Ants of North America

Ants of North America
Author: Brian L. Fisher
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2007-11-02
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0520254228

"In this enormously useful book, a profound need is met by a profound contribution, the first such comprehensive work in over fifty years. While brief, Ants of North America is the distillation of a vast amount of study and practice. It is a joy to browse and read, and will have an important impact on the study of ants."—Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University "Two of the most prolific ant faunists have produced a marvelous taxonomic guide to the ant genera of North America. The keys and genus descriptions are succinct and easy to read, the illustrations superb. This book is a must for entomologists, ecologists, and particularly all who study ants."—Bert Hölldobler, Foundation Professor of Life Sciences, Arizona State University "This book represents a bold advance in the study of North American ants. It provides, for the first time, an accessible and lavishly illustrated guide to all the ant genera occurring in the United States and Canada. It will greatly enhance both public interest in ants and scientific investigation of their ecology, behavior and evolution."—Philip S. Ward, Department of Entomology and Center for Population Biology, University of California at Davis

Urban Ants of North America and Europe

Urban Ants of North America and Europe
Author: John H. Klotz
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2008
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780801474736

Ants that commonly invade homes, damage structures, inflict painful bites, or sting humans or their pets are considered pest ants. This illustrated identification guide highlights forty species of ants that pose difficulties in urban settings. Included are well-known invasive troublemakers such as the red imported fire ant and Argentine ant, as well as native species. After an introductory chapter on the evolution, biology, and ecology of pest ants, the book follows a taxonomic arrangement by subfamily. Each subfamily chapter includes separate illustrated keys to both the genera and species of that group to enable entomologists and pest control professionals to identify pest ants correctly. The species accounts cover biology, distribution, and methods for excluding and/or removing ants from human structures and landscapes. The authors focus on the ants' biology and nesting behavior, life cycles, and feeding preferences; an intimate understanding of these factors enables the implementation of the least toxic control methods available. A chapter on control principles and techniques encompasses chemical strategies, habitat and structural modifications, biological control, and integrated pest management methods. Urban Ants of North America and Europe also contains valuable information on the diagnosis and treatment of human reactions to ant stings and bites. This comprehensive reference work on these economically significant ants includes the scientific, English, French, Spanish, and German names for each species and a summary of invasive ant species in the United States and Europe.

Owls of the United States and Canada

Owls of the United States and Canada
Author:
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2007-11-30
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0801886872

In this gorgeous book, celebrated natural history writer and wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch reveals the secrets of owls with stunning photographs, personal anecdotes, and accessible science. The photos alone are masterpieces--the vast majority were taken in the wild. From the great horned to the tiny elf owl, this amazing volume captures the beauty and mystery of these charismatic birds of prey.Johns Hopkins University Press

The Ants

The Ants
Author: Bert Hölldobler
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 784
Release: 1990
Genre: Ants
ISBN: 0674040759

From the Arctic to South Africa - one finds them everywhere: Ants. Making up nearly 15% of the entire terrestrial animal biomass, ants are impressive not only in quantitative terms, they also fascinate by their highly organized and complex social system. Their caste system, the division of labor, the origin of altruistic behavior and the complex forms of chemical communication makes them the most interesting group of social organisms and the main subject for sociobiologists. Not least is their ecological importance: Ants are the premier soil turners, channelers of energy and dominatrices of the insect fauna. TOC:The importance of ants.- Classification and origins.- The colony life cycle.- Altruism and the origin of the worker caste.- Colony odor and kin recognition.- Queen numbers and domination.- Communication.- Caste and division of labor.- Social homeostasis and flexibility.- Foraging and territorial strategies.- The organization of species communities.- Symbioses among ant species.- Symbioses with other animals.- Interaction with plants.- The specialized predators.- The army ants.- The fungus growers.- The harvesters.- The weaver ants.- Collecting and culturing ants.- Glossary.- Bibliography.- Index.

A Field Guide to the Ants of New England

A Field Guide to the Ants of New England
Author: Aaron M. Ellison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2012-11-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0300169302

This book is the first user-friendly regional guide devoted to ants—the “little things that run the world.” Lavishly illustrated with more than 500 line drawings, 300-plus photographs, and regional distribution maps as composite illustrations for every species, this guide will introduce amateur and professional naturalists and biologists, teachers and students, and environmental managers and pest-control professionals to more than 140 ant species found in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. The detailed drawings and species descriptions, together with the high-magnification photographs, will allow anyone to identify and learn about ants and their diversity, ecology, life histories, and beauty. In addition, the book includes sections on collecting ants, ant ecology and evolution, natural history, and patterns of geographic distribution and diversity to help readers gain a greater understanding and appreciation of ants.

Forest Entomology

Forest Entomology
Author: Robert N. Coulson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 682
Release: 1984-05-14
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780471025733

This text considers forest insects occurring in forest ecosystems, specialized forestry settings, and urban forests, with an approach and coverage that make it suitable for use in both undergraduate and graduate courses in forest entomology and forest protection. Early chapters introduce entomology, middle chapters provide the first comprehensive treatment of the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of forest insects, and later chapters discuss the pest insects according to their feeding group.

Encyclopedia of Entomology

Encyclopedia of Entomology
Author: John L. Capinera
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 4346
Release: 2008-08-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781402062421

This text brings together fundamental information on insect taxa, morphology, ecology, behavior, physiology, and genetics. Close relatives of insects, such as spiders and mites, are included.

Turtles of the United States and Canada

Turtles of the United States and Canada
Author: Carl H. Ernst
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 840
Release: 2009-06-15
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0801891213

Winner, 2011 Book Award, The Wildlife Society2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Ernst and Lovich’s thoroughly revised edition of this classic reference provides the most updated information ever assembled on the natural histories of North American turtles. From diminutive mud turtles to giant alligator snappers, two of North America’s most prominent experts describe the turtles that live in the fresh, brackish, and marine waters north of Mexico. Incorporating the explosion of new scientific information published on turtles over the past fifteen years—including the identification of four new species—Ernst and Lovich supply comprehensive coverage of all fifty-eight species, with discussions of conservation status and recovery efforts. Each species account contains information on identification, genetics, fossil record, distribution, geographic variation, habitat, behavior, reproduction, biology, growth and longevity, food habits, populations, predators, and conservation status. The book includes range maps for freshwater and terrestrial species, a glossary of scientific names, an extensive bibliography for further research, and an index to scientific and common names. Logically organized and richly illustrated—with more than two hundred color photographs and fifty-two maps—Turtles of the United States and Canada remains the standard for libraries, museums, nature centers, field biologists, and professional and amateur herpetologists alike.