Insects of South-Eastern Australia An Ecological and Behavioural Guide

About this book

A walk in the bush reveals insects visiting flowers, patrolling the air, burrowing under bark and even biting your skin. Every insect has characteristic feeding preferences and behaviours. Insects of South-Eastern Australia is a unique field guide that uses host plants and behavioural attributes as the starting point for identifying insects. Richly illustrated with colour photographs, the different species of insects found in Australia's temperate south-east, including plant feeders, predators, parasites and decomposers, are presented.

Insects of South-Eastern Australia is complemented by an introduction to the insects of the region, including their environment, classification, life history, feeding strategies and behaviour. Fascinating boxes on camouflage, mimicry and many other topics are also included throughout. Whether you are a field naturalist, entomologist or just want to know what's in your backyard, Insects of South-Eastern Australia will help you to identify the insects most likely to be encountered, as well as understand the basics of their ecology and behaviour.

Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction

PART I - AN ECOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO INSECT IDENTIFICATION
The Regional Environment focussing on the Southern Tablelands of NSW
Defining an Insect
An Ecological and Behavioural Approach to Insect Identification
Insect Mouth-parts: Adaptations to Different Feeding Strategies
Insect Classification: from Species to Order
Insect Life Cycles
Annual Life Cycles
Feeding Strategies
Plant Feeders
Flower Visitors
Predators
Blood Feeders
Parasitoids
Decomposers and Soil Insects
Non-feeding Insects
Other Attributes: Behaviour and Habitats
Social Insects
Aquatic and Riparian Insects
Cave Insects
Domestic Insects
Constructions and Domiciles

PART II INSECTS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT
Plant feeders
Eucalypt feeders
Acacia feeders
Other tree, shrub and rush feeders
Grass and forb feeders and grassland inhabitants
Fungivores
Flower visitors
Seed feeders
Extra-floral nectary feeders
Fruit Feeders
Predators
Parasites
Decomposers
Non-feeding and perching insects

INFORMATION BOXES
1 Attraction to Light
2 Nocturnal Activity
3 Sound Production
4 Camouflage
5 Warning Colouration
6 Mimicry
8 Migration
9 Aggegations and Swarming behaviour
10 Insect Outbreaks
11 Other Predators and Parasites
12 Ant Attendance
13 Rare and Endangered Species and their Conservation
14 Introduced Insects
15 Attracting Native Insects to your Garden

Appendix
Abbreviations and Glossary
References and Further Reading
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Dr Roger Farrow was educated in England, where he developed a passion for insects and their ecology. After 6 years of research on locusts in Mali he moved to Australia in 1971 to join CSIRO. He spent the next 25 years studying locusts, insect migration and plant-feeding insects, resulting in the publication of more than 80 scientific papers. After retirement he joined the Canberra branch of the Australian Native Plant Society, studying and photographing insects on field trips as well as at his rural property in the foothills of the Tinderry Ranges, south of Canberra.