毛虫是了解多种选择力如何影响昆虫和生物体生态和进化的优秀模式生物。最近的研究使用了现代分子生物学、遗传学、代谢组学、微生物生态学、全球水平的实验、网络分析和全球数据集的统计分析等工具，结合基本的自然史，正在对毛虫的适应和生态学产生令人振奋的新见解。查看这些研究进展的最佳方式是在三营养相互作用的框架内。考虑到毛虫和植物在陆地群落的生态和营养结构中的核心作用，这是一个及时的研究课题。这本书的独特之处在于，它包含了一个专家团队关于caterpillar工厂互动中各种关键主题的章节。本卷汇集了来自世界各地的研究人员的贡献，他们在热带和温带栖息地，以及人类管理的和更自然的栖息地工作。这对我们理解昆虫生物学，以及以毛虫为代表的昆虫在人类日益占主导地位、昆虫生物多样性面临越来越大威胁的世界中所起的作用，是一项重大贡献。
Caterpillars in the Middle: Tritrophic Interactions in a Changing World
Caterpillars are excellent model organisms for understanding how multiple selective forces shape the ecology and evolution of insects, and organisms in general. Recent research using the tools of modern molecular biology, genetics, metabolomics, microbial ecology, experiments conducted at a global level, network analysis, and statistical analyses of global data sets, combined with basic natural history, are yielding exciting new insights into caterpillar adaptations and ecology. The best way to view these research advances is within a framework of tri-trophic interactions. This is a timely topic for research given the central role of caterpillars and plants in the ecology and trophic structure of terrestrial communities. This book is unique in that it contains chapters from a team of experts on a diversity of key topics within caterpillar-plant interactions. This volume brings together contributions by researchers from around the globe, working in both tropical and temperate habitats, and in human-managed and more natural habitats. It is a significant contribution to our understanding of insect biology, and the role that insects, as represented by caterpillars, play in a world increasingly dominated by humans and one in which threats to insect biodiversity are mounting.
OR
