Examines the structure and function of insect societies from a nutritional perspective in order to foster a fuller understanding of how their social systems evolved.

In this landmark volume, an international group of scientists has synthesized their collective expertise and insight into a newly unified vision of insect societies and what they can reveal about how sociality has arisen as an evolutionary strategy. Jürgen Gadau and Jennifer Fewell have assembled leading researchers from the fields of molecular biology, evolutionary genetics, neurophysiology, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary theory to reexamine the question of sociality in insects. Recent advances in social complexity theory and the sequencing of the honeybee genome ensure that this book will be valued by anyone working on sociality in insects. At the same time, the theoretical ideas presented will be of broad-ranging significance to those interested in social evolution and complex systems.

'Social' insects and arachnids exhibit complex forms of behavior that involve cooperation in building a nest, defending against attackers or rearing offspring. This book is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to sociality and its evolution in a wide range of taxa.

Insects provide excellent model systems for understanding evolutionary ecology. They are abundant, small, and relatively easy to rear, and these traits facilitate both field and laboratory experiments. This book has been developed from the Royal Entomological Society's 22nd international symposium, held in Reading in 2003. Topics include speciation and adaptation; life history, phenotype plasticity and genetics; sexual selection and reproductive biology; insect-plant interactions; insect-natural enemy interactions; and social insects.

This book represents the culmination of the author’s lifetime work on a single fascinating group of insects, the hover wasps, Stenogastrinae. The author explores the biology of these little-known wasps at the threshold of sociality, presenting an ambitious survey of ideas about their evolution and an assessment of the current standing of controversial concepts. Following taxonomic and morphological descriptions, the behaviour, colonial dynamics, social communication and especially the remarkably diverse nests of wasps are discussed. Compared to the better-known species of paper wasps, hornets and yellow jackets, the hover wasps show various peculiarities, such as characteristics of immature brood rearing, nest defence and mating systems. The nest architecture probably presents the most variable solutions in social wasps and is characterized by an astonishing level of camouflage, making these insects an interesting example of special adaptation to forest environments.

This book covers the full breadth of forest entomology. It combines the work of forest entomologists working on the impact and management of forest pests with those involved in diversity assessment and conservation of insects in forests. Forests and Insects demonstrates that both these disciplines demand an understanding of population and community biology. The book covers such topics as colonization of trees by insects, population dynamics of forest insects, insect natural enemies, the effects of climate change and pollution on forest pests, spatial variation in the abundance of insects,the mineralization of carbon by termites, the impact of herbivorous insects, and the conservation of forest insect diversity, including the effects of forest fragmentation and deforestation. This Royal Entomological Society Symposium volume will be of great interest to all agricultural and forest entomologists, population and community biologists, pest management specialists and anyone concerned with the conservation of forest biodiversity.

The Encyclopedia of Insects is a comprehensive work devoted to all aspects of insects, including their anatomy, physiology, evolution, behavior, reproduction, ecology, and disease, as well as issues of exploitation, conservation, and management. Articles provide definitive facts about all insects from aphids, beetles and butterflies to weevils and yellowjackets. Insects are beautiful and dreadful, ravenous pests and devastating disease vectors, resilient and resistant to eradication, and the source of great benefit and great loss for civilization. Important for ecosystem health, they have influenced the evolution of other life forms on our planet including humans. Anyone interested in insects, from university professors and researchers to high school students preparing a report, will find The Encyclopedia of Insects an indispensable volume for insect information.* An unprecedented collection in 1,276 pages covering every important aspect of insects * Presents 270 original articles, thoroughly peer reviewed and edited for consistency * Features 1,000 figures and tables, including 500 full-color photographs* Includes the latest information contributed by 250 experts in 17 countries * Designed to save research time with a full glossary, 1,700 cross-references, and 3,000 bibliographic entries