True ladybirds, classified in the tribe Coccinellini, are easily recognisable by their relatively large and shiny bodies and contrasting colour patterns. They are one of the most widely studied groups of beetles, being of economic importance and used as model organisms in biological and ecological research. Ladybird Beetles of the Australo-Pacific Region covers 22 genera and 95 valid species, including 12 new species, of ladybird beetles from Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific area. For each species, descriptions, illustrations and keys will assist with the correct identification of ladybirds from this large but practically unknown fauna. This book is a valuable contribution to the taxonomy of the ladybirds and to the knowledge of the biodiversity of this unique biogeographic region. It will be of use to entomologists, biologists, ecologists, quarantine officers, natural history museum curators, and students.

True ladybirds, classified in the tribe Coccinellini, are easily recognisable by their relatively large and shiny bodies and contrasting colour patterns. They are one of the most widely studied groups of beetles, being of economic importance and used as model organisms of biological and ecological research. This book covers 22 genera and 95 valid species, including 12 new species, of ladybird beetles from Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific area. For each species, descriptions, illustrations and keys will assist with the correct identification of ladybirds from this large but practically unknown fauna. This book is a valuable contribution to the taxonomy of the ladybirds and to the knowledge of the biodiversity of this unique biogeographic region. It will be of use to entomologists, biologists, ecologists, quarantine officers, natural history museum curators, and students.

True ladybirds, classified in the tribe Coccinellini, are easily recognisable by their relatively large and shiny bodies and contrasting colour patterns. They are one of the most widely studied groups of beetles, being of economic importance and used as model organisms in biological and ecological research. Ladybird Beetles of the Australo-Pacific Region covers 22 genera and 95 valid species, including 12 new species, of ladybird beetles from Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific area. For each species, descriptions, illustrations and keys will assist with the correct identification of ladybirds from this large but practically unknown fauna. This book is a valuable contribution to the taxonomy of ladybird beetles and to the knowledge of the biodiversity of this unique biogeographic region. It will be of use to entomologists, biologists, ecologists, quarantine officers, natural history museum curators and students.

This book, by Australia's ladybird beetle specialist, Dr Adam Slipinski, illustrates Australia's diverse and fascinating ladybird beetle fauna — the commoner spotted species and the many others that are striped, glossy, and even very hairy. Most are predatory, but some are leaf feeders. This book reviews all 57 currently recognised genera of Australian Coccinellidae, recognising 260 valid described species, and including some genera and species newly described here. All genera are diagnosed, described and illustrated and a key to their identification is provided. Larvae of 30 species are described, illustrated and keyed. Sets of colour and black and white plates display these often beautifully colourful beetles, and their key features. The book is a must for all people interested in Australia's beetle fauna, in biocontrol and in natural resource management. This book was originally published in hardback by Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) in 2007 and is now available in a digital format.

This three-volume series represents a comprehensive treatment of the beetles of Australia, a relatively under-studied fauna that includes many unusual and unique lineages found nowhere else on Earth. Volume 2 contains 36 chapters, providing critical information and identification keys to the genera of the Australian beetle families included in suborders Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga and several groups of Polyphaga (Scirtoidea, Hydrophiloidea, Scarabaeoidea, Buprestoidea and Tenebrionidae). Each chapter is richly illustrated in black and white drawings and photographs. The book also includes colour habitus figures for about 1000 Australian beetle genera and subgenera belonging to the families treated in this volume. This volume is a truly international collaborative effort, as the chapters have been written by 23 contributors from Australia, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland and USA.

Biology and Evolution of Crocodylians is a comprehensive review of current knowledge about the world's largest and most famous living reptiles. Gordon Grigg's authoritative and accessible text and David Kirshner's stunning interpretive artwork and colour photographs combine expertly in this contemporary celebration of crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials. This book showcases the skills and capabilities that allow crocodylians to live how and where they do. It covers the biology and ecology of the extant species, conservation issues, crocodylian–human interaction and the evolutionary history of the group, and includes a vast amount of new information; 25 per cent of 1100 cited publications have appeared since 2007. Richly illustrated with more than 500 colour photographs and black and white illustrations, this book will be a benchmark reference work for crocodylian biologists, herpetologists and vertebrate biologists for years to come.

Biological Control: Global Impacts, Challenges and Future Directions of Pest Management provides a historical summary of organisms and main strategies used in biological control, as well as the key challenges confronting biological control in the 21st century. Biological control has been implemented for millennia, initially practised by growers moving beneficial species from one local area to another. Today, biological control has evolved into a formal science that provides ecosystem services to protect the environment and the resources used by humanity. With contributions from dedicated scientists and practitioners from around the world, this comprehensive book highlights important successes, failures and challenges in biological control efforts. It advocates that biological control must be viewed as a global endeavour and provides suggestions to move practices forward in a changing world. Biological Control is an invaluable resource for conservation specialists, pest management practitioners and those who research invasive species, as well as students studying pest management science.

Most Australian stag beetles live secretive lives, spending the majority of their life cycle inside decaying timber or under logs sunken in the soil. Yet these active recyclers of the forest are admired by beetle-loving people worldwide. Their aesthetic appeal and the rarity of some species make them of great value to collectors: the beetles in the subfamily Lampriminae are splendidly colourful, while others show an amazing variety in male mandible size and structure. A Guide to Stag Beetles of Australia is a comprehensive account of the 95 lucanid species found in Australia. This book reveals their diversity and beauty, looks in detail at their morphology, habitats and ecology, and explains how to collect, keep and preserve them. Natural history enthusiasts and professional and amateur coleopterists alike will benefit from the use of this guide. The book features some stunning images from entomologist and photographer Paul Zborowski. Paul has over 40 years' experience of field-based study of insects and related creatures in habitats all over the world.

Edible insects have always been a part of human diets, but in some societies there remains a degree of disdain and disgust for their consumption. Although the majority of consumed insects are gathered in forest habitats, mass-rearing systems are being developed in many countries. Insects offer a significant opportunity to merge traditional knowledge and modern science to improve human food security worldwide. This publication describes the contribution of insects to food security and examines future prospects for raising insects at a commercial scale to improve food and feed production, diversify diets, and support livelihoods in both developing and developed countries. It shows the many traditional and potential new uses of insects for direct human consumption and the opportunities for and constraints to farming them for food and feed. It examines the body of research on issues such as insect nutrition and food safety, the use of insects as animal feed, and the processing and preservation of insects and their products. It highlights the need to develop a regulatory framework to govern the use of insects for food security. And it presents case studies and examples from around the world. Edible insects are a promising alternative to the conventional production of meat, either for direct human consumption or for indirect use as feedstock. To fully realise this potential, much work needs to be done by a wide range of stakeholders. This publication will boost awareness of the many valuable roles that insects play in sustaining nature and human life, and it will stimulate debate on the expansion of the use of insects as food and feed.