The Acari: Reproduction, development and life-history strategies

In recent years there have been outstanding advances in our understanding of the ecology of a range of acarine taxa, and in particular plant mites. The aim of this book is to provide a review of the current understanding of the mode of reproduction, development, life history strategies, and resource allocation and utilization of the Acari from dynamic and phylogenetic viewpoints and to encourage workers in specialisations other than plant mites to channel their thinking along similar lines. As such, the coverage of the book is broad and includes discussions of house-dust mites, various animal-parasitic species, and the Acari of plants, soil and stored products. There is also a section on the systematics of the Oribatida. Topics covered include gnathosomal and reproductive anatomy, asexual and sexual reproduction, sex allocation, sperm transfer, embryonic development, duration of development, arrest mechanisms (including diapause), host - Acari interactions, and behaviour, all treated largely in the context of various modes of life including plant, aquatic, animal parasitic, predatory and other free living categories. This book should be of interest to graduate, research and professional acarologists, crop protection specialists, ecologists, animal parasitologists, medical parasitologists and stored-product specialists, as well as to undergraduate students.