Overview

The Galapagos Islands of Ecuador are world famous for their unique plants and animals, and the hints these gave to Charles Darwin in forming his ideas on evolution by natural selection. They are the world's least altered set of tropical oceanic islands. The oldest islands have been available for colonization by land plants and animals for about 3-4 million years. At least 1850 species of insects and 350 species of other terrestrial arthropods are now known to occur on the islands. Beetles are the largest order of animals, and globally comprise about 25% of all animal species. They also represent about 25% of all terrestrial animals known in the Galapagos Islands. This book is a synthesis of both previously published information and abundant new data gathered during extensive recent field studies on Galapagos beetles. Generalizations are presented on the dynamics and patterns of the evolution, ecology, and distribution of the entire beetle fauna. The core of the book is an account of the 486 species of beetles with detailed information on their distribution and bionomics. This work will be of interest to entomologists, island ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and conservation scientists as a framework for future study and protection of the fauna and flora of the islands. It is a contribution to a comparative global understanding of the origin, evolution, and ecological structuring of oceanic island insect faunas.

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9781280538889

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