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Many conservation managers lack entomological training and the perspective needed to conserve insects within their areas of responsibility. Using Australian insect examples this book provides an introduction to basic entomology and emphasises the massive taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary diversity within this fauna, together with its interactions with humanity. It is written largely in non-technical language, to provide accessible information on many aspects of insect natural history and the importance of their diversity and conservation, and contains suggestions for further reading to expand on the themes introduced.
List of contents
Preface.- Chapter 1. The basic insect pattern: theme and variations.- Chapter 2. Fossils and major insect adaptations.- Chapter 3. Insect life histories.- Chapter 4. Origins, distributions and diversity.- Chapter 5. Environments and habitats for insects in Australia.- Chapter 6. Foods and feeding biology.- Chapter 7. Insect behaviour and lifestyles.- Chapter 8. Insect communities.- Chapter 9. Insect populations.- Chapter 10. Insects in inland water environments.- Chapter 11. Australia's alpine insects.- Chapter 12. Lowland insects and their environments: non-forest insects.- Chapter 13. Forest insects.- Chapter 14. Insects and people in Australia.- Chapter 15. Australia's alien insects.- Chapter 16. Conservation.- Chapter 17. Diversity and its implications for understanding Australia's insects.- Appendix 1. Australia's insects: the players.- Index.
Summary
The book introduces basic entomology, emphasising perspectives on insect diversity important in conservation assessment and setting priorities for management, as a foundation for managers and others without entomological training or background. It bridges the gap between photographic essays on insect identification and more technical texts, to illustrate and discuss many aspects of taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary diversity in the Australian insect fauna, and its impacts in human life, through outlines of many aspects of insect natural history.
