Cell biology is moving at breakneck speed, and many of the results from studies on insects have helped in understanding some of the central problems of biology. The time is therefore ripe to provide the scientific community with a series of up-to-date, well illustrated reviews of selected aspects of the sub microscopic cytology of insects. The topics we have included fall into four general groups: seven chapters deal with gametogenesis, four concern develop ing somatic cells, seventeen chapters describe specialized tissues and organs, and three chapters cover cells in pathological states. These accounts are illustrated with over 600 electron micrographs. The more than 1100 pages in the two volumes of Insect Ultrastructure combined labors of 49 dedicated contributors from II countries. represent the These authors have digested and critically summarized a very large body of information, and some measure of this effort can be gained from consulting the bibliographies that close each of the 31 chapters. These contain 2400 publica tions authored by 1500 different scientists. However, before we congratulate ourselves on the advanced state of our knowledge, it is worth remembering that representatives of less than 0.01 % of the known species of insects have been examined with the electron microscope.

seem as appropriate now as the original balance was when Dr A. D. Imms' textbook was first published over fifty years ago. There are 35 new figures, all based on published illustrations, the sources of which are acknowledged in the captions. We are grateful to the authors concerned and also to Miss K. Priest of Messrs Chapman & Hall, who saved us from many errors and omissions, and to Mrs R. G. Davies for substantial help in preparing the bibliographies and checking references. London O.W.R. May 1976 R.G.D. Part I ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY Chapter I INTRODUCTION Definition of the Insecta (Hexapoda) The insects are tracheate arthropods in which the body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen. A single pair of antennae (homologous with the anten nules of the Crustacea) is present and the head also bears a pair of mandibles and two pairs of maxillae, the second pair fused medially to form the labium. The thorax carries three pairs of legs and usually one or two pairs of wings. The abdomen is devoid of ambulatory appendages, and the genital opening is situated near the posterior end of the body. Postembryonic development is rarely direct and a metamorphosis usually occurs.

Employing the clear, student-friendly style that made previous editions so popular, Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Fourth Edition presents an engaging and authoritative guide to the latest findings in the dynamic field of insect physiology. The book supplies a comprehensive picture of the current state of the function, development, and reproduction of insects. Expanded and updated, now in full colour, this fourth edition adds three new chapters on the role of the nervous system in behavior; the ‘Genomics Revolution’ in entomology; and global climate changes which have a major effect on insects, including warming and weather. It continues to challenge conventional entomological wisdom with the latest research and analytical interpretations. The text will appeal to upper undergraduate and graduate students and to practicing biologists who need to possess a firm knowledge of the broad principles of insect physiology. With detailed full colour illustrations to help explain physiological concepts and important anatomical details, it remains the most easily accessible guide to key concepts in the field.

Expanded and updated, this second edition of a bestselling book challenges conventional entomological wisdom with the latest research and analytical interpretations. Encouraging independent evaluation of the data and allowing for the extrapolation of major concepts across species, this indispensable text establishes a thorough understanding of the