Waldbauer, Gilbert

Berkeley. 2012. February 2012. University of California Press. 1st American Edition. Very Good in Dustjacket. 9780520269125. 10 line illustrations. 240 pages. hardcover. keywords: Animal General Ecology Invertebrate Zoology. FROM THE PUBLISHER - With Illustrations by James Nardi ‘A fascinating look at the critical role of insects in ecosystems and the myriad ways in which they avoid the constant threat of predation.' Carol Anelli, Washington State University All animals must eat. But who eats who, and why, or why not? Because insects outnumber and collectively outweigh all other animals combined, they comprise the largest amount of animal food available for potential consumption. How do they avoid being eaten? From masterful disguises to physical and chemical lures and traps, predatory insects have devised ingenious and bizarre methods of finding food. Equally ingenious are the means of hiding, mimicry, escape, and defense waged by prospective prey in order to stay alive. This absorbing book demonstrates that the relationship between the eaten and the eater is a central - perhaps the central - aspect of what goes on in the community of organisms. By explaining the many ways in which insects avoid becoming a meal for a predator, and the ways in which predators evade their defensive strategies, Gilbert Waldbauer conveys an essential understanding of the unrelenting coevolutionary forces at work in the world around us. inventory #38182 ISBN: 9780520269125.