Author Description

Arthropods includes insects, spiders, mites, and their relatives, is without question the most successful group of organisms on the planet. The insects constitute the largest class not only of the animal kingdom but also of the whole living world. They are the primary pollinators of flowering plants; important consumers and recyclers of decaying organic matter, and integral components in the food webs of vertebrates and other invertebrates. For these and many others reasons, the study of insects and their relatives of increasing importance as society faces increased challenges to preserve and enhance environmental quality, reduce pesticide usage, increase crop productivity, reduce management costs, and increase trade in the global community. Insect-pests are responsible for enormous economic losses annually including attack on crops and ornamentals, causing damage on our food and cloths, and transmit diseases that affect cultivated plants, our pets and livestock and us. The damage caused by insect-pests species is far outweighed by the positive effects of beneficial species. Pollinators ensure the production of fruit crops, parasitoids and predators help control pest species, some species contain chemicals of pharmaceutical value, and a large number of species contribute to the decomposition and recycling of dead and decaying matter.