Insect Biodiversity : Science and Society

Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society brings together leading scientific experts to assess the impact insects have on humankind and the earth’s fragile ecosystems. It examines why insect biodiversity matters and how the rapid evolution of insect species is affecting us all.

Insects and related arthropods make up more than 50 percent of the known animal diversity globally, yet a lack of knowledge about insects is hindering the advance of science and society. This book explores the wide variety in type and number of insect species and their evolutionary relationships. Case studies offer assessments on how insect biodiversity can help meet the needs of a rapidly expanding human population, and also examine the consequences that an increased loss of insect species will have on the world.

The book concludes that a better understanding of the biology and ecology of insects is the only way to sustainably manage ecosystems in an ever changing global environment.

Robert G. Foottit is a research scientist specializing in the taxonomy of aphids and related groups, with the Canadian National Collection of Insects and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. His research interests include the use of morphological and molecular approaches in the study of aphid species and populations, particularly those of economic interest as pests and invasive species. He has conducted field work throughout Canada and the United States as well as the Pacific Basin area.

Peter H. Adler is a professor of entomology at Clemson University, where he has held a teaching and research appointment for more than 20 years, specializing in the behavior, ecology, and systematics of insects, particularly Diptera. He has conducted research throughout North America, as well as in the Caucusus, Russia, Europe, the Amazon Basin, and Southeast Asia. He is the senior author of the 2004 award-winning book The Black Flies (Simuliidae) of North America published by Cornell University Press.