1st Edition
by Klaus H. Hoffmann (Editor)
Insects represent the most
abundant and diverse animal group on Earth. The number of described
species is more than one million and up to ten million are estimated.
Insects have one of the widest distributions in the world because they
have adapted to extreme ranges of environments.
Molecular ecology
studies ecological processes based on the analysis of
biomacromolecules, particularly DNA, RNA, and proteins, but also of
low-molecular weight signal compounds. Molecular ecology uses the
exciting opportunities offered by the tools of molecular biology.
The
book presents current entomological research, where molecular tools
help to advance traditional ecological studies. Chapters include ones on
insect–insect and insect–plant interactions, on mechanisms of
environmental adaptation, or on the use of insect biotechnology in pest
and vector control. The book helps to combine powerful methods in
molecular biology with exciting issues in ecology to understand why
insects became "masters of survival."
