Overview

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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Mike Lehane
Publisher:   Springer
Imprint:   Springer
Edition:   Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1991
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.474kg
ISBN:  

9789401179553

ISBN 10:   9401179557
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   19 April 2012
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

1 The importance of blood-sucking insects.- 1.1 The importance of blood-sucking insects.- 2 The evolution of the blood-sucking habit.- 2.1 Prolonged close association with vertebrates.- 2.2 Morphological pre-adaptation for piercing.- 3 Feeding preferences of blood-sucking insects.- 3.1 Host choice.- 3.2 Host choice and species complexes.- 4 Location of the host.- 4.1 The behavioural framework of host location.- 4.2 Appetitive searching.- 4.3 Activation and orientation.- 4.4 Attraction.- 4.5 Movement between hosts.- 5 Ingestion of the blood meal.- 5.1 Vertebrate haemostasis.- 5.2 Insect anti-haemostatic factors.- 5.3 Probing stimulants.- 5.4 Phagostimulants.- 5.5 Mouthparts.- 5.6 Blood intake.- 6 Managing the blood meal.- 6.1 Midgut anatomy.- 6.2 The blood meal.- 6.3 Gonotrophic concordance.- 6.4 Nutrition.- 6.5 Host hormones in the blood meal.- 6.6 Partitioning of resources from the blood meal.- 6.7 Autogeny.- 7 Host—insect interactions.- 7.1 Insect distribution on the surface of the host.- 7.2 Morphological specializations for life on the host.- 7.3 Host immune responses to insect salivary secretions.- 7.4 Behavioural defences of the host.- 7.5 Density-dependent effects on feeding success.- 8 Transmission of parasites by blood-sucking insects.- 8.1 Transmission routes.- 8.2 Specificity in vector—parasite relationships.- 8.3 Origin of vector—parasite relationships.- 8.4 Parasite strategies for contacting a vector.- 8.5 Parasite strategies for contacting a host.- 8.6 Vector pathology caused by parasites.- 8.7 Insect defence mechanisms.- 9 The blood-sucking insect groups.- 9.1 Insect classification.- 9.2 Phthiraptera.- 9.3 Hemiptera.- 9.4 Siphonaptera.- 9.5 Diptera.- 9.6 Other groups.- References.

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