The first book devoted to the epidemiology or epizootiology of insect pathogens. Covers all aspects of the subject, including general principles, concepts and definitions, strategies and methods for research, modeling, factors that influence epizootics, area-wide patterns of disease, all the groups of disease, and practical aspects, such as enhancing disease in pest species, controlling it in beneficial insects or in insect rearing. Provides material not readily found elsewhere, such as modeling entomopathogen epizootics, general reviews of the epizootiology of various pathogen groups, consideration of microbial control from an epizootiological point of view, and a general review of epizootiology in prevention of insect disease. Offers the most comprehensive bibliography of this subject anywhere. Well illustrated.

Insect Pathology is designed for a broad spectrum of readers. Is should be useful to students, lecturers, and researchers requiring information about the principles in insect pathology and the biology of pathogens. It should serve as a resource for specialists to learn about other insect pathogen systems, for generalists to become aware of advances in insect pathology, and for scientists and students, beginning or otherwise, interested in learning about insect pathology. This book was originally intended to update the 1949 test by E. A. Steinhaus entitled Principles of Insect Pathology. The purpose for this book was twofold: To serve (1) as a text for an insect pathology and/or biological control class and (2) as a comprehensive reference source. Because this book summarizes much of the available information, its usefulness as a textbook for an insect pathology class is apparent. Although the literature citations are extensive, they are far from complete. The literature in insect pathology is voluminous and for the past decade has been expanding at an almost exponential rate. A complete review of the literature is beyond the scope of the book, and an omission of a reference does not preclude its importance. Our citations, however, should serve as a good starting point for those who wish to obtain further information. We have attempted to cover equally all subdisciplines, but shortcomings are unavoidable. For these, we take full responsibility.

A rapidly growing interdisciplinary field, disease ecology merges key ideas from ecology, medicine, genetics, immunology, and epidemiology to study how hosts and pathogens interact in populations, communities, and entire ecosystems. Bringing together contributions from leading international experts on the ecology of diseases among invertebrate species, this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the field. Beginning with an introductory overview of general principles and methodologies, the book continues with in-depth discussions of a range of critical issues concerning invertebrate disease epidemiology, molecular biology, vectors, and pathogens. Topics covered in detail include: Methods for studying the ecology of invertebrate diseases and pathogens Invertebrate pathogen ecology and the ecology of pathogen groups Applied ecology of invertebrate pathogens Leveraging the ecology of invertebrate pathogens in microbial control Prevention and management of infectious diseases of aquatic invertebrates Ecology of Invertebrate Diseases is a necessary and long overdue addition to the world literature on this vitally important subject. This volume belongs on the reference shelves of all those involved in the environmental sciences, genetics, microbiology, marine biology, immunology, epidemiology, fisheries and wildlife science, and related disciplines.

Understanding of the ecology of fungal entomopathogens has vastly increased since the early 1800’s, but remains challenging. The often complex interactions between pathogen and host are being unravelled through eloquent research and the importance of the often subtle interactions, in determining the success or failure of biological control, cannot be underplayed. The realm of ecology is vast and deciphering insect-fungal pathogen interactions within an ecological context will take us on voyages beyond our imagination. This book brings together the work of renowned scientists to provide a synthesis of recent research on the ecology of fungal entomopathogens exploring host-pathogen dynamics from the context of biological control and beyond. Dr. Helen Roy leads zoological research in the Biological Records Centre at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK. The focus of her research is insect community interactions with particular emphasis on the effects of environmental change. She has been working on the ecological interactions between fungal entomopathogens and their hosts for 15 years; this continues to be a source of fascination. She has been an associate editor of BioControl since 2006. Dr. Dave Chandler is an insect pathologist at the University of Warwick, UK. He has studied entomopathogenic fungi for just over 20 years. He has particular interests in entomopathogenic fungi as biocontrol agents of horticultural crops, fungal physiology and ecology, and the pathogens of honeybees. Dr. Mark Goettel is an insect pathologist at the Lethbridge Research Centre of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, specializing in the development of fungal entomopathogens as microbial control agents of insects. In addition to this research, he has been extensively involved in the review and revision of the regulations for registration of microbial control agents and has addressed regulatory and safety issues at the international level. He is currently President of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology and has been Editor-in-Chief of Biocontrol Science & Technology since 2000. Dr. Judith K. Pell heads the Insect Pathology Group in the Department for Plant and Invertebrate Ecology at Rothamsted Research, UK. She leads research on the ecology of fungal entomopathogens, to elucidate their role in population regulation and community structure and to inform biological control strategies. Specifically: intraguild interactions; the relationships between guild diversity, habitat diversity and ecosystem function; pathogen-induced host behavioural change. Dr. Eric Wajnberg is a population biologist specialising in behavioural ecology, statistical modelling and population genetics. He is also an expert in biological control, with more than 20 years experience of working with insect parasitoids. He has been the Editor in Chief of BioControl since 2006. Dr. Fernando E. Vega is an entomologist with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, in Beltsville, Maryland, USA. He conducts research on biological methods to control the coffee berry borer, the most important insect pest of coffee throughout the world. He is co-editor, with Meredith Blackwell, of Insect-Fungal Associations: Ecology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press in 2005, and serves as an Editorial Board Member for Fungal Ecology.

Development of plant disease epidemiology, monotoring epidemics: host, environment, pathogen and disease. Modeling and data analysis. Temporal analysis of epidemics: description and comparison of disease progress curves and advaced topics. Spatial aspects of plant disease epidemics: dispersla gradients and long-range transport and analysis of spatial pattern-simulation models of plant diseases, designings experiments and smapling, crop loss assessment and modeling and forecasting plant disease.

Entomopathogenic bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis and B. sphaericus) are increasingly used as biopesticides to control larval insect populations which are either agricultural or forestry pests and to reduce those which as adults are vectors of severe human diseases. This new book, the first since 1993 to address all aspects of entomopathogenic bacteria, provides undergraduate and graduate students as well as research scientists with a complete, modern view of this important group of bacteria. The authors, chosen for their sustained contributions to the field, cover both fundamental and applied research in this area. The main topics include bacterial ecology and taxonomy, toxin diversity, activity and mode of action, regulation and environment of the genes, safety and ecotoxicology, production and field application of the bacteria, and outbreaks of resistant populations. The book concludes with the most recent data obtained on transgenic biotechnology and addresses environmental impact issues.

This book attempts to bring together a broad array of molecular techniques and approaches currently used in insect pathology. It is divided into four parts: (i) identification and diagnostics; (ii) evolutionary relationships and genetics; (iii) host-pathogen interactions; and (iv) genomics and genetic engineering. Sixteen chapters have been written by leading researchers in the field which provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on each part.