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USDA-ARS 1515 College Avenue Manhattan, KS, 66502
(frank.arthur{at}gmprc.ksu.edu)
David Rees. CSIRO Publishing, 150 Oxford Street, Collingwood, VIC, 3066, Australia. ISBN 0-643-06903-8; and Manson Publishing, 73 Corringham Road, London, NW11 7DL, UK. ISBN 1-84076-060-5. 2004. Paperback, 181 pp., $64.95 AU.
Raw stored grains and stored processed food products are at risk from infestation and destruction by stored-product insects. With increasing urbanization in modern societies, an extensive distribution system converts raw commodities to bagged and packaged food, and delivers those products to consumers. The food industry is deeply concerned about the impact of stored-product insects on food quality and food safety, and strict control measures are required to prevent serious infestations. For control to be accomplished, insect species must be correctly identified, information about life history and biology must be taken into account, and pest status must be properly evaluated for the specific system for which control measures are adopted. Although there is considerable knowledge regarding stored-product insects, much of this information is in the scientific literature, which is often difficult to access. The author, David Rees, is an entomologist and researcher with CSIRO Entomology in Australia, and an authority on population biology and ecology of stored-product insects. He has written a general yet comprehensive publication detailing the economic importance, pest status, and ecology of the major pests of grain and durable products, which provides a starting point or entry level for a basic understanding of stored-product insects.
The introductory chapter, Insects as Pests of Stored Products, describes the origins and scope of stored-product insects and the impacts of infestation. Feeding strategies are presented and insects categorized as primary feeders, secondary feeders, detritivores, parasites, predators, and incidental pests. The impact of environmental conditions on insect population growth is also discussed, with special reference to temperature and relative humidity. This introduction concludes with a section on how to use the book. Information on insect species is presented in 23 sections, and in the Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, each section covers a family. Some sections are further divided into subsections covering a significant genus or species within that family. Information presented in the section includes a summary of life history and biology, identification, life cycle, physical and geographic limits, economic importance, damage caused by the insect pest, ecology, and monitoring. Selected references are included for sources of additional or more detailed knowledge and information.
A brief key on orders of stored-product insects precedes the first section on beetles, order Coleoptera. A general key then introduces the various beetle families of importance. The pictures of individual species and of morphological characters used for identification of individual species or genera are very detailed and specific. Characters used to separate species or genera have been updated from previous reference manuals. The important families within the Coleoptera are discussed in detail, particularly the species of economic importance. Information on the biology and life history of the various beetle pests is easy to understand, and facts are presented without being cumbersome or wordy. The sections on other insect orders of importance, moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), psocids, booklice and dustlice (Psocoptera), true bugs (Hemiptera), and parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera) follow the same format used for Coleoptera. Information on the major pest groups is again presented in detail while being clear and concise. The next section of chapters, Finding and Trapping Storage Insects; Collecting, Preserving, and Shipping Specimens for Identification; and References and Resources provide basic information, and also give resources for obtaining more knowledge if that is desired. The final chapter, Index to Species, contains a list of insects arranged by scientific name and common name.
Insects of Stored Products is primarily written to be a basic identification manual and a description of stored-product insects, but it is also is an excellent reference for persons with advanced knowledge. The keys, descriptions and biology of the various insect pests, and distribution and pest status give a considerable amount of detailed information in a readily available format. Updated pictures and detailed characters used for identification can be used in a variety of different ways, from industry training sessions to advanced laboratories in formal courses. The comparatively low price also makes this book a valuable addition to any personal or institutional reference library for stored-product insects.
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