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Ecological Entomology; C.B. Huffaker and A.P. Gutierrez (Eds); John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999, 2nd Edition, 756 pages.
Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 30 (2000) 265–266 www.elsevier.com/locate/ibmb
Book review Ecological Entomology; C.B. Huffaker and A.P. Gutierrez (Eds); John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999, 2nd Edition, 756 pages. This book is the second edition of Carl Huffaker and Robert Robb’s original and classic volume published in 1984. In the intervening years, there has been enormous progress in the field of ecological entomology. This book serves to update and expand the original text. At the same time, Dr. Gutierrez offers this volume as a memorial to the late Dr. Carl Huffaker (1914–1995). Carl Huffaker was a prolific and insightful scholar. His work on spatial heterogeneity and predator prey relations stands as a milestone in ecology and is taught in nearly every course and textbook. His work on biological control and integrated pest management set the standard for the whole field of applied and ecological entomology. Given this book’s scope and the insights it contains, this book is a fitting tribute to him. Ecological Entomology is a compendium of 20 review articles divided into five parts. Each section is preceded by an introduction by Gutierrez. Every chapter has an extensive literature review, with chapter by chapter reference lists. This book serves as an excellent introduction to insect biology for ecologists and ecology for entomologists. The book is at its best when the unique ecological problems and solutions posed by insects are explored. One weakness of the volume is that many of these reference lists tend to minimize the newer insights from the contemporary literature. Since I cannot cover every chapter in detail, I will try to capture the flavor, strengths and weaknesses of this book. The introduction (Part I) opens with a chapter by Huffaker, Gordon and Gutierrez, that is just excellent. It sets the tone for the entire book. The problems posed are very important and the examples are well chosen. Unfortunately, Price’s review of ecosystem concepts in Chapter 2 is far too elementary for a book of this ambitious scope. Price attempts to cover ecological energetics, biogeochemical cycling and evolution in 34 pages. It simply cannot be done. Section II, on basic biological and ecological adaptations of insects, will likely seem elementary to many entomologists, but was very instructive to me. [I am a community ecologist who works with aquatic insects in streams.] These chapters clarified many concepts that had always seemed a bit hazy to me. I expect that most ecologists will find this section very valuable. Gordon’s
chapter (3) on Growth and Development is quite basic. Chapter 4 on food and feeding by insects by Barbehenn, Reese and Hagen, was very well written and bursting with useful information. Their section on strategies for feeding on low-nutrient food fascinated me. From cicadas to termites, insects have found exceedingly complex ways to make a living from substrates that provide virtually no food value. From discussions of insect mouthparts to behavior, Chapter 7 (by Caltagirone) makes very compelling reading. Chapter 6 (Nechols et al.) explains issues like diapause and dormancy in both ecological and evolutionary terms. It is an important chapter to help ecologists understand the subtle ecophysiological changes of insects during development and their environmental cues and consequences. Part III is on natural control of insects. Chapter 9 (Huffaker, Berryman and Turchin) presents a modern and quantitative analysis of population regulation and is one of the highlights of the book. Chapter 10 (Wellington, Johnson and Lactin) deals with a variety of influences of weather on insects. They briefly mention the issue of global climate change but do not give it the depth of treatment it deserves. I anticipate massive dislocations and insect outbreaks in the near future if global warming continues apace. The chapters on competition (11, by Mills), predation (12, by Berryman and Gutierrez), insect community assembly and invasibility (13, by Schreiber and Gutierrez) and 15 on age-structured population dynamics models are all very mathematical and sophisticated. They will prove challenging to less quantitative readers. I found Chapter 14 by Turchin and Omland on dispersal dynamics to be more accessible and very insightful. I strongly support their emphasis on the role of spatial heterogeneity and dispersal in population (and community) dynamics. In Part IV (Chapters 16–18) on the role of insects in ecosystems, the emphasis shifts back to natural history. I found Chapter 16 on insect diversity and trophic complexity too simplistic. Chapters 17 and 18 on insect on flowers and other plants are more substantive and are both rich in examples and references. The final section, Part V, is on the Application of Ecology to Insect Population Management. Huffaker would be delighted to read these chapters. Gutierrez contributed Chapter 19 on tritrophic interactions (plant-herbivore-predator). This chapter is a fine blend of fascinating natural history and contemporary theory (especially metapopulation dynamics). It provides a fresh and up-to-date look at a
0965-1748/00/$ - see front matter 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 6 5 - 1 7 4 8 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 1 0 0 - 9
266
Book review / Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 30 (2000) 265–266
case study of the biological control of the cassava mealybug. The final chapter is on the ecological basis for integrated pest management (by Kogan, Croft and Sutherst). Although non-quantitative, this chapter is rich in examples and insights into IPM. It is an excellent teaching tool, which gets the key points across clearly. To summarize, this is a valuable book. It will help ecologists better understand insects and their dynamics, and help entomologists wrestle with important issues in ecological entomology. As in many compendium vol-
umes, the rigor and sophistication of the book varies from chapter to chapter. Even so, the great majority of chapters are informative and well written. It is worth reading and will serve as a significant port of entry to the literature on ecological entomology. Seth R. Reice Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
Book review Ecological Entomology; C.B. Huffaker and A.P. Gutierrez (Eds); John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999, 2nd Edition, 756 pages. This book is the second edition of Carl Huffaker and Robert Robb’s original and classic volume published in 1984. In the intervening years, there has been enormous progress in the field of ecological entomology. This book serves to update and expand the original text. At the same time, Dr. Gutierrez offers this volume as a memorial to the late Dr. Carl Huffaker (1914–1995). Carl Huffaker was a prolific and insightful scholar. His work on spatial heterogeneity and predator prey relations stands as a milestone in ecology and is taught in nearly every course and textbook. His work on biological control and integrated pest management set the standard for the whole field of applied and ecological entomology. Given this book’s scope and the insights it contains, this book is a fitting tribute to him. Ecological Entomology is a compendium of 20 review articles divided into five parts. Each section is preceded by an introduction by Gutierrez. Every chapter has an extensive literature review, with chapter by chapter reference lists. This book serves as an excellent introduction to insect biology for ecologists and ecology for entomologists. The book is at its best when the unique ecological problems and solutions posed by insects are explored. One weakness of the volume is that many of these reference lists tend to minimize the newer insights from the contemporary literature. Since I cannot cover every chapter in detail, I will try to capture the flavor, strengths and weaknesses of this book. The introduction (Part I) opens with a chapter by Huffaker, Gordon and Gutierrez, that is just excellent. It sets the tone for the entire book. The problems posed are very important and the examples are well chosen. Unfortunately, Price’s review of ecosystem concepts in Chapter 2 is far too elementary for a book of this ambitious scope. Price attempts to cover ecological energetics, biogeochemical cycling and evolution in 34 pages. It simply cannot be done. Section II, on basic biological and ecological adaptations of insects, will likely seem elementary to many entomologists, but was very instructive to me. [I am a community ecologist who works with aquatic insects in streams.] These chapters clarified many concepts that had always seemed a bit hazy to me. I expect that most ecologists will find this section very valuable. Gordon’s
chapter (3) on Growth and Development is quite basic. Chapter 4 on food and feeding by insects by Barbehenn, Reese and Hagen, was very well written and bursting with useful information. Their section on strategies for feeding on low-nutrient food fascinated me. From cicadas to termites, insects have found exceedingly complex ways to make a living from substrates that provide virtually no food value. From discussions of insect mouthparts to behavior, Chapter 7 (by Caltagirone) makes very compelling reading. Chapter 6 (Nechols et al.) explains issues like diapause and dormancy in both ecological and evolutionary terms. It is an important chapter to help ecologists understand the subtle ecophysiological changes of insects during development and their environmental cues and consequences. Part III is on natural control of insects. Chapter 9 (Huffaker, Berryman and Turchin) presents a modern and quantitative analysis of population regulation and is one of the highlights of the book. Chapter 10 (Wellington, Johnson and Lactin) deals with a variety of influences of weather on insects. They briefly mention the issue of global climate change but do not give it the depth of treatment it deserves. I anticipate massive dislocations and insect outbreaks in the near future if global warming continues apace. The chapters on competition (11, by Mills), predation (12, by Berryman and Gutierrez), insect community assembly and invasibility (13, by Schreiber and Gutierrez) and 15 on age-structured population dynamics models are all very mathematical and sophisticated. They will prove challenging to less quantitative readers. I found Chapter 14 by Turchin and Omland on dispersal dynamics to be more accessible and very insightful. I strongly support their emphasis on the role of spatial heterogeneity and dispersal in population (and community) dynamics. In Part IV (Chapters 16–18) on the role of insects in ecosystems, the emphasis shifts back to natural history. I found Chapter 16 on insect diversity and trophic complexity too simplistic. Chapters 17 and 18 on insect on flowers and other plants are more substantive and are both rich in examples and references. The final section, Part V, is on the Application of Ecology to Insect Population Management. Huffaker would be delighted to read these chapters. Gutierrez contributed Chapter 19 on tritrophic interactions (plant-herbivore-predator). This chapter is a fine blend of fascinating natural history and contemporary theory (especially metapopulation dynamics). It provides a fresh and up-to-date look at a
0965-1748/00/$ - see front matter 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 6 5 - 1 7 4 8 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 1 0 0 - 9
266
Book review / Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 30 (2000) 265–266
case study of the biological control of the cassava mealybug. The final chapter is on the ecological basis for integrated pest management (by Kogan, Croft and Sutherst). Although non-quantitative, this chapter is rich in examples and insights into IPM. It is an excellent teaching tool, which gets the key points across clearly. To summarize, this is a valuable book. It will help ecologists better understand insects and their dynamics, and help entomologists wrestle with important issues in ecological entomology. As in many compendium vol-
umes, the rigor and sophistication of the book varies from chapter to chapter. Even so, the great majority of chapters are informative and well written. It is worth reading and will serve as a significant port of entry to the literature on ecological entomology. Seth R. Reice Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA