The Insects: Structure and Function

The Insects has been the standard textbook in the field since the first edition published over forty years ago. Building on the strengths of Chapman's original text, this long-awaited 5th edition has been revised and expanded by a team of eminent insect physiologists, bringing it fully up-to-date for the molecular era. The chapters retain the successful structure of the earlier editions, focusing on particular functional systems rather than taxonomic groups and making it easy for students to delve into topics without extensive knowledge of taxonomy. The focus is on form and function, bringing together basic anatomy and physiology and examining how these relate to behaviour. This, combined with nearly 600 clear illustrations, provides a comprehensive understanding of how insects work. Now also featuring a richly illustrated prologue by George McGavin, this is an essential text for students, researchers and applied entomologists alike.

R. F. Chapman (1930–2003) was an eminent insect physiologist and Professor in the Division of Neurobiology at the University of Arizona. His first four editions of The Insects have formed the standard text in the field for more than forty years.

Stephen J. Simpson is ARC Laureate Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences and Academic Director of the Perkins Centre for the study of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease at the University of Sydney. His core research aims are to understand swarming in locusts and to devise a new framework for studying nutrition. In 2012 he was awarded the Wigglesworth Medal from the Royal Entomological Society of London.

Angela E. Douglas is Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor of Insect Physiology and Toxicology at Cornell University, New York. Her research and teaching is motivated by the mechanisms underlying insect function and her core research interests are the overlapping topics of insect nutrition and interactions between insects and beneficial microorganisms. She is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and the Entomological Society of America.