‘In Considerable Variety’: Introducing the Diversity of Australia’s Insects

The book introduces basic entomology, emphasising perspectives on insect diversity important in conservation assessment and setting priorities for management, as a foundation for managers and others without entomological training or background. It bridges the gap between photographic essays on insect identification and more technical texts, to illustrate and discuss many aspects of taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary diversity in the Australian insect fauna, and its impacts in human life, through outlines of many aspects of insect natural history.

Many conservation managers lack entomological training and the perspective needed to conserve insects within their areas of responsibility. Using Australian insect examples this book provides an introduction to basic entomology and emphasises the massive taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary diversity within this fauna, together with its interactions with humanity.  It is written largely in non-technical language, to provide accessible information on many aspects of insect natural history and the importance of their diversity and conservation, and contains suggestions for further reading to expand on the themes introduced.

Preface.- Chapter 1. The basic insect pattern: theme and variations.- Introduction: insects and their close relatives.- The insect body plan.- Inside insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 2. Fossils and major insect adaptations.- Introduction: the process of insect evolution.- Wings and flight.- Wings and ecology.- Insect diversification.- Further reading.- Chapter 3. Insect life histories.- Introduction:  modes of development.- Diversification within metamorphosis.- Seasonal development.- Further reading.- Chapter 4. Origins, distributions and diversity.- Introduction: Australia as an environment for insects.- Insect species?.- Further reading.- Chapter 5. Environments and habitats for insects in Australia.- Introduction: places to live.- Resources for insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 6. Foods and feeding biology.- Introduction: the variety of food and feeding habits.- Exploitation or partnerships?.- Searching for food.- Insect herbivores.- Insect carnivores.- Insect parasitoids.- Insect parasites.- Insect decomposers.- Further reading.- Chapter 7. Insect behaviour and lifestyles.- Introduction: behaviour and adaptation.- Sensory mechanisms.- Social existence.- Further reading.- Chapter 8. Insect communities.- Introduction: living together.- Richness and variety.- Evolutionary radiations.- Assessing richness.- Further reading.- Chapter 9. Insect populations.- Introduction: population size and structure.- Population fluctuations.- Further reading.- Chapter 10. Insects in inland water environments.- Introduction: inland aquatic habitats for insects.- Insect variety.- Further reading.- Chapter 11.- Australia’s alpine insects.- Introduction: environmental extremes.- Alpine insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 12.- Lowland insects and their environments: non-forest insects.- Introduction: terrestrial open habitats.- Grasslands.- Arid environments.- Mallee environments.- Further reading.- Chapter 13. Forest insects.- Introduction: forest habitats.- Forest insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 14. Insects and people in Australia.- Introduction: interest and involvement.- Pest insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 15.- Australia’s alien insects.- Introduction: variety and impacts.- Importation and establishment.- Consequences.- Australian insects abroad.- Further reading.- Chapter 16.- Conservation.- Introduction: rationale and needs for insect conservation.- Species conservation.- Habitat conservation.- Wider views.- Further reading.- Chapter 17.- Diversity and its implications for understanding Australia’s insects.- Introduction: relevance of basic documentation.- Surveying diversity.- Increasing understanding.- References.- Further reading.- Appendix 1. Australia’s insects: the players.- Index.

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