Skin and Arthropod Vectors


Book Description

Approx.500 pagesApprox.500 pages




Insects and Human Life


Book Description

"Weaving science with personal observations, Morris demonstrates a knowledge of virtually every aspect of human-insect relations. Not only is this book useful in terms of the more practical side of entomology, it also provides a wealth of information on the role of insects in cultural production."--Jacket.




Medical Insects and Arachnids


Book Description

Surprising though it seems, the world faces almost as great a threat today from arthropod-borne diseases as it did in the heady days of the 1950s when global eradication of such diseases by eliminating their vectors with synthetic insecticides, particularly DDT, seemed a real possibility. Malaria, for example, still causes tremendous morbidity and mortality throughout the world, especially in Africa. Knowledge of the biology of insect and arachnid disease vectors is arguably more important now than it has ever been. Biological research directed at the development of better methods of control becomes even more important in the light of the partial failure of many control schemes that are based on insecticide- although not all is gloom, since basic biological studies have contributed enormously to the outstanding success of international control programmes such as the vast Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa. It is a sine qua non for proper understanding of the epidemiology and successful vector control of any human disease transmitted by an arthropod that all concerned with the problem - medical entomologist, parasitologist, field technician - have a good basic understanding of the arthropod's biology. Knowledge will be needed not only of its direct relationship to any parasite or pathogen that it transmits but also of its structure, its life history and its behaviour - in short, its natural history. Above all, it will be necessary to be sure that it is correctly identified.







Diseases and Human Evolution


Book Description

Barnes, a paleopathologist, offers general overviews of specific diseases (West Nile virus, Lyme disease, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, cholera, etc.) and their carriers.




Biology of Blood-Sucking Insects


Book Description

Blood-sucking insects are the vectors of many of the most debilitating parasites of man and his domesticated animals. In addition they are of considerable direct cost to the agricultural industry through losses in milk and meat yields, and through damage to hides and wool, etc. So, not surprisingly, many books of medical and veterinary entomology have been written. Most of these texts are organized taxonomically giving the details of the life-cycles, bionomics, relationship to disease and economic importance of each of the insect groups in turn. I have taken a different approach. This book is topic led and aims to discuss the biological themes which are common in the lives of blood-sucking insects. To do this I have concentrated on those aspects of the biology of these fascinating insects which have been clearly modified in some way to suit the blood-sucking habit. For example, I have discussed feeding and digestion in some detail because feeding on blood presents insects with special problems, but I have not discussed respiration because it is not affected in any particular way by haematophagy. Naturally there is a subjective element in the choice of topics for discussion and the weight given to each. I hope that I have not let my enthusiasm for particular subjects get the better of me on too many occasions and that the subject material achieves an overall balance.




Biological Insect Pest Suppression


Book Description

The subject area embraced by the term "biological control" in its classical sense is very broad indeed. The term itself was apparently first used in 1919 by the late Harry S. Smith, and was then used specifically in reference to the suppression of insect populations by the actions of their indigenous or introduced natural enemies. The California school of biological control specialists who followed in Smith's footsteps have traditionally differentiated "natural" biological control (by indigenous natural enemies) and "applied" biological control (by man-introduced natural enemies). Subsequently, the philosophy broadened beyond the original narrow concern with population suppression of insects (and especially pest insects), to embrace directed activities against mites or other arthropod pests, various invertebrate and vertebrate pests, weeds, and organisms producing disease in humans or their domestic animals and plants. The techniques used in these activities also multiplied beyond the original concern with natural enemies. The subjects area discussed in this book is, at the same time, broader and more restricted than that covered in other books on "biological control. " On the one hand, the treatment here is restrictive in that, with rare exception, we have limited ourselves to dealing only with ideas and examples involving the suppression of insect pests through human activity or intervention in the environment.




Pest and Vector Control


Book Description

This short, readable textbook is designed to introduce students the biology and techniques of aricultural pest and disease vector control and management. As such, it is unique; no other book attempts to marry together the fields of pest and vector control. The authors are two of the leading authorities in their respective fields and amongst the best known entomologists of their generation.




The Mosquito


Book Description

**The instant New York Times bestseller.** *An international bestseller.* Finalist for the Lane Anderson Award Finalist for the RBC Taylor Award “Hugely impressive, a major work.”—NPR A pioneering and groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing how through millennia, the mosquito has been the single most powerful force in determining humanity’s fate Why was gin and tonic the cocktail of choice for British colonists in India and Africa? What does Starbucks have to thank for its global domination? What has protected the lives of popes for millennia? Why did Scotland surrender its sovereignty to England? What was George Washington's secret weapon during the American Revolution? The answer to all these questions, and many more, is the mosquito. Across our planet since the dawn of humankind, this nefarious pest, roughly the size and weight of a grape seed, has been at the frontlines of history as the grim reaper, the harvester of human populations, and the ultimate agent of historical change. As the mosquito transformed the landscapes of civilization, humans were unwittingly required to respond to its piercing impact and universal projection of power. The mosquito has determined the fates of empires and nations, razed and crippled economies, and decided the outcome of pivotal wars, killing nearly half of humanity along the way. She (only females bite) has dispatched an estimated 52 billion people from a total of 108 billion throughout our relatively brief existence. As the greatest purveyor of extermination we have ever known, she has played a greater role in shaping our human story than any other living thing with which we share our global village. Imagine for a moment a world without deadly mosquitoes, or any mosquitoes, for that matter? Our history and the world we know, or think we know, would be completely unrecognizable. Driven by surprising insights and fast-paced storytelling, The Mosquito is the extraordinary untold story of the mosquito’s reign through human history and her indelible impact on our modern world order.




American Pests


Book Description

Inspired by the still-revolutionary theories of Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," McWilliams argues for a more harmonious and rational approach to people's relationship with insects, one that does not harm the environment and, consequently, ourselves along the way.