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The Neotropical Region is one of the most diverse places in the world. In this region are found most of the lineages of bees that collect floral oils, a unique characteristic among insects. The genus Centris is an extensive group of this type of bees, which are distributed from the United States to Patagonia, in the extreme south of South America. The largest, most striking, colorful and beautiful species of the genus are found in the humid forests of South America, all of them forming part of the subgenus Centris (Melanocentris). This book brings a taxonomic review of all the species of this subgenus, including the description of numerous species hitherto unknown to science. Along with the description of these species, the new subgenus Centris (Odontoxys) is also described, which contains species that are distributed from Mexico to Argentina. The book also includes redescriptions and photographs of both sexes of all species, along with distribution maps, an identification key, and lists of material examined and of floral hosts.
This is the first comprehensive book focusing on the form and function of insect mouthparts. Written by leading experts, it reviews the current knowledge on feeding types and the evolution of mouthparts and presents new research approaches. The richly illustrated articles cover topics ranging from functional morphology, biomechanics of biting and chewing, and the biophysics of fluid-feeding to the morphogenesis and genetics of mouthpart development, ecomorphology in flower-visiting insects as well as the evolution of mouthparts, including fossil records. Intended for entomologists and scientists interested in interdisciplinary approaches, the book provides a solid basis for future scientific work. Chapter 6 of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com.
Meliponini, the stingless bees of the tropics, process and store honey, pollen and plant resins to maintain their colonies. The chemical components of their nests are bioactive and believed to be therapeutic for a long list of maladies. However, only recently are tests and analyses being done with molecular and modern laboratory techniques, such as high throughput EDX, HPIC, HPLC, GC, NMR, PCR, and ultrastructural SEM; coupled with diverse detectors such as DAD, RI, MS, SCD. This two-volume book is about the cerumen plant resins mixed with stingless bee wax and propolis, which fortify the colony in ways that are beginning to be understood. It includes reviews and new research on diverse topi...
This book describes the fauna of the Pernambuco Endemism Center in Brazil's Northern Atlantic Forest, an understudied global biodiversity hotspot. Through fifteen curated chapters, it provides the latest information about the fauna of the northern portion of the Atlantic Forest, gathering important information about the faunal composition of the region for the first time. The chapters address animal biodiversity including terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) and invertebrates (ants, butterflies, dung beetles, hervestmen, spiders, and termites). All chapters provide species lists, taxonomic aspects and richness analysis. Conservation of specific animal groups is also discussed. Finally, the book discusses human impacts on the forest and its biodiversity, emphasizing the need for conservation of this highly impacted ecosystem.
The stingless bees are one of the most diverse, attractive, fascinating, conspicuous and useful of all the insect groups of the tropical world. This is a formidable and contentious claim but I believe it can be backed up. They are fifty times more species rich than the honey bees, the other tribe of highly eusocial bees. They are ubiquitous in the tropics and thrive in tropical cities. In rural areas, they nest in a diversity of sites and are found on the flowers of a broad diversity of crop plants. Their role in natural systems is barely studied but they almost certainly deserve that hallowed title of keystone species. They are popular with the general public and are greatly appreciated in zoos and gardens. The chapters of this book provide abundant further evidence of the ecological and economic importance of stingless bees.
Driven by the increasing necessity to define the biological diversity frame of widespread, endemic and threatened species, as well as by the stimulating chance to describe new species, the study of the evolutive and spatial dynamics is in constant execution. Systematic overviews, biogeographic and phylogenic backgrounds, species composition and distribution in restricted areas are focal topics of the 15 interesting independent chapters collected in this book, chosen to offer to the reader an overall view of the present condition in which our planet is.
Stingless bees (Meliponini) are the largest and most diverse group of social bees, yet their largely tropical distribution means that they are less studied than their relatives, the bumble bees and honey bees. Stingless bees produce honey and collect pollen from tens of thousands of tropical plant species and, in the process, provide critical pollination services in the tropics. Like many other insects, they are struggling with new human-made challenges like habitat destruction, climate change and new diseases. This book provides an overview of stingless bee biology, with chapters on the evolutionary history, nesting biology, colony organisation and division of labour of stingless bees. In addition, it explores their defence strategies, foraging ecology, and varied communication methods. Accordingly, the book offers an accessible introduction and reference guide for students, researchers and laypeople interested in the biology of bees.
This special issue of ZooKeys marks the fourth volume in a series on New World macro-moth systematics. Twenty-two authors contributed 12 manuscripts for this volume, covering taxa in the Crambidae, Erebidae, Euteliidae, Geometridae, Noctuidae, and Notodontidae. New taxa are described from 26 countries, with emphasis on the Neotropical region. Taxonomic changes include the description of 27 new species and two new subspecies, eight new or revised synonyms, two revised statuses, and one new generic combination.
An authoritative, marvelously illustrated field guide to the velvet ants of North America Velvet Ants of North America is a beautiful photographic guide to the species of the wasp family Mutillidae found in the United States and Canada. Featuring hundreds of full-color photos, it covers nearly 460 species—representing more than 9 percent of all velvet ant species, which number in the thousands worldwide—providing comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of this spectacular group of insects. This one-of-a-kind guide serves as an invaluable reference for naturalists, scientific researchers, museum specialists, and outdoor enthusiasts. Covers nearly 460 species found in North America and throughout the world Features stunning high-resolution photos of each species Detailed species accounts and keys allow for easy and rewarding identification Sheds invaluable light on taxa from Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, and beyond Provides silhouette images depicting the actual size ranges of species Includes distribution maps of nearly all diurnal species in the United States and Canada
This book contains the first described species of Centris, even before the description of the genus. Considering this fact, the entire layout and color palette draw inspiration from the books of naturalists of the XVIII and XIX centuries. For the creation of the cover, I used one of the beautiful designs made by the German naturalist and scientific illustrator Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717), one of the first women in history who dedicated herself to in situ observation of insects. The drawing corresponds to flowers of Iris latifolia (Mill.) Voss (Iridaceae), Delphinium sp. (Ranunculaceae), and Narcissus sp. (Amaryllidaceae) appearing in the third chapter of her work “Neues Blumenbuch: ...