Diptera Diversity: Status, Challenges and Tools
Published on 25. March 2009
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-90-04-14897-0 (ISBN)
Description
This is the first comprehensive synopsis of the biodiversity of Diptera, which with more than 150.000 described species contain more than one tenth of all described animal species. The first part is a review of what is already known, with treatments of all the major biogeographical regions and important archipelagoes; the second part contains case studies on open-ended taxa, Diptera as ecological indicators, and how to estimate the still unknown proportion of our fauna; and the third part discusses the digital and molecular tools needed to document the fauna. The book has an emphasis on principles and analytical approaches as well as on practical 'how-to' information and is intended for academicians and other professionals but with a significant outreach to students.
Reviews / Votes
This book is one of those rare things: a multi-author, multi-editor collection of papers that comes together in a truly essential volume. It is a milestone in dipterology and will be a much-consulted volume for anyone interested in biodiversity and biogeography... It is essential reading for anybody interested in Diptera or global zoogeography, and would be of value to anyone with an interest in taxonomy and biodiversityS.A. Marshall, University of Guelph, in Bulletin de la Societe d'entomologie du Canada volume 42(2), June 2010
The nine regional treatments are very thorough reviews, each written by a leading dipterist of the continent or region... The book is very well designed, and has lots of pretty very sharp colour photographs. Diptera Diversity certainly deserves to be read by more entomologists than just dipterists...In short, entomologists with an interest in biodiversity, I would advise to buy this book as well, and it should not be missing from any entomological library.
Erik J. Van Nieukerken, Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, volume 152, 2009
[T]his book serves well to elucidate both the state of progress as well as still existing shortcomings and impediments of dipterological biodiversity research today.
M. Kotrba, Mitteilungen der Muenchner Entomologischen Gesellschaft, Band 99, 2009
This publication is very clearly arranged and printed, and good evidence of the leading position of dipterology within entomology.... All the 21 contributors are worldwide authorities on Diptera and all the chapters are clearly written and represented in Q.D. Wheeler words a "singular important empirical and theoretical achievement".
M. Chvala, Eur. J. Entomol., volume 106, 2009
The most important highlight of this contribution is the inclusion of all major biogeographical regions and their wide coverage. What sets this book apart from others is the logistics of taxonomic coverage, encompassing all the major faunistic groups along with simultaneous deliverations on their diversity...The views of the contributing authors suggesting that integrative taxonomy is the only logical and practicaql way forward for taxonomy is well apparent in this treatise. Such proficient attempt to specifiy exactly where more work is needed is commendable and important as it is reflected in all the reveiws of major taxa included here... The comprehensive extent of topic and issues raised is fairly remarkable for any single volume. The fact that these are raised in the background of empirically rich volume based on extremely diverse taxon of worldwide importance is simply exceptional.
Shakti Kumar Singh & V.V. Ramamurthy, Oriental Insects, volume 43, 2009.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Primarily academicians and other professionals but with a significant outreach to students and educational programmes and even learned general-interest readers.
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
839 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-14897-0 (9789004148970)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Dan Bickel, Ph.D. in Entomology (Cornell University), is Senior Research Scientist at the Australian Museum, Sydney. He has a wide interest in Diptera systematics and ecology, and has a research interest in empidoid Diptera (Empididae and Dolichopodidae).
Thomas Pape, Ph.D. in Entomology (University of Copenhagen), is associate professor at The Natural History Museum of Denmark. With a broad interest in Diptera systematics and zoological nomenclature, he has published extensively on the global fauna of flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), wood-louse flies (Rhinophoridae) and bot flies (Oestridae).
Rudolf Meier, Ph.D. in Entomology (Cornell University), is Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore. He is interested in the evolution and biology of Diptera. He furthermore uses quantitative techniques for studying the biodiversity and conservation of invertebrates.
Thomas Pape, Ph.D. in Entomology (University of Copenhagen), is associate professor at The Natural History Museum of Denmark. With a broad interest in Diptera systematics and zoological nomenclature, he has published extensively on the global fauna of flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), wood-louse flies (Rhinophoridae) and bot flies (Oestridae).
Rudolf Meier, Ph.D. in Entomology (Cornell University), is Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore. He is interested in the evolution and biology of Diptera. He furthermore uses quantitative techniques for studying the biodiversity and conservation of invertebrates.