BOOK REVIEWS
Ecology and Control of Introduced Plants
Judith H. Myers and Dawn R. Bazely
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
2003, 313 pp.
Prices: $45 paperback; $110, hard cover, $36, e-book
ISBN: 0521357780 (paperback), 0521355168 (hard cover),
0511058985 (e-book)
The title of this book suggests a concentration on invasive plants,
and that is certainly the major focus of this book. However, this
book is not only about invasive plants. Phytophagous insects are
prominently included in discussions and examples throughout much
of the book; insects can have major influences on plant ecology,
which is the major reason they are used for weed control. In writing this book, the Canadian authors have drawn on their extensive
expertise in the ecology of phytophagous insects and plants and use
of insects for biological control of weeds. This book is therefore a
“must-have” for entomologists interested in ecological relations
between phytophagous insects and invasive plants and manipulation
of these relations through biological control of weeds.
Upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students will
find that this book provides up-to-date coverage of these subjects.
Professional entomologists working in biological control of weeds
will find that the literature cited in this book and emphasis on basic
ecological relationships, along with current issues such as nontarget
effects, offer refreshing ways to think about use of phytophagous
insects for control of invasive plants. The lower price of the paperback version makes it easy to purchase.
This book is composed of 10 chapters and an appendix. The first
four chapters describe the importance and scope of the invasive plant
problem and the possibility of being able to predict plant invasions.
The fifth chapter covers population ecology of invasive plants, including discussions of different ways to look at population regulation
and methods for studying demography; this chapter, of course, also
begins the discussions of ecological interactions between insects and
plants. Chapter 7 discusses many major aspects of biological control
of weeds using arthropods. The subject of Chapter 8 is modeling,
with most of the models concerning population regulation and biological control. Chapter 9 discusses different options for controlling
invasive weeds, culminating in merging classical biological control
with other strategies in Integrated Weed Management programs. An
appendix with basic methods for studies of plant ecology is provided,
in part to facilitate the authors’ appeal for increased documentation
of the results of control programs.
This book is amply illustrated, most frequently using graphs to
support the many examples of relationships described in the text.
For those interested in biological control of weeds, the classic picture
of the Cactoblastis Memorial Hall in Queensland is also included.
In addition, 34 tables and 24 text boxes provide detailed examples
from the many different systems that are described in support of
the text.
In some lights, the phytophagous insects introduced for biological
control of weeds can be seen as potential invasives too. Myers and
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Bazely confront the potential problems of biological control of weeds
head-on. They discuss the many questions and paradoxes in uses of
this control strategy, e.g., who should take responsibility for control
programs resulting in unintended effects, especially when plants were
intentionally introduced. The authors marvel at the ease with which
new plant species are introduced, compared with introductions of
insects for classical biological control. However, regardless of the
difficulties and unpredictability in developing a successful biological
control program to control invasive weeds, Myers and Bazely return
to the fact that, with care, classical biological control still provides
the best possibilities for control of many invasive weeds.
Ann E. Hajek
Department of Entomology
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-0901
Ecological Engineering for Pest Management: Advances in
Habitat Manipulation for Arthropods
G. M. Gurr, S. D. Wratten, and M. A. Altieri, Editors
Comstock Publishing Associates
Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY
2004, 256 pp.
Price: $99.95
ISBN: 0801443423
Ecological Engineering for Pest Management is a comprehensive
overview of traditional cultural techniques (e.g., habitat management) and new technologies (e.g., precision agriculture) and how
these various tools can be used to promote natural enemies as a
cornerstone for sustainable agricultural productivity. In the foreword, David Pimentel reminds us that although great strides in the
development of new cultivars, pesticides, fertilization, and irrigation
technologies have been made, “40% of world food production is lost
to insect pests…despite application of 3 billion kg of pesticides to
crops. Insecticide applications in U.S. crops have increased 10-fold
yet crop losses have doubled from 7% in 1945 to 13% today.”
With this alarming picture in mind, Gurr et al. contend that there
is something fundamentally wrong with the modern agricultural
enterprise, a sentiment that has been expressed by pioneers in
the development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The core
problem is elementary—reliance on unilateral control strategies
(e.g., pesticides) that lack an understanding and appreciation of
the basic biology and ecology of the cropping system and all of its
integrated components, from soil organisms to upper trophic level
organisms with biological control agents at the apex.
American Entomologist • Fall 2005
Gurr et al. argue that wider adoption and implementation of
ecologically based approaches to managing pests of agricultural
importance may be safer and more sustainable than relying solely
on pesticides or genetically engineered crops to protect monocultures
from herbivorous arthropods, plant pathogens, and weeds; hence the
need to examine the concept and practice of ecological engineering
as a component of modern agricultural activity.
The phrase “ecological engineering” was first coined by Odum
(1962) and defined as “environmental manipulation by man using
small amounts of supplementary energy to control systems in which
the main energy drives are still coming from natural sources.” This
original definition has evolved to “design, operation, management,
and repair of sustainable living systems in a manner consistent
with ecological principles, for the benefit of human society and the
natural environment”(Parrott 2002). Various disciplines are allied
to ecological engineering, including restoration ecology, sustainable
agroecology, habitat reconstruction, ecosystem rehabilitation, wetland restoration, and reclamation ecology. All these disciplines have
aspects that are applicable to improving the health and productivity
of agriculture.
The field is diverse and rich enough to warrant its own periodical, Ecological Engineering: The Journal of Ecosystem Restoration
(Elsevier). However, a cursory review of this journal reveals very few
articles that specifically address the challenges facing the management
of agricultural pests. This apparent lack of agricultural representation
justifies the need for this book, which presents a body of ecological
engineering research related to agricultural pest management. Ecological Engineering for Pest Management should stimulate active
research in areas that support the efficacy and scientific rigor of
culturally based pest management.
Contributions to Ecological Engineering for Pest Management
have been made in 14 diverse chapters by 27 researchers from
Australia, Germany, Israel, Kenya, New Zealand, Switzerland, the
United States, and the United Kingdom. Areas covered by contributors include the compatibility of genetic and ecological engineering;
influence of landscape complexity on pest management and natural
enemy activity; implications of habitat manipulation on natural
enemy behavior, biology, and impact; the role of molecular identification and marking techniques for enhancing the understanding
of biological and ecological requirements of parasitoids in agroecoystems; and precision agriculture and agroforestry in support of
ecological engineering for pest control.
My overall impression of the content, breadth, and readability of
this book is very favorable. The editors have done a commendable
job in getting solid contributions from very good scientists (those
well established in their careers, as well as coauthors who are graduate students and newly minted Ph.D.s). Chapters are well illustrated
with good quality black-and-white photographs, crisp graphs and
cartoons, and easy-to-read tables. Ecological Engineering for Pest
Management makes a nice companion book to Gurr and Wratten’s
Biological Control: Measures of Success (Kluwer Academic Press
2000); it supplements Barbosa’s Conservation Biological Control
(Academic Press 1998) and Pickett and Bugg’s Enhancing Biological Control: Habitat Management to Promote Natural Enemies of
Agricultural Pests (University of California Press 1998).
Ecological Engineering for Pest Management will appeal most to
researchers with a strong interest in conservation biological control
that promotes enhanced natural enemy activity in cropping systems
via habitat manipulation. The influence of cover crops and resource
provisionment for enhancing natural enemy activity has been an in-
C O L U M B I A
UNIVERSITY
PRESS
The Evolutionary
Biology of Flies
Edited by David K. Yeates
and Brian Wiegmann
“Integrates for the first time the remarkable
biology of flies and brings the study of these
insects to a new level.”—David Grimaldi,
author of Evolution of Insects
columbia.edu/cu/cup
American Entomologist • Volume 51, Number 3
185
tegral part of long-term research conducted by the editors and their
expertise is clearly reflected in the content of the book. Extraction
of specific chapters for use in graduate-level classes will provide
excellent overviews of specialized areas.
My only criticism of this book, and this is a minor point, is the
perceived detrimental role that genetically engineered (GE) crops
could have for pest management. Long-term data sets on Bt corn and
cotton have failed to demonstrate any appreciable adverse effect on
natural enemies. In many instances, biological control of primary and
secondary pests has increased because of the substantial reduction of
harmful nondiscriminatory broad-spectrum pesticide applications.
A call for a moratorium of GE crops and strict adherence to the
“Precautionary Principle” by Altieri et al. (Chapter 2) is unlikely to
happen. Instead, greater emphasis should be placed on how best to
use these novel crops within an ecological engineering framework
at a very early stage of global deployment.
Ecological Engineering for Pest Management provides a broad
overview of a variety of management strategies that contribute to the
theory and practice of the application of ecological engineering to
agricultural systems. The chapters are well written and illustrated by
researchers eminent in their respective fields. For biological control
practitioners with either an interest or a strong research focus on
habitat manipulation and its impacts on pest control and environmental improvement, Ecological Engineering for Pest Management
will be a worthy addition to the library.
References Cited
Odum, H. T. 1962. Man in the ecosystem. Conn. Storrs Agric. Exp. Stat.
Bull. 652: 75–75.
Parrott L. 2002. Complexity and the limits of ecological engineering. Trans.
Am. Soc. Agric. Eng. 45: 1697–1702.
Mark S. Hoddle
Dept. of Entomology, University of California
Riverside, CA 92521
Insects of the Texas Lost Pines (W. L. Moody Jr., Natural
History Series, No. 33)
S. W. Taber and S. B. Fleenor
Texas A&M University Press, College Station
2003, 296 pages
Price: cloth $50.00, paperback $24.95
ISBN 1-58544-236-4
This is the third book by Taber, whose previous works include Fire
Ants and The World of the Harvester Ants (Texas A&M University
Press). My attention was immediately drawn to this book because
it covers a small but interesting area of Texas biodiversity. The Lost
Pines of Texas is characterized by disjunct populations of loblolly
pines (Pinus taeda), mixed with Post Oak Savanna and Tall Grass
Prairie that support a diverse community of plants and animals more
closely linked to their eastern counterparts than those of central
Texas. Though often an excellent source of information, regional
titles like this are not common. I applaud the authors and publisher
for taking the initiative to see this book printed.
The authors begin by outlining why they were drawn to this
area. Their primary reason was because of the area’s isolation and
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unique features. The Lost Pines marks the westernmost limit of its
namesake species, the loblolly pine. The region encroaches upon an
invisible biogeographical barrier that passes north to south through
the United States, forming “an ecological continental divide, separating the country’s eastern flora and fauna from its western flora and
fauna.” (p. 3) Second, the biodiversity of the region has never been
investigated comprehensively and has never been “subjected to close
scientific scrutiny” (p. 6). And, finally, this region is at the center of
an escalating controversy that pits government agencies against land
developers, homeowners, and other private citizens in a bid to save
the Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) from extinction.
The book is organized into 15 chapters, two appendixes (“Endemic Texas Insects Occurring in the Lost Pines” and “Exotic
Animals Occurring in the Lost Pines”), and a seemingly thorough
bibliography and index. Unfortunately, I found several issues with
the book that detract from its ultimate usefulness. Chapter 1 provides
an informative introduction to the Lost Pines. Chapter 2, entitled
“The Lost Pines as a Setting for Animal Life,” discusses the geology,
soil, vegetational zones, and the loblolly pines themselves, with two
paragraphs included on the future of the Lost Pines. The order of the
remaining 13 chapters is unclear and does not follow a recognizable
phylogenetic or alphabetical pattern. The chapters seem like artificial
assemblages (Chapter 13 is titled “Silverfish, Scorpionflies, Footspinners, Millipedes, and Centipedes”). The authors’ only statement
unifying these groups is, “The insects of this chapter are distantly
related to one another and to the more familiar insects that comprise
each of the major orders. The many-legged millipedes and centipedes
are of course not insects at all.” Species discussed within chapters
are not placed in a recognizable arrangement either. In Chapter 9,
Erythemis simplicicollis can be found on p. 188, and its congener,
E. vesiculosa, is on p. 192; five genera are found between the two.
Members of the same family also not grouped together.
The book includes 209 black-and-white photographs, primarily of
pinned museum specimens and often with multiple species per image.
In many of these photographs, I could not recognize the species I am
familiar with. I found at least one photograph misidentified; fig. 164
on p. 197 is labeled as a blue-fronted dancer (Argia apicalis), but it
is actually a species of common spreadwing (Lestes), a member of
another family. Also, though I realize color is expensive and this may
well have been the publisher’s decision, the lack of color and choice
of photographs detract from the book’s overall value.
The taxa chosen for inclusion seem to be the more charismatic
species and those that the authors could otherwise easily obtain,
which reduces the book’s utility as a thorough report of the species
found in the area. The choice of taxa covered is unclear and uneven,
despite the intended goal of “presenting the known distributions of
the invertebrates of the Lost Pines” (p. 9). For example, 23 species
of Odonata, 36 species of Heteroptera, 25 species of butterflies, 7
species of moths, and 70 species of Coleoptera are covered. I know
of at least 63 species of Odonata found in the Lost Pines; and at
a 200-acre University of Texas field station in the middle of the
Lost Pines, 90 species of butterflies and more than 1,000 species
of moths have been documented. The skippers are a group that are
conspicuously absent from this treatment. The authors state that
they chose to include species “that have seldom or never been illustrated before,” yet I kept thinking of the many color photographs
taken in situ of these taxa that are widely published and would have
improved this book.
The authors use common names in addition to scientific names
throughout the book, but I found many examples of the former that
don’t correspond to the recognized lists of these names for many
groups. For example, within the Odonata, I found that five (22%)
of the common names were incorrect (based on the accepted names
of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas). If the authors’ intention
American Entomologist • Fall 2005
was to provide a useful identification guide to the species found in
the Lost Pines, I believe more attention should have been given to
the section devoted to similar species. For example, on p. 189, the
species Libellula flavida is reported as “a species easily mistaken,”
but there are no species listed with which it could be confused.
Finally, the reader is left wondering what methodology the authors
used in conducting research for this book. They never state how long
they worked in the Lost Pines, or when or where they conducted
their research. This leaves the reader with no basis to interpret what
the authors mean when they remark on commonness or rarity of
particular species. Despite the statement on p. 10 about the level of
peer review that is expected of scientific work, I was left wondering
what intensity of peer review this work received before publication.
Despite these difficulties, the book does begin to fill an important
niche in the ecological literature, in that the Lost Pines is a wonderful
isolated region that deserves further study.
John C. Abbott
Section of Integrative Biology
University of Texas
Austin
Integrated Pest Management in the Global Arena
K. M. Maredia, D. Dakouo, and D. Mota-Sanchez
CABI Publishing, Wallingford, U.K., and Cambridge, MA
2003, 512 pages
Price: $149, hard cover
ISBN: 0-85199-652-3
Integrated Pest Management in the Global Arena is a large book of
39 contributed chapters and more than 500 pages of text. Despite
the wide range of topics and the numerous contributing authors,
the book is generally well written and worth reading in its entirety
or piecemeal by focusing on specific topics.
The book has four sections. Part 1 includes eight chapters discussing a wide range of emerging issues in IPM. The largest section of
the book, with 20 chapters, is the second part, which details experiences in individual countries. Large geographic regions are grouped
together by similarities in climate and sociopolitical factors. The
third part describes the IPM experiences of different international
agencies working to promote and develop IPM. Part 4 brings the
diverse topics set out in the prior chapters to a conclusion and includes recommendations for promoting the global success of IPM.
As might be expected given the number of programs and agencies
discussed, a lot of jargon and acronyms are used throughout the
book. Fortunately, the editors include in the front of the book a
nearly complete glossary of acronyms and abbreviations.
Part 1 of the book, dealing with issues in IPM, is not designed
to be a stand-alone text on the topic. However, it does give a good
overview of issues ranging from biological control to biotechnology
and introduces the importance of policy change and sustainable
development to the success of IPM. A major contribution in this
section, and in the rest of the book, is the attention paid to social,
political, and gender issues. The point is made that IPM technologies, no matter what their potential for effective pest management,
often fail unless they have relevance to the accompanying social
structures of the end users and consumers. These are topics not
generally covered in other IPM books.
American Entomologist • Volume 51, Number 3
The experiences of the different countries reported in Part 2
were extremely varied. Most of the chapters in this section provide
an overview of the political and environmental conditions prior to
adopting IPM and of the issues that resulted in a change in policy
from promoting pesticide use to a more balanced IPM policy.
Although the need for effective pest management was a common
factor leading to the adoption of IPM policy and programs, it was
often not the sole or even major motivation. For example, in Indonesia, pest issues in rice production threatened rice self-sufficiency.
In the Philippines, farm profitability was a goal; and for several West
African nations, reducing the cost of off-farm purchased inputs for
agricultural production motivated a move to IPM. Although the
situation in each country was unique and each country’s motivation
for adapting IPM was specific, there was a common need for policy
change and attention to social structure. In most locations, IPM
adoption relied on some variation of farmer field schools to build
support for the new technologies.
On reading the third section, I was struck by how bureaucratic
many of the international programs dealing with IPM are. Despite
this, international organizations have made progress in promoting
and building IPM capacity around the world. A number of the
agencies are not interested in IPM as a stand-alone program, but see
IPM as critical to their mission of promoting sustainable agricultural
and social systems in their host countries.
The final chapter and last section of the book summarizes and
highlights the commonalities of the preceding chapters and very
briefly concludes by introducing some of the trends and challenges
that need to be addressed before IPM is globally adopted.
This book should be a welcome reference for researchers and
extension personnel across disciplines, as well as for policy makers in
government and nongovernment organizations working to promote
IPM and sustainable agriculture. The reader can select any chapter
and find a relevant discussion of IPM. As someone who teaches an
IPM class, I found several new ideas and novel presentations of
concepts that I will include in my lectures.
Gary J. Brewer
Department of Entomology
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58105
[email protected]
Insect Antifeedants
Opender Koul
CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL
2004, 1005 pp.
Price: $189.95
ISBN: 0-415-33400-4
This book is the first to compile all the relevant data on insect antifeedants generated during the past 35 years into one volume as a
reference for researchers and practitioners interested in alternative
approaches to crop protection. The author has contributed much
to our understanding of how insect feeding behavior modification
is accomplished through the use of plant defensive chemicals, such
as azadirachtin. This compendium of almost 900 compounds and
their known biological actions is a one-of-a-kind authoritative reference. The book places antifeedants into their proper context in the
rapidly developing field of chemical ecology. It also offers a realistic
187
interpretation of the state of knowledge on insect chemosensory
systems that regulate feeding behavior and potential mechanisms
by which antifeedants are detected and modify normal functioning
of taste cells. The literature citations, while not exhaustive, cover
many of the important sources and offer a good entrance into the
literature through 2002.
The author discusses the complicated area of feeding bioassays
thoroughly. He offers numerous examples covering the wide divergence among insect species and life stages and highlights many of the
relevant caveats for meaningful interpretations of these bioassays.
The electrophysiological assays are not as thoroughly covered, but
other methods developed for certain species are well documented.
A most impressive chapter on structure–activity relationships begins with limonoids, using azadirachtin as the best studied example to
date, and follows through the other major groups of antifeedants that
are comparatively well studied. The astounding detail presented here
makes this an especially useful book for specialists in the field.
Commercialization and the practical aspects of using antifeedants
for pest control are not currently well developed, and many of the
relevant limitations are highlighted. The bulk of the book is a detailed
catalogue of the structure and known biological activity profiles of
antifeedant chemicals, with an effort to standardize a 50% level of
activity to permit cross-species and compound comparisons. The
method of testing, important remarks on life stage and duration of
test, and pertinent literature citations are given for each compound
on the same page, which is a great help for anyone seeking further
details. The alphabetical listing of compounds, which is based
mostly on chemical nomenclature, is intended to facilitate searching
by the uninitiated but seriously compromises the utility of making
comparisons within chemical groups.
188
Overall, this book is an unparalleled reference for anyone interested in insect antifeedants and should greatly advance the author’s
goal of promoting the use of pest control allelochemicals for more
sustainable agricultural production.
James L. Frazier
Department of Entomology
Pennsylvania State University
State College, PA
The GMO Handbook: Genetically Modified Animals,
Microbes, and Plants in Biotechnology
Sarad R. Parekh, Editor
Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
2004, 386 pp.
Price: $145 (hardcover), $130 (eBook)
ISBN: 1-58829-307-6
With breathtaking advances in biotechnology occurring monthly
rather than yearly, how can a handbook devoted to genetic engineering be up to date? The answer, of course, is that it can’t. Any book
on genetic engineering is out of date as soon as it is published. So,
what is the value of The GMO Handbook: Genetically Modified
Animals, Microbes, and Plants in Biotechnology? The editor, Sarad
R. Parekh, and the 13 authors have attempted to provide readers with
a comprehensive starting point from which to understand genetic
engineering and biotechnology, and they have largely succeeded.
As its title implies, this book is about technology, not basic
scientific research. It does not provide comprehensive discussion of
basic research in molecular and cellular biology. Technology is the
practical use of science, and this book is firmly grounded in that
framework.
Part handbook, part scholarly text, and part textbook, the
book is divided into three major sections: microbial GMOs, mammalian GMOs, and plant GMOs. It also contains a useful glossary
and index, and introduction and conclusion chapters. Despite the
numerous spelling and grammatical errors, the editor has done an
admirable job of making the multiauthored book flow from one
chapter to another.
The authors, many of whom are employed by the private sector, clearly are experts within their subject fields. In particular, the
authors who are private-sector biotechnologists give their chapters
a refreshingly real perspective. These are not academics holed up in
ivy-covered university buildings; rather, they are on the front lines,
succeeding in creating products based on advances in the biosciences.
Chapters cover strengths and limitations in protein production and
purification in different cell, tissue, and organism types. Regulatory
and business issues also are discussed. As such, these chapters will
appeal to individuals who need information on how to proceed from
an idea or small laboratory success to commercial reality.
But the book does much more than appeal to aspiring biotechnologists. Each part contains a chapter dealing with the interface
of biotechnology with the public. The authors expertly discuss
the manifold challenges when science meets society. Not only are
biosafety, risk assessment, and regulation discussed for microbes,
animals, and plants; but ethics and public perceptions are also
examined in depth. These topics effectively expand the audience
American Entomologist • Fall 2005
to include all appropriately educated individuals with an interest
in biotechnology.
The editor gives conflicting statements about the intended audience for this book. In the preface, he states, “The handbook targets
a unique range of scientists. Young researchers beginning their
undergraduate- and graduate-level studies will benefit from the
ability to see the full range of techniques and applications used to
culture and analyze animal, microbial, and plant GMOs.” In the
introductory chapter, he and his coauthor state, “The chapters of
this book are crafted to provide a how-to handbook and provide
the layperson with up-to-date information on recent developments
in GMOs and their future directions.” A quick glance through the
book immediately reveals that this book’s audience is the practicing scientist or apprentice scientist (advanced undergraduate and
graduate students). The material is too technically complex even for
midlevel biology undergraduates, let alone laypersons.
The handbook succeeds in providing scientists and advanced
science and engineering students with a starting point for understanding biotechnology. As such, it should be on the shelves of most
public and private research libraries around the world. Additionally,
many of the chapters could serve as excellent readings for a variety
of advanced courses. Given the extremely rapid pace of progress in
biotechnology, the editor and publisher should consider publishing
future additions online at regular intervals.
Robert K. D. Peterson and Leslie M. Shama
Agricultural & Biological Risk Assessment
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
406-994-7927
[email protected]
Other chapters, such as those on insect eyes (Stavenga) and olfaction
(Nighorn and Zweibel), instead provide an overview of modern techniques in terms of the questions they can answer. In the chapter by
Perry, Dahanukar, and Carlson, for example, we learn why RT-PCR
and in situ hybridization are complementary techniques for studying expression patterns of taste receptors, but not about the special
challenges of performing these techniques on small, crunchy insect
tissues. But any researcher who reads the Perry et al. chapter will
gain new understanding of the logic of forward and reverse genetic
approaches for studying insect taste receptor genes.
Other chapters highlight the hardware and software needed to
acquire and analyze electrical signals from the insect brain. The chapter by Pawlowski, Christensen, Lei, and Hildebrand on multichannel
neural ensemble recording includes a consumer guide designed to
help the beginner shop with confidence.
Two introductory chapters eschew methods altogether for reviews
of sensory processing in the insect brain (Homberg) and insect
sensory ecology (Larsson and Svensson). The Homberg chapter
provides a concise overview of insect neuroanatomy, with an emphasis on function; the Larsson and Svensson chapter showcases,
with infectious enthusiasm for its subject, the challenges faced by
insects as they attempt to extract useful information from complex,
real-world environments.
Several chapters focus on the computational properties of synaptic
interactions. In a chapter on bioinspired sensors, Rind shows how
understanding insect vision may lead to better eyes for robots (are
you listening, Hollywood?). Her clear presentation of the Rind and
Bramwell model of the lobula giant movement detector (LGMD)
neuron in the locust is followed by a description of the building and
testing of locust-inspired collision sensors. This exciting chapter
Methods in Insect Sensory Neuroscience
Thomas A. Christensen, Editor
CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL
2005, 435 pp.
Price: $139.95
ISBN 0-8493-2024-0
Scriptwriters in search of amazing new attributes for aliens and
superheroes will find a source of inspiration in Methods in Insect
Sensory Neuroscience, edited by T. A. Christensen of the University
of Arizona. Who can resist the idea of taste receptors on legs, eyes on
top of the head, ultrasonic hearing, and ultraviolet vision? I myself
wouldn’t mind being able to navigate in featureless suburban landscapes using the polarization pattern of the sky. There’s no doubt
that Methods in Insect Sensory Neuroscience will find a Hollywood
audience, but will the intended readership of working neuroscientists
find the book worthwhile? I think the answer is yes. Many chapters
of this well-crafted book on the major sensory systems of insects
(vision, mechanosensation, audition, olfaction, and taste) can also
serve a broader audience of advanced students taking courses in
sensory physiology, neuroethology, and bioengineering.
The title and preface imply that Methods in Insect Sensory Neuroscience was designed as a how-to guide. I was therefore initially
disappointed by the lack of a common format for the chapters.
Some chapters are painstakingly detailed (for example, anyone who
has ever tried to stabilize an insect’s head without dental wax will
derive immediate benefit from the chapter by Galizia and Vetter).
American Entomologist • Volume 51, Number 3
189
is an outstanding example of the multidisciplinary synthesis that
characterizes contemporary insect sensory neuroscience.
All of the chapters are excellent. At first reading, some seemed
overly long. I soon realized, however, that the chapters that seemed
long represented topics on which I already have a bit of background.
In less familiar territory, I appreciated the opportunity to linger over
the details of specific systems. The comprehensive chapter by Field
turned out to be just what I needed to answer a student’s question
about chordotonal organs on the insect head other than the Johnston’s organ. I also found—and this is no small thing for a methods
handbook—that the index was genuinely useful for relocating useful
tidbits. I enjoyed using entries written in plain language (e.g., Ants,
brain staining) and not being forced to guess if I needed to look up
AM dyes or Acetoxymethylester dyes (both are listed). I would have
gone one step further and added the names of genes discussed in the
text and tables to the index. I was able to find malvolio a second
time on my own, but I couldn’t relocate beethoven.
Several features of this book will be very helpful to students. All
of the chapters define important terms clearly, from amphinematic
to mutual information rate to K-means clustering. Reference lists
are extensive and provide complete citations. An appendix lists contact information, including URLs, for 34 vendors of the specialized
equipment required for sensory neuroscience.
Students in search of a preparation will note that ingenious
investigators are finding ways to work around the small size of
Drosophila. In their chapter on taste receptors, for example, Perry
et al. describe the technique of side-wall recording and its possible
application to functional analyses of tarsal taste sensilla, even in
tiny fruit flies.
All readers will appreciate the abundant illustrations. A color
insert effectively depicts, among other topics, eye shine, the use of
calcium reporters to study responses to odors in the Drosophila
brain, and the advantage of color vision to butterflies.
Given the varied formats, the themes that link the chapters are
conceptual, rather than practical. I therefore suspect very few readers
will trek with me and the editor through the entire book, and even
fewer will prop it up on the lab bench in front of them as they work.
Real manuals come wire-bound and are not typically as handsome
as this volume. There is still an unfilled need for a true insect sensory
neuroscience techniques book, but the present volume will appeal
to a broad audience and will not rapidly become dated. In the end,
the surprising diversity of approaches to a common theme taken by
the different chapters reflects an editor (himself a leader in the field)
confident enough to let the experts define their topics and have their
say. The authors and the editor are to be congratulated on having
produced such an excellent book.
Susan E. Fahrbach
Department of Biology
Wake Forest University
Winston Salem,
NC, 27109
MEIJI
Please pick up form the Winter 2004 issue
page 242
190
American Entomologist • Fall 2005