CHOICE Highly recommended 2020 Insects are key components of life on our planet, and their presence is essential for maintaining balanced terrestrial ecosystems. Without insects humans would struggle to survive, and on a world scale food production would be severely compromised. Many plants and animals depend directly or indirectly on insects for their very survival, and this is particularly so in the case of insectivorous birds and other such creatures. The beneficial role of insects is often overlooked or misunderstood, and in farming circles their very presence on crops is often seen to be unwelcome. In reality, however, many insects are genuinely beneficial, as in the case of parasitic and predacious species. The use of chemical pesticides to control crop pests is becoming more tightly regulated and environmentally undesirable, and low-input farming, in which natural enemies of pests are encouraged to survive or increase, is becoming far more prevalent. Accordingly, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Pest Management (ICM) strategies are increasingly being developed, advocated and adopted. Features: Highlights information on many groups of insects and mites that act as natural enemies or biological control agents of phytophagous insects and mites, including plant pests. Profusely illustrated with high-quality colour photographs. Focuses mainly on insects and mites as natural enemies of plant pests, including parasitic and predacious species that have been accidentally or deliberately introduced in classical biological control programmes. Reviews the role of phytophagous European insects and mites in controlling or managing European plants that have become invasive weeds in other parts of the world, notably North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers have always been extremely popular and in large demand. Whether in gardens or parks, common usage of alpines, bedding plants, cacti, cut flowers, house plants and pot plants, as well as herbaceous plants, ornamental grasses, shrubs and trees makes a definitive volume on their pests of essential value to entomologists and plant scientists. The fully revised and updated second edition of Pests of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Flowers follows up the successful previous edition with coverage of many new pests and highly detailed color photographs. The book opens with a review of the main features of insects, mites and other major pest groups. . Each major order and family of pests is considered in turn, with details of their status, host range, world distribution, diagnostic features and biology. Descriptions of the characteristic damage caused are also given. Contains coverage of more than 60 new pests and nearly 90 additional color photographs Discusses principles of pest control of ornamental plants, followed by sections on the various pests