|
![]() |
|||
|
||||
OverviewFrom the Arctic to South Africa - one finds them everywhere: Ants. Making up nearly 15% of the entire terrestrial animal biomass, ants are impressive not only in quantitative terms, they also fascinate by their highly organized and complex social system. Their caste system, the division of labor, the origin of altruistic behavior and the complex forms of chemical communication makes them the most interesting group of social organisms and the main subject for sociobiologists. Not least is their ecological importance: Ants are the premier soil turners, channelers of energy and dominatrices of the insect fauna. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Bert Hoelldobler , Edward O. WilsonPublisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG Imprint: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K Edition: Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1990 ISBN: 9783662103081ISBN 10: 3662103087 Pages: 732 Publication Date: 05 April 1991 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print ![]() This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsThe Importance of Ants.- Classification and Origins.- The Colony Life Cycle.- Altruism and the Origin of the Worker Caste.- Colony Odor and Kin Recognition.- Queen Numbers and Domination.- Communication.- Caste and Division of Labor.- Social Homeostasis and Flexibility.- Foraging Strategies, Territory, and Population Regulation.- The Organization of Species Communities.- Symbioses among Ant Species.- Symbioses with Other Arthropods.- Symbioses between Ants and Plants.- The Specialized Predators.- The Army Ants.- The Fungus Growers.- The Harvesting Ants.- Weaver Ants.- Collecting, Culturing, Observing.ReviewsThe Ants should be in every University and High School library. (TREE) The book is truly comprehensive; very little ant biology that I am aware of has been omitted....Many of the illustrations are art in their own right. Rarely has a group of organisms been represented so well. (The Quarterly Review of Biology) Author InformationTab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |