A comprehensive, full-colour work providing insights into recent advances in the ecological understanding of ladybirds.

Numerous and charismatic, the Lepidoptera is one of the most widely studied groups of invertebrates. Advances in molecular tools and genomic techniques have reduced the need for large sizes and mass-rearing, and lepidopteran model systems are increasingly used to illuminate broad-based experimental questions as well as those peculiar to butterflies. Putting the spotlight on the second most numerous order of insects living today, this book provides a summary of cutting-edge studies of the Lepidoptera as an organism in and of itself and as model systems. Leading researchers discuss symbiosis, genomes, sex determination, natural products, ecophysiology, sensory systems, pest control, the sterile insect technique, immunity, and evolution development. Understanding the biology and genetics of butterflies and moths may lead to new species-selective methods of control, saving billions of dollars in pesticide use and protecting environmental and human health, making the sections on pest control and the sterile insect technique extremely important.

Crustaceans, due to the great diversity of their body organization, segmentation patterns, tagmatization, limb types, larval forms, cleavage, and gastrulation modes, are highly desirable for the study of questions at the interface of evolution and development. Modern interest in evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) rests on the molecular genetic approach and a variety of molecular techniques have proven fruitful when performed on crustaceans. Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Crustacea presents a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the field, beginning with a discussion of the implications of the typological Bauplan and phylum concepts versus historical concepts such as ground pattern and monophylum for the formulation of conceptual questions in evo-devo. Following this, the authors present the results of Hox gene expression in various crustacean taxa, aspects of segment formation at the cellular and genetic levels, the formation of segmental structures such as neurons, ganglia, and limbs, and the role of morphological ontogenetic characters in resolving phylogenetic relationships. By covering so many general aspects of crustacean development, morphology, and evolution, Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Crustacea serves as an indispensable reference for developmental and evolutionary biologists investigating the role of genetics in evolution and development.

Pere Alberch (1954-1998) fue un destacado biólogo español que reformuló el concepto de evo-devo, la ciencia del desarrollo y la evolución, siguiendo la estela dejada por figuras clásicas de la ciencia de los siglos XIX y XX tales como Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, sir Gavin De Beer, Conrad H. Waddington y Stephen J. Gould. Sus artículos sobre las limitaciones desarrollistas y evolucionistas, centrados en la heterocronía como proceso fundamental responsable de la formación de la filogenia, constituyen verdaderos clásicos de la evo-devo actual. Este volumen presenta tres ensayos originales que analizan la importancia histórica y filosófica de su trabajo en el desarrollo de la evo-devo. Además ofrece una selección de reproducciones facsímiles de sus artículos más relevantes, que proporcionan al lector una visión inestimable para encomiar la vida y el trabajo de Alberch.

As described in this fascinating book, Evo Devo is evolutionary development biology, the third revolution in the science, which shows how the endless forms of animals--butterflies and zebras, trilobites and dinosaurs, apes and humans--were made and evolved.