant on the planet, the beneficiaries of extraordinary evolutionary inventiveness and unparalleled reproductive capacity. To understand the success of insects is to appreciate our own shortcomings, Eisner tells us, but never has a reckoning been such a pleasure. Recounting exploits and discoveries in his lab at Cornell and in the field in Uruguay, Australia, Panama, Europe, and North America, Eisner time and again demonstrates how inquiry into the survival strategies of an insect leads to clarifications beyond the expected; insects are revealed as masters of achievement, forms of life worthy of study and respect from even the most recalcitrant entomophobe. Filled with descriptions of his ingenious experiments and illustrated with photographs unmatched for their combination of scientific content and delicate beauty, Eisner's book makes readers participants in the grand adventure of discovery on a scale infinitesimally small, and infinitely surprising.
Download or read book Plant Toxins written by P. Gopalakrishnakone and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Neurobiology of Chemical Communication written by Carla Mucignat-Caretta and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2014-02-14 with total page 614 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intraspecific communication involves the activation of chemoreceptors and subsequent activation of different central areas that coordinate the responses of the entire organism—ranging from behavioral modification to modulation of hormones release. Animals emit intraspecific chemical signals, often referred to as pheromones, to advertise their presence to members of the same species and to regulate interactions aimed at establishing and regulating social and reproductive bonds. In the last two decades, scientists have developed a greater understanding of the neural processing of these chemical signals. Neurobiology of Chemical Communication explores the role of the chemical senses in mediating intraspecific communication. Providing an up-to-date outline of the most recent advances in the field, it presents data from laboratory and wild species, ranging from invertebrates to vertebrates, from insects to humans. The book examines the structure, anatomy, electrophysiology, and molecular biology of pheromones. It discusses how chemical signals work on different mammalian and non-mammalian species and includes chapters on insects, Drosophila, honey bees, amphibians, mice, tigers, and cattle. It also explores the controversial topic of human pheromones. An essential reference for students and researchers in the field of pheromones, this is also an ideal resource for those working on behavioral phenotyping of animal models and persons interested in the biology/ecology of wild and domestic species.
Download or read book Chemical Ecology of Insects written by Jun Tabata and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-01-29 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Insects have evolved very unique and interesting tactics using chemical signals to survive. Chemical ecology illustrates the working of the biological network by means of chemical analyses. Recent advances in analytical technology have opened the way to a better understanding of the more complicated and abyssal interactions of insects with other organisms including plants and microbes. This book covers recent research on insects and chemical communications and presents the current status about challenges faced by chemical ecologists for the management of pests in agriculture and human health.
Download or read book Plant Pest Interactions From Molecular Mechanisms to Chemical Ecology written by Indrakant K. Singh and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-01-18 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As food producers, plants are constantly under attack by insects. Over the course of evolution, plants have not only developed a sophisticated defense apparatus but have also refined biochemical defense mechanisms to protect themselves, thereby maintaining the ecological balance. Plant-pest interactions induce an elaborate array of reactions involving the release of volatile compounds, effector and signaling molecules, trans-membrane proteins, and a variety of enzymes and hormones. This book offers a comprehensive guide to the strategies that plants employ against insects and other pests to ensure their continued survival. Addressing an important gap in the literature, it shares the latest findings in the field of plant–pest interactions for a broad audience. Providing an overview of the current state of knowledge on plant-pest interactions and their role in the genetic improvement of crops, it offers an essential guide for researchers and professionals in the fields of agriculture, plant pathology, entomology, cell biology, molecular biology and genetics.
Download or read book Aquatic Insects written by Kleber Del-Claro and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-10 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a broad view of the ecology and behavior of aquatic insects, raising awareness of this conspicuous and yet little known fauna that inhabits inland waterbodies such as rivers, lakes and streams, and is particularly abundant and diverse in tropical ecosystems. The chapters address topics such as distribution, dispersal, territoriality, mating behavior, parental care and the role of sensory systems in the response to external and internal cues. In the context of ecology, it discusses aquatic insects as bio indicators that may be used to assess environmental disturbances, either in protected or urban areas, and provides insights into how genetic connectivity can support the development of novel conservation strategies. It also explores how aquatic insects can inspire solutions for various problems faced by modern society, presenting examples in the fields of material science, optics, sensorics and robotics.
