Book description
Hymenoptera, the bees, wasps and ant, are one of the largest insect
orders, and have massive ecological importance as pollinators and as
predators or parasitoids of other insects. These roles have brought them
forcefully to human notice , as governors of some key ecological
services that strongly influence human food supply. Recent declines of
pollinators and introductions of alien pests or biological control
agents are only part of the current concerns for conservation of
Hymenoptera, and of the interactions in which they participate in almost
all terrestrial ecosystems. Both pests and beneficial species abound
within the order, sometimes closely related within the same families.
Many taxa are both difficult to identify, and very poorly known. This
global overview, the first such account for the whole of the
Hymenoptera, discusses a broad range of themes to introduce the insects
and their conservation roles and needs, and how their wellbeing may be
approached. The book is intended as a source of information for research
workers, students, conservation managers and naturalists as an
introduction to the importance of this dominant insect order.
Emeritus Professor Tim New
, from the Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Melbourne has
broad interests in insect conservation, ecology and systematics. He has
published extensively on these topics and is recognised as one of the
leading advocates for insect conservation.
