Novel aspects of the biology of Chrysomelidae (Series Entomologica, 50)

Chrysomelidae, along with Curculionidae and Bruchidae, are the most important phytophagous Coleoptera. At least 37,000 species of leaf beetles belonging to 19 subfamilies have now been described, and more probably remain to be discovered, especially in the tropics. Many species are familiar agricultural pests. The Colorado potato beetle, the cereal beetle, flea beetle and the corn root worms are but a few of the well known pests. Because of the economic importance and biological diversity, chrysomelids are an important taxonomic group for scientific inquiry. This book is divided into eight parts, entitled palaeontology, larvae and larval biology, trophic selection, genetics and evolution defence mechanisms, anatomy and reproduction, pathogens and natural enemies, and general studies in biology. The biologies of agricultural and forestry pests, Leptinotarsa , Plagiodera , Entomoscelis , Paropsis , Mecistomela and Aspidomorpha are dealt with in detail. Others, such as Timarcha and those in the poorly known Megalopodinae, are covered in Part VIII. In this volume the American, European, Asian and Australian fauna occupy the greatest part. This volume, together with Biology of Chrysomelidae (1988), provides a comprehensive coverage and helps to complete the picture of chrysomelid biology. Front Matter....Pages i-xxiii Paleontology of leaf beetles....Pages 1-68 Eggs and oviposition in chrysomelid beetles....Pages 69-74 Egg bursters in the Chrysomelidae, with a review of their occurrence in the Chrysomeloidea (Coleoptera)....Pages 75-110 Origins of parental care in chrysomelid beetles....Pages 111-117 Larvae of Palaearctic Timarcha Latreille....Pages 119-125 Hypotheses on oligophagy: how far the case of the Colorado potato beetle supports them....Pages 127-139 The chemosensory basis of host-plant recognition in Chrysomelidae....Pages 141-151 Chemical ecology of Diabroticites....Pages 153-169 Entomophagy in Chrysomelidae: adult Aristobrotica angulicollis (Erichson) feeding on adult meloids (Coleoptera)....Pages 171-178 Pollen consumption and digestion by leaf beetles....Pages 179-183 Host plants and seasonal abundance patterns of some Brazilian Chrysomelidae....Pages 185-189 Review of the biology and host plants of Australian Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) associated with Acacia (Mimosaceae)....Pages 191-204 Host plants of Neotropical Cassidinae....Pages 205-212 Genome size, chromosomes, and egg-chorion ultrastructure in the evolution of Chrysomelinae....Pages 213-225 Cytogenetics of Cassidinae....Pages 227-230 Genetics of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)....Pages 231-236 Molecular techniques for studying systematics and phylogeny of Chrysomelidae....Pages 237-248 Genetic and phylogenetic aspects of host plant affiliation in Ophraella (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)....Pages 249-258 Sympatric speciation in Galerucella ....Pages 259-262 Egg deposition and protection of eggs in Chrysomelidae....Pages 263-276 Antipredator devices in larvae of the Chrysomelidae: a unified synthesis for defensive eclecticism....Pages 277-288 Chemical defence of adult leaf beetles updated....Pages 289-301 Cycloalexy among chrysomelid larvae....Pages 303-309 Waste products as chrysomelid defenses....Pages 311-318 Stridulaton in leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)....Pages 319-325 Chrysomelid behavioral counterploys to secretive canals in plants....Pages 327-330 Physiological colour changes in tortoise beetles....Pages 331-335 Comparative morphology of the hindwing venation of the Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera)....Pages 337-354 ‘Retournement’ of the aedeagus in Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera)....Pages 355-362 The female organs of symbiont transmission in the Eumolpinae....Pages 363-370 Unusually large sperm cells in Alticinae: Their formation and transportation in the male genital system, and their evolution....Pages 371-381 Comparative morphology and some evolutionary trends in flea beetles (Alticinae)....Pages 383-391 Internal bacteria in the Chrysomelidae....Pages 393-405 Phoretic and ectoparasitic mites (Acari) of the Chrysomelidae....Pages 407-417 The Hymenoptera and Diptera parasitoids of Chrysomelidae....Pages 419-467 Diapause in the Chrysomelidae....Pages 469-502 Chrysomelidae in the Arctic....Pages 503-510 Seasonal changes in leaf beetle fauna of a warm temperate lowland in Japan....Pages 511-525 Biological studies on Temnaspis nankinea (Pic) (Chrysomelidae: Megalopodinae)....Pages 527-531 Food selection and life-cycle of the Old World Timarcha Latreille, 1829 (Col. Chrysomelinae)....Pages 533-539 The biology of the imported willow leaf beetle, Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharting)....Pages 541-547 Biology of Entomoscelis Chevrolat....Pages 549-553 The biology of the paropsine eucalyptus beetles of Australia....Pages 555-565 Biology and ecology of Mecistomela marginata (Thunberg, 1821) (Hispinae: Alurnini) in Brazil....Pages 567-571 Life table parameters of Indonesian tortoise beetles under laboratory conditions....Pages 573-578 Back Matter....Pages 579-582