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Borror and DeLong-s Introduction to the Study of Insects Deluxe

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Borror and DeLong-s Introduction to the Study of Insects Deluxe - 5 stars (Important for both biologists and n

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Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects review:5 stars (Important for both biologists and non-biologists) - Everything about insects is fascinating, and this book gives a comprehensive overview of their behavior, anatomy, and classification. For non-experts in entomology, such as this reviewer, the book provides the necessary background for further study. Topics such as the molecular genetics of insects and the genetic engineering of insects are not covered, but there are plenty of other books that treat these topics in detail. Only the first four chapters were read by this reviewer, but only chapter four will be discussed here.

Early on in chapter four, the authors dispel the prejudice that since insects have small nervous systems and have short life spans, they are not automatons and can exhibit a remarkable degree of spontaneity. Insects can adjust to the circumstances of their environment and the organization of their activities can be extremely complex. What is most interesting about their discussion of insect behavior is the emphasis on how it depends on the internal state of the insect, and not only its nervous system but also its internal organs.

The authors view the basic unit of behavior in an insect as being a `reflex'. A receptor that is stimulated will cause a particular group of insects to contract, which is observed as a body movement of the insect. A `releaser' is the stimulus that actually triggers a specific collection of movements. This results in what is called a `fixed-action pattern', which, as the name implies, occurs the same way every time it occurs. To be contrasted with these are the `modal-action patterns' that adapt to changes in the body position of the insect relative to external objects. A `central pattern generator' the authors write, is responsible for the leg and wing movements of insects, and allows them to navigate in noisy environments. All of these considerations of insect behavior are interesting in themselves, but even more so considering that they are being applied to unexpected fields such as artificial intelligence. Indeed, the learning abilities of insects are being emulated in various machines in the last few years, with good success. And even, a new area of artificial intelligence called `swarm intelligence' has arisen that is based on the behavior of ants.

Along these same lines, the authors discuss four categories that he believes are useful in characterizing insect behavior. These categories clarify to a large extent the difference between `preprogrammed' and modified behaviors. The first of these are called `closed instincts', which are fixed programs. The second is more flexible and are called `open instincts', where experience feeds back and changes the program. The third consists of `restricted learning' and is the analog of classical conditioning. The last one is `flexible learning', wherein experience can result in significant changes in the behavior pattern. All of these categories have found expression in machines, as well as the types of learning that the authors believe exists in insects: habituation, and associative, latent, and insight learning. The authors admit though that insight learning, where familiarity with relationships among (neutral) stimuli is obtained, has not been established without controversy in insects. Honey bees though they quote as examples of insects that can engage in insight learning. Very interesting also in this discussion of the behavior of insects is the use of mathematical models. As expected intuitively, these models involve control theory, but even more "exotic" approaches such as optimality theory and dynamic stochastic modeling. Optimality theory is used with the assumption that insects evaluate their state variables and engage in decision-making that optimizes their gain according to some criterion.

Needless to say the learning abilities and behavior of insects is fascinating, and no doubt there are many surprises waiting for future entomologists. Their research efforts will not only assist in the better understanding of the most important representatives of the animal kingdom but they will be immediately used by those who are attempting to emulate this "primitive" intelligence of insects in machines. 3 stars (Still an essential insect text despite a half-hearted update) - Borror and Delong's weighty "Introduction to the Study of Insects" enters its 7th edition as the standard text for students of North American insect taxonomy. This latest edition is brought up to date by Charles Triplehorn and Norman Johnson after a 15 year gap.

As in earlier editions, Borror and DeLong is a comprehensive survey of North American insect diversity, containing identification keys for the insects and other arthropods along with brief overviews of each family and tips for collection and specimen preparation. Keys are mostly at the order and family levels of the Linnean hierarchy, with subfamily keys presented for select groups. This text is not a field guide; many groups are not illustrated, or are represented only by line drawings of particular parts of their anatomy. Rather, it is best used as a laboratory reference, a single-volume source for identifying insects and spiders to family. No other single reference has the breadth of this text, so Borror and DeLong should retain its place on the shelf of any serious entomologist.

"Introduction to the Study of Insects" also contains chapters on insect ecology, physiology, and systematics, but these are brief. More appropriate texts for these areas are available elsewhere (for instance, Gullan and Cranston's "An Outline of Entomology".)

The 7th edition has been sorely needed. A recent wealth of DNA sequence data and rapid advances in the methodology and philosophy of systematics have produced a flowering of research on insect relationships. As taxonomic improvements accumulated, the 6th edition- the only resource of its kind- had grown increasingly out of touch with the state of the field. So it should come as no surprise that the most noticeable changes in the new edition (aside from the leafy green cover and smaller font size of the text) are in the classifications. Gone is the order Homoptera, sunk at long last into Hempitera. A number of families have disappeared into synonymy (e.g., Anthophoridae into Apidae), while others have been split out (e.g., Stenopelmatidae from Gryllacrididae). Other changes include a completely new beetle key, a considerably improved treatment of spiders, and the inclusion of a newly-discovered order of African insects, Mantophasmatodea.

Triplehorn and Johnson unfortunately are uneven in adopting taxonomic updates across groups. For instance, the wasp family Sphecidae is retained in spite of a long-standing consensus among Hymenopterists that it does not represent a natural group, while other groups like the calyptrate fly family Fanniidae are split out in spite of a lack of consensus among Dipterists over its status. The authors also mix Linnean ranked categories (Family, Order, etc.) with non-ranked clades in several places, with confusing results. Given the extraordinarily dynamic state of the field, however, the authors can be forgiven for some of their decisions.

Many of the revisions appear hasty, as though the book were primarily product of a publisher's deadline. For example, the utility of Michael Ivie's improved beetle key is marred by its incongruous insertion into the largely unaltered text of the previous edition. The chapter introduction treats the user to explanations of 6th edition characters that no longer appear in the new key, while scores of new and often complex characters are not explained in the text, do not appear in the glossary, and are not illustrated. I had to refer to Arnett's American Beetles numerous times to make sense of the new characters. In fact, with few exceptions (like Trichoptera), the figures have not been updated for several editions and users are left to puzzle over scores of unexplained couplets. Microsetose antennal grooves in Coleoptera? Dorsal versus ventral abdominal spiracles in Lygaeoid bugs? Adequate explanations will not be found in the text.

The editing is sloppy. The formatting of taxonomic synopses appears not to have been checked as there are errors in indentation (e.g., the Calyptrate muscoid fly families are indented equal to their header). Page headers for keys persist well beyond the keys themselves. For instance, scale insect descriptions (pg. 324-328) are found on pages labeled, oddly enough, "Key to the Subfamilies of Cicadellidae." The index is conspicuously error-laden (e.g., the beetle family Ciidae is nowhere to be found, but appears erroneously as "Cidae" and "Cilidae". And who knew that "Cermanbycidae"(sic) were long-horned beetles?). Some figure references in the keys have not caught up to the new arrangement of the illustrations; couplet 53 in the fly key points to an illustration that has since moved elsewhere.

Distressingly, a few errors from the previous edition are left uncorrected, and new errors have been introduced. For example, couplet 11 of the Hymenoptera key still asks users to decide if certain wing crossveins are "present" or "present" (11' should read "absent"). Couplet 14 shunts wingless wasps to couplet 16 (the Apoidea) instead of couplet 106. Most moths in the common family Noctuidae will be incorrectly identified as Pantheidae because of a text error at couplet 59 in the Lepidoptera key.

The family descriptions that follow the keys in each chapter are a mixed bag. Usually they are succinct and accurate, but some of the assessments of North American species numbers are dated. There are occasional taxonomic errors that result from outdated text carried uncritically over from older editions. For example, our Nearctic army ants have been classified in the genus Neivamyrmex since the 1950s, yet the text several editions later still refers to them as Eciton.

The Borror and DeLong text remains without an equal as an all-in-one volume for the identification of North American insect families. As such, it is a shame that my impression of the 7th edition is one of missed opportunity. 15 years since the 6th edition should be plenty of time to draw up new figures to keep pace with taxonomic advances and illustrate the updated keys, and certainly enough time to put the text through the rigorous proof-reading that it apparently never received.

(note: the reviewer uses this text in teaching a field entomology class at the University of California at Davis)
5 stars (An Updated Version of a Great Classic) - This is the book on insect taxonomy that most entomologists had as their text in introductory courses. The current (7th) edition is revised to fit recent changes in classification and certainly continues the standard set by Borror and DeLong many years ago. It was never intended to be a text in physiology, behavior or ecology. There are texts for these subjects available and just covering the systematic aspects of insects thoroughly is enough of a task.My only quibbles have to do with some changes in arrangement of orders that I am not sure of (such as the union of Hemiptera and Homoptera, and Anoplura and Mallophaga - the latter was also true of the 6th ed.) and the fact that scorpion taxonomy was apparently not revised at all, despite numerous changes in the last several years. However, that said, this edition is a continued improvement of a great classic of entomology. Among highlights are Jeremy Miller's and Darrell Ubick's excellent revision of the spider section and the new format for keys to the insects making them easier to use. Without a doubt this will remain the best standard textbook on insect taxonomy available and I recommend it with only the minor reservations noted.

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