| Host-Plant Selection by Phytophagous Insects 1994 Edition Contributor(s): Bernays, Elizabeth A. (Author), Chapman, Reginald F. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0412031310 ISBN-13: 9780412031311 Publisher: Springer OUR PRICE: $208.99 Product Type: Paperback Published: January 1994 Annotation: This is the first book that focuses on the behavior of host-plant selection by plant-feeding insects. It describes the patterns of host use, the chemical features of plants that determine host selection, the physiology of insect sensory systems, and the insect behaviors, with an emphasis on mechanisms. The book also discusses genetic variability and the effects of experience, and it concludes with a review of the evolution of host plant ranges. This is a one-of-a-kind book for everyone interested in plant-feeding insects, and an important reference for undergraduates, graduate students, research scientists and agriculturists. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Science | Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology - Science | Life Sciences - Zoology - General - Technology & Engineering | Agriculture - Forestry |
| Dewey: 595.705 |
| LCCN: 93025190 |
| Series: Contemporary Topics in Entomology |
| Physical Information: 0.69" H x 6.04" W x 8.98" (0.99 lbs) 312 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: For more than 20 years insect/plant relations have been a focus for studies in ecology and evolution. The importance of insects as crop pests, and the great potential of insects for the biological control of weeds, have provided further impetus for work in this area. All this attention has resulted in books on various aspects of the topic, and reviews and research papers are abundant. So why write another book? It seems to us that, in the midst of all this activity, behavior has been neglected. We do not mean to suggest that there have not been admirable papers on behavior. The fact that we can write this book attests to that. But we feel that, too often, behavior is relegated to a back seat. In comparison to the major ecological and evolutionary questions, it may seem trivial. Yet the whole process of host-plant selection and host-plant specificity amongst insects depends on behavior, and selection for behavioral differences must be a prime factor in the evolution of host-plant specificity. In writing this book, we hope to draw attention to this central role of behavior and, hopefully, encourage a few students to attack some of the very difficult questions that remain unanswered. |
