Novel Aspects of Insect-Plant Interactions

Presents the first efforts to explore ecological interactions between insects and plants across several trophic levels, with special focus on mediation of complex interactions by plant allelochemicals. First section looks at effects of plant allelochemicals on predator-prey and host-parasitoid interactions. Second section reveals the role of microorganisms as mediators of interactions between insects and plants. Third section unifies and extends current theory to examine the effects of allelochemicals on the second and third trophic levels. Final section traces the physiological effects of plant allelochemicals in animal behavior, population regulation, maintenance of mimicry systems, and evolution of host range.

Pedro Barbosa is a Professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland. His numerous publications include Readings in Entomology, Manual of Basic Techniques in Insect Histology, Insect Outbreaks, Novel Aspects of Insect-Plant Interactions and Introduction to Forest and Shade Tree Entomology. He received his BS from the City College of New York and MS and PhD degrees from the University of Massachusetts.

Deborah K. Letourneau holds Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan and University of California at Berkeley. As Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, her research concerns plant-insect interactions, biodiversity, and environmental risk in the context of decision-making that sustains both livelihoods and the environment.