Immature Insects

About this book

Among several constraints in food production, the damage due to insect pests is of major importance. Most insect species are herbivorous, devouring around 20 per cent of the world's total crop production annually. In most insects of economic importance, immature stages cause severe damage. In general, insects spend considerably more time in their immature stages than they do as adults.

An attempt has been made to prepare material in detail with the best quality pictures/photographs of the immature stages of insects. This book includes separate chapters for various immature stages of insects viz., egg, larva/nymph and pupa. It includes egg morphology with chronic attachment and sculpturing, types of eggs. The details about larva/nymph with classification, types of insect larva, larval morphology, chaetotaxy and larval mobility. Considering information about pupa, it includes types of pupa, classification, pupal morphology, sex determination of pupa and significance of pupal stage. Other than that, detailed information about methods of collecting insects, preservation of insects, defence mechanisms in immature insects, rearing of immature insects, use of taxonomic keys for immature insects and other important aspects are also discussed, chapter-wise.

Contents

1. Methods of collection and sampling insect pests
2. Killing and preservation of insects
3. Insect metamorphosis
4. Hormonal control of metamorphosis
5. Methods of diagnosis and detection of various insect pests
6. Insect egg
7. Insect larva
8. Insect pupa
9. Nymph, naiad, wigglers and crawlers
10. Defence mechanisms in immature insects
11. Rearing of immature insects
12. What is taxonomic keys
13. Identification keys to the orders

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