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Biology and Ecology of Aphids
Most people know of aphids as garden pests, infesting the soft green tissues of plants in vast numbers and killing them by sucking out the sap. Indeed, among the 4000 or so known species of aphids about 250 are pests, and in temperate regions several are economically important agricultural pests that damage crops directly during feeding or act as vectors for plant pathogens. But aphids are also important model organisms in evolutionary biology and ecology because they combine a number of unique features such as complex life cycles involving the development of morphological distinct phenotypes (polyphenism), sexual and asexual reproduction strategies and changes of host plants. Aphids can also be regarded as holobionts because they are colonized by obligate and facultative microbes which enable them to feed exclusively on phloem sap and influence their resistance against pathogens, parasitoids or environmental stress. This book combines fundamental information about aphids with chapters addressing state-of-the-art research in topics such as aphid-related phylogeny, genome biology, epigenetics and chemical ecology.
282 pages, Hardcover
First published January 25, 2016
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June 4, 2024
When I found out that this book existed, I was really filled with joy. Aphids are just amazing creatures, and with every page I was more and more astonished by how those little creatures work.
Unfortunately, aphids are often (justly) regarded as pests. The suprising amount of research on aphids that is available reflects the need for a way to prevent them from becoming pests. Since I approach this book from a purely curious viewpoint, I was happy to see that this book is not solely focussed on aphids being pests of which I was afraid. The book really took a broad approach, from discussing interactions in a large ecosystem to the smallest molecules. This book is a great example of how to combine different fields to write the story a single branch in the amazing tree of life.
< img src="https://simonleather.wordpress.com/wp..." >
just a small overview of this amazing story
Unfortunately, aphids are often (justly) regarded as pests. The suprising amount of research on aphids that is available reflects the need for a way to prevent them from becoming pests. Since I approach this book from a purely curious viewpoint, I was happy to see that this book is not solely focussed on aphids being pests of which I was afraid. The book really took a broad approach, from discussing interactions in a large ecosystem to the smallest molecules. This book is a great example of how to combine different fields to write the story a single branch in the amazing tree of life.
< img src="https://simonleather.wordpress.com/wp..." >
just a small overview of this amazing story
Displaying 1 of 1 review