Overview

Tiger beetles are one of the most obvious and ubiquitous families of any insect taxon-some 2300 species are found on nearly all the land surfaces of the earth. Their frequently showy colors, brazen behavior, and ability to live in habitats ranging from dry, alkaline lakebeds to tropical rain forests have captured the interest of amateur and professional entomologists alike. Although tiger beetles have been widely studied, the wealth of knowledge has been synthesized only briefly in a few sources. In Tiger Beetles, David L. Pearson and Alfried P. Vogler provide for the first time a detailed integration and summary of all that is known about the family Cicindelidae. The book's early chapters cover anatomy, distribution, and natural history. Pearson and Vogler build from these basics to show the usefulness of tiger beetles for exploring questions in genetics, biogeography, ecology, behavior, and conservation. As bioindicators, the tiger beetles present in an area may allow biologists to pinpoint places with the richest diversity of animal and plant life. The use of tiger beetles as model organisms has made possible or greatly enhanced many areas of research, including molecular phylogeny, the function of acute hearing, spatial modeling, and physiology of vision.

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9780801438820

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Reviews

There is little to criticize in this book, which is stimulatingly written, with occasional and welcome flashes of humor, excellently illustrated, with well-chosen color plates as well as text figures, and well-produced. . . . In its stimulating approach, up-to-date treatment, and insights it is a work that should be read, or at least dipped into, by a wide range of biologists, both professional and amateur. -M. G. Morris, Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 139, 2003

"""This book provides an excellent and exhaustive overview of the diversity, evolution, and ecology of the tiger beetles, Cicindelidae. The authors shall have great credit for their attempt to assemble all information on this amazing group of insects in one place.""-Nils Moller Andersen, Insect Syst Evol 34:1, 2003 ""For a tiger beetle, it will be a classic and a must for the bookshelf. In fact, I predict that all coleopterists will come to feel the same. A great book ... about one of the most interesting groups of insects on earth.""-John Acorn, E. H. Strickland Entomology Museum, Alberta. Proceedings of the Washington Entomological Society ""Tiger Beetles is a synthesis of the current knowledge about a popular family of beetles. The authors have compiled taxonomic and ecological information, providing detailed discussions of most aspects of this topics... The authors are to be commended for bringing together such varied topics and presenting them in logical manner.""-Paul M. Choate, University of Florida. Florida Entomologist 85:4, 2002 ""There is little to criticize in this book, which is stimulatingly written, with occasional and welcome flashes of humor, excellently illustrated, with well-chosen color plates as well as text figures, and well-produced... In its stimulating approach, up-to-date treatment, and insights it is a work that should be read, or at least dipped into, by a wide range of biologists, both professional and amateur.""-M. G. Morris, Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 139, 2003 ""With numerous full-color photographs and drawings, as well as black-and-white figures and maps, this book is an excellent source of information on the approximately 2,300 species of tiger beetles found on practically all the land masses of the Earth... This book will do much to encourage people to take a further interest in tiger beetles.""-Northeastern Naturalist, 10/4, 2003 ""Are tiger beetles the butterflies of the coleopteran world? Tiger beetles are challenging to collect, many are remarkably colorful, and they have a strong appeal to amateur enthusiasts... Pearson and Vogler ... help explore the complexity and significance of tiger beetle biology, without leaving the tiger beetle aficionados behind... But in placing cicindelid research in the context of broad biological questions, the authors appeal to a much broader audience. Just as research on butterfly biology has led to profound insights into areas of biology as diverse as selection, migration, co-evolution, and chemical ecology, Pearson and Vogler argue that tiger beetles are 'ideal models for testing general patterns of phylogeny, ecology, behavior, and physiology.' We couldn't agree more, and this fine volume provides an excellent foundation for new research.""-Leon G. Higley and William J. Allgeier, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The Coleopterists Bulletin 57:4, 2003 ""This is a superlative volume, indispensable for coleopterists in particular and entomologists in general, and also of great practical usefulness and importance to life science biologists in many other disciplines. Those searching for field test organisms for studies in ecology, behavior, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, environmental impact, and conservation would do well to start here.""-Robert L. Davidson, Carnegie Museum of Natural History ""In Tiger Beetles, Pearson and Vogler combine their profound and complementary research interests and experiences to provide the broadest treatment of these amazing beetles, and perhaps of any diverse group of insects, to appear to date. There's truly something here for every reader-beautiful and detailed photographs; straightforward discussions of tiger beetle taxonomy, ecology, behavior, and life history; and succienct introductions to the world's major genera.""-David H. Kavanaugh, California Academy of Sciences"

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