Secret weapons
Subtitle: defenses of insects, spiders, scorpions, and other many-legged creatures
By: Thomas Eisner, Maria Eisner, Melody Siegler
Contributors: Eisner, Maria, 1926-; Siegler, Melody, 1948-
Publisher: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Cambridge, Mass
Language: eng
Number of pages: 372
ISBN-13: 9780674018822; 9780674024038
Subjects: Animal Behavior; Insekten; Defenses; Insects; Arachnides; Spinnen; Insecten; Camouflage; Geleedpotigen; Insectes; Moyens de défense; Defensief gedrag; Abwehrmechanismus; Arachnida; Abwehr
Description: "Part handbook, part field guide, part photo album, Secret Weapons chronicles the diverse and often astonishing defensive strategies that have allowed insects, spiders, scorpions, and other many-legged creatures not just to survive, but to thrive." "In sixty-nine chapters, each illustrated with photographs culled from Thomas Eisner's legendary collection, we meet a largely North American cast of anthropods - as well as a few of their kin from Australia, Europe, and Asia - and observe at firsthand the nature and extent of the defenses that lie at the root of their evolutionary success. Here are the cockroaches and termites, the carpenter ants and honeybees, and all the miniature creatures in between, deploying their sprays and venom, froth and feces, camouflage and sticky coatings. And along with a marvelous bug's-eye view of how these secret weapons actually work, here is a close-up look at the science behind them, from taxonomy to chemical formulas, as well as an appendix with instructions for studying chemical defenses at home. Whether dipped into here and there or read cover to cover, Secret Weapons will prove invaluable to hands-on-researchers and amateur naturalists alike, and will captivate any reader for whom nature is a source of wonder."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Prologue --; title: Class Arachnida --; title: Order Uropygi --; title: Family Theliphonidae -- -- 1.; title: Mastigoproctus giganteus (the vinegaroon) --; title: Order Opiliones --; title: Family Cosmetidae -- -- 2.; title: Vonones sayi (a harvestman) --; title: Family Sclerosomatidae -- -- 3.; title: Leiobunum nigripalpi (a daddylonglegs) --; title: Order Scorpiones --; title: Family Vejovidae -- -- 4.; title: Vejovis spinigerus (the striped tail scorpion) --; title: Order Araneida --; title: Family Oxyopidae -- -- 5.; title: Peucetia viridans (the green lynx spider) --; title: Class Chilopoda --; title: Order Scolopendrida --; title: Family Scholopendiridae -- -- 6.; title: Scolopendra heros (the giant Sonoran centipede) --; title: Order Geophilida --; title: Family Oryidae -- -- 7.; title: Orphnaeus brasilianus (a geophilid centipede) --; title: Class Diplopoda --; title: Order Spirobolida -- -- 8.; title: Floridobolus penneri (the Florida scrub millipede) --; title: Order Polydesmida --; title: Family Polydesmidae -- -- 9.; title: Apheloria kleinpeteri (a polydesmid millipede) --; title: Order Polyzoniida --; title: Family Polyzoniidae -- -- 10.; title: Polyzonium rosalbum (a polyzoniid millipede) --; title: Order Glomerida --; title: Family Glomeridae -- -- 11.; title: Glomeris marginata (a pill millipede) --; title: Order polyxenida --; title: Family polyxenidae -- -- 12.; title: Polyxenus fasciculatus (a bristle millipede) --; title: Class Insecta --; title: Order Dyctioptera --; title: Family Blattidae -- -- 13.; title: Eurycotis floridana (the Florida woods cockroach) -- -- 14.; title: Periplaneta australasiae (the Australian cockroach) -- -- 15.; title: Deropeltis wahlbergi (a blattid cockroach) --; title: Family Blaberidae -- -- 16.; title: Diploptera punctata (the Pacific beetle cockroach) --; title: Order Dermaptera --; title: Family Forficulidae -- -- 17.; title: Doru taeniatum (an earwig) --; title: Order Isoptera --; title: Family Termitidae -- -- 18.; title: Nasutitermes exitiosus (a termite) --; title: Order Phasmatodea --; title: Family Diapheromeridae -- -- 19.; title: Oreophoetes perusana (a walkingstick) --; title: Family Pseudophasmatidae -- -- 20.; title: Anisomorpha buprestoides (the two-striped walkingstick) --; title: Order Orthoptera --; title: Family Romaleidae -- -- 21.; title: Romalea guttata (the eastern lubber grasshopper) --; title: Order Hemiptera --; title: Family Coreidae -- -- 22.; title: Chelinidea vittiger (a leaf-footed bug) --; title: Family Reduviidae -- -- 23.; title: Apiomerus flaviventris (a reduviid bug) --; title: Family Belostomatidae -- -- 24.; title: Abedus herberti (a giant water bug) --; title: Family Aphididae -- -- 25.; title: Aphis nerii (the oleander aphid) -- -- 26.; title: Prociphilus tessellatus (the woolly alder aphid) --; title: Family Flatidae -- -- 27.; title: Ormenaria rufifascia (a flatid planthopper) --; title: Family  Cercopidae -- -- 28.; title: Prosapia bicincta (the two-lined spittlebug) --; title: Family Dactylopiidae -- -- 29.; title: Dactylopius confusus (a cochineal bug) --; title: Family Aleyrodidae -- -- 30.; title: Metaleurodicus griseus (a whitefly) --; title: Order Neuroptera --; title: Family Chrysopidae -- -- 31.; title: Ceraeochrysa cubana (a green lacewing) -- -- 32.; title: Ceraeochrysa smithi (a green lacewing) -- -- 33.; title: Chrysopa slossonae (a green lacewing) --; title: Order Coleoptera --; title: Family Carabidae -- -- 34.; title: Galerita lecontei (a ground beetle) -- -- 35.; title: Brachinus (many species) (bombardier beetles) --; title: Family Gyrinidae -- -- 36.; title: Dineutus hornii (a whirligig beetle) --; title: Family Dytiscidae -- -- 37.; title: Thermonectus marmoratus (a predaceous diving beetle) --; title: Family Silphidae -- -- 38.; title: Necrodes surinamensis (the red-lined carrion beetle) --; title: Family Staphylinidae -- -- 39.; title: Creophilus maxillosus (the hairy rove beetle) --; title: Family Cantharidae -- -- 40.; title: Chauliognathus lecontei (a soldier beetle) --; title: Family Lampyridae -- -- 41.; title: Photinus ignitus and Photuris versicolor (fireflies) --; title: Family Lycidae -- -- 42.; title: Calopteron reticulatum (the banded net-winged beetle) --; title: Family Elateridae -- -- 43.; title: Alaus myops (the eyed elater) --; title: Family Buprestidae -- -- 44.; title: Acmaeodera pulchella (the flat-headed baldcypress sapwood borer) --; title: Family Coccinellidae -- -- 45.; title: Cycloneda sanguinea (a ladybird beetle) -- -- 46.; title: Epilachna varivestis (the Mexican bean beetle) --; title: Family Meloidae -- -- 47.; title: Epicauta (an unidentified species) (a blister beetle) --; title: Family Pyrochroidae -- -- 48.; title: Neopyrochroa flabellata (a fire-colored beetle) --; title: Family Tenebrionidae -- -- 49.; title: Adelium percatum (a darkling beetle) -- -- 50.; title: Bolitotherus cornutus (the forked fungus beetle) -- -- 51.; title: Eleodes longicollis (a darkling beetle) --; title: Family Scarabaeidae -- -- 52.; title: Trichiotinus rufobrunneus (a scarab beetle) --; title: Family Chrysomelidae -- -- 53.; title: Hemisphaerota cyanea (a tortoise beetle) -- -- 54.; title: Gratiana pallidula (a tortoise beetle) -- -- 55.; title: Plagiodera versicolora (the imported willow leaf beetle) --; title: Order Lepidoptera --; title: Family Dalceridae -- -- 56.; title: Dalcerides ingenita (a dalcerid moth) --; title: Family Noctuidae -- -- 57.; title: Litoprosopus futilis (the palmetto borer moth) --; title: Family Notodontidae -- -- 58.; title: Schizura unicornis (the unicorn caterpillar moth) --; title: Family Thyrididae -- -- 59.; title: Calindoea trifascialis (a thyridid moth) --; title: Family Yponomeutidae -- -- 60.; title: Ypsolopha dentella (the European honeysuckle leaf roller) --; title: Family Geometridae -- -- 61.; title: Nemoria outina (a geometrid moth) --; title: Family Arctiidae -- -- 62.; title: Utetheisa ornatrix (the rattlebox moth) --; title: Family Saturniidae -- -- 63.; title: Automeris io (the io moth) --; title: Family Papilionidae -- -- 64.; title: Eurytides marcellus (the zebra swallowtail butterfly) --; title: Family Pieridae -- -- 65.; title: Pieris rapae (the cabbage butterfly) --; title: Family Nymphalidae -- -- 66.; title: Danaus plexippus (the monarch butterfly) --; title: Order Hymenoptera --; title: Family Pergidae -- -- 67.; title: Perga affinis (a pergine sawfly) --; title: Family Formicidae -- -- 68.; title: Camponotus floridanus (a carpenter ant) --; title: Family Apidae -- -- 69.; title: Apis mellifera (the honey bee) --; title: Epilogue --; title: How to study insects and their kin --; title: Acknowledgments --; title: Illustration credits --; title: Index.