Insects and arachnids display the most impressive diversity of mating and social behaviour among all animals. This book investigates sexual competition in these groups, and the variety of ways in which males and females pursue, persuade, manipulate, control and help one another, enabling us to gain a better understanding of how conflicts and confluences of interest evolve together. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of mating systems in particular insect and arachnid groups, discusses intrinsic and extrinsic factors responsible for observed mating strategies, and suggests fruitful avenues for further research. The book culminates in a synthesis, reviewing the date in terms of the theory of sexual conflict. This broad-based book will be of immense value to students and researchers interested in reproductive strategies, behavioural ecology, entomology and arachnology.

Insects display a staggering diversity of mating and social behaviours. Studying these systems provides insights into a wide range of evolutionary and behavioural questions, such as the evolution of sex, sexual selection, sexual conflict, and parental care. This edited volume provides an authoritative update of the landmark book in the field, The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems (Thornhill and Alcock, 1983), which had such a huge impact in shaping adaptationist approaches to the study of animal behaviour and influencing the study of the evolution of reproductive behaviour far beyond the taxonomic remit of insects. This accessible new volume brings the empirical and conceptual scope of the original book fully up to date, incorporating the wealth of new knowledge and research of the last 30 years. It explores the evolution of complex forms of sex determination in insects, and the role of sexual selection in shaping the evolution of mating systems. Selection arising via male contest competition and female choice (both before and after copulation) are discussed, as are the roles of parasites and pathogens in mediating the strength of sexual selection, and the role that parental care plays in successful reproduction. The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems is suitable for both graduate students and researchers interested in insect mating systems or behaviour from an evolutionary, genetical, physiological, or ecological perspective. Due to its interdisciplinary and concept-driven approach, it will also be of relevance and use to a broad audience of evolutionary biologists.

Sperm Competition and the Evolution of Animal Mating Systems describes the role of sperm competition in selection on a range of attributes from gamete morphology to species mating systems. This book is organized into 19 chapters and begins with the conceptualization of sperm competition as a subset of sexual selection and its implications for the insects. The following chapter describes the relationship between multiple mating and female fitness, with an emphasis on determining the conditions under which selection on females is likely to counteract selection on males for avoiding sperm competition. Other chapters consider the female perspective on sperm competition; the evolutionary causation at the level of the individual male gamete; and the correlation of high paternal investment and sperm precedence in the insects. The remaining chapters are arranged phylogenetically and explore the sperm competition in diverse animal taxa, such as the Drosophila, Lepidoptera, spiders, amphibians, and reptiles. These chapters also cover the evolution of direct versus indirect sperm transfer among the arachnids or the problem for kinship theory presented by multiple mating and sperm competition in the Hymenoptera. This book further discusses the remarkable potential for sperm competition among certain temperate bat species whose females store sperm through winter hibernation and the mixed strategies and male-caused female genital trauma as possible sperm competition adaptations in poeciliid fishes. The concluding chapter examines the predictions concerning testes size and mating systems in the primates and the possible role of sperm competition in human selection. This book is of great value to reproductive biologists and researchers.

Insects display a staggering diversity of mating and social behaviours. Studying these systems provides insights into a wide range of evolutionary and behavioural questions, such as the evolution of sex, sexual selection, sexual conflict, and parental care. This edited volume provides an authoritative update of the landmark book in the field, The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems (Thornhill and Alcock, 1983), which had such a huge impact in shaping adaptationist approaches to the study of animal behaviour and influencing the study of the evolution of reproductive behaviour far beyond the taxonomic remit of insects. This accessible new volume brings the empirical and conceptual scope of the original book fully up to date, incorporating the wealth of new knowledge and research of the last 30 years. It explores the evolution of complex forms of sex determination in insects, and the role of sexual selection in shaping the evolution of mating systems. Selection arising via male contest competition and female choice (both before and after copulation) are discussed, as are the roles of parasites and pathogens in mediating the strength of sexual selection, and the role that parental care plays in successful reproduction. The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems is suitable for both graduate students and researchers interested in insect mating systems or behaviour from an evolutionary, genetical, physiological, or ecological perspective. Due to its interdisciplinary and concept-driven approach, it will also be of relevance and use to a broad audience of evolutionary biologists.

Questions and answers explore the world of insects, with an emphasis on grasshoppers.

Orthoptera is one of the most important and interesting Orders of the Class Insecta. They include grasshoppers and crickets that have a fundamental role in many terrestrial ecosystems. In this complete and updated publication all the 382 taxa (species and subspecies) of Orthoptera nowadays known from Italy are treated; 162 of these are endemic! Unfortunately, as well as for other groups of organisms, also orthopterans have many species suffering from maximum degree of threat, according to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Therefore, Grasshoppers & Crickets of Italy is very important also from a conservation point of view; it allows to recognize the endangered species for planning interventions to safeguard them. This new volume is an absolutely innovative tool in the field of nature handbooks. The authors have succeeded in realizing a text with a new and appealing graphic design, easy to consult, full of photos of morphological details useful to identify the species also by non-experts. Furthermore, very useful for the field work are the maps of the distribution areas, detailed at provincial level, for each species. This book will be useful not only for orthopterists, but also for young entomologists who will be able to measure their ability in identifying species, for agricultural technicians and for all nature and entomology lovers. Gli Ortotteri sono uno degli ordini più importanti e interessanti della grande classe degli insetti. Essi comprendono grilli e cavallette, che rivestono un ruolo fondamentale negli ecosistemi terrestri. In questa pubblicazione completa e aggiornata sono trattati tutti i 382 taxa (specie e sottospecie) di Ortotteri conosciuti oggi in Italia; di questi ben 162 risultano endemici, cioè esclusivi del nostro Paese! Purtroppo, come per altri gruppi di organismi, anche tra gli Ortotteri figurano specie al massimo grado di minaccia, secondo la lista rossa stilata dall’IUCN. Grasshoppers & Crickets of Italy è utile, quindi, anche dal punto di vista conservazionistico, per conoscere le specie in pericolo e attuare interventi in grado di garantirne la tutela. Questa nuova guida è uno strumento assolutamente innovativo nel campo dei manuali naturalistici di campagna. Si tratta di un volume con una veste grafica moderna e accattivante, di facile consultazione, ricchissimo di immagini di particolari morfologici utili all’identificazione delle specie anche da parte di non esperti. Utilissime, per il lavoro sul campo, anche le mappe degli areali di distribuzione, dettagliate a livello di singola provincia. Una guida utile, non solo agli ortotterologi, ma anche ai giovani entomologi che vorranno misurarsi con la loro capacità di identificare le specie, ai tecnici agricoli e a tutti gli amanti della natura e dell’entomologia.