Insects account for a very large proportion of all terrestrial and freshwater species, pervading almost all ecosystems; functioning as carnivores, herbivores and detritivores. Their ecology is of crucial importance to ecosystem function and they are economically important to humanity as pests of crops, vectors of disease, beneficial components of food webs, and vital components of pollination systems. The second edition of this successful text provides a balanced treatment of the theory and practice of pure and applied insect ecology. Fully revised and updated throughout, Ecology of Insects has expanded its coverage to include new and topical areas of insect ecology while presenting a thorough treatment of basic themes. Concepts include the foundations of evolutionary ecology and population dynamics in ecosystem science as they are applied to topics such as climate change, conservation and biodiversity, epidemiology, and pest management. Appropriate for general readers, professionals, and students of varying levels, this new edition also provides greater coverage of physiological, genetic, molecular, and ecosystem aspects of insect ecology, using exclusive reference to primary literature and real world examples.

Martin Speight is Reader in Zoology and Head of the Tropical Ecology & Entomology Research Group at the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. His research interests range from rainforest and plantation entomology, biodiversity and conservation, to coral reef and mangrove ecology and management. Martin is also a Tutorial Fellow in Biological Sciences at St Anne's College, Oxford. Mark Hunter is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Professor of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. He studies interactions between insects and plants and is interested in linking population dynamics to ecosystem processes. Allan Watt is Deputy Science Director of the Biodiversity Programme at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, UK. His research interests include the conservation of biodiversity and the management of forest pests.

Preface. 1. An Overview of Insect Ecology. 2. Insects and Climate. 3. Insect Herbivores. 4. Resource Limitation. 5. Natural Enemies and Insect Population Dynamics. 6. Evolutionary Ecology. 7. Physiological Ecology. 8. Insects in Ecosystems. 9. Biodiversity. 10. Insect Conservation. 11. Insects and Diseases. 12. Insect Pest Management. References. Index