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ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 2 227 Literature Hodgson, E. & Kuhr, R. J. (eds.) 1990: Safer insecticides. Development and use. 593 pp. -·Marcel Dekker, New York, Basel. ISBN 0-8247-7884-7. Price USD 135 in USA and Canada, l SD 162 elsewhere. This is a timely volume that should be of interest ference. This is a very lucid treatment of an to applied entomologists and those working in important subject. Differences in metabolic basic research. The 15 chapters, by 32 authors, pathways offer possibilities for the development discuss both new chemicals and new modes of of selective insecticides, a well-known example action, and more refined use of existing insecti being inhibitors of chitin synthesis. Relatively cides, and the book contains a commendable little progress, however, has been made in other number of references. In introducing the volume, fields (Mayer and Gupton). An interesting ap Hodgson and Kuhr suggest that although both proach to insect control is offered by inducers of acute and chronic toxicity determine a com plant resistance to insects (Fisher et a!.). Com pound's safety, attention should be paid especially pounds of possible use in this area include the to chronic toxicity. Compounds producing in vivo plant-growth regulators, hmmones, and herbicides metabolites that bind to cellular macromolecules known to exhibit such proporties. Other inducers will eventually be banned, and money spent in of plant "immunity" may be pathogens in an "defending" their continued use should be di attenuated form, i.e. the state occurring after rected, instead, to the development of safer, new herbivory. This approach may offer unexpected chemicals. possibilities for insect control. Xenobiotic metabolism is examined in a clear Many of the presently used nervous-system and concise chapter by Dauterman and Hodgson, insecticides are activated in vivo. This pathway and a treatment of quantitative structure-activity may be used to introduce further selectivity in relationships of insecticides (Nishimura eta!.) is new insecticides (Prestwich). Targets for such thorough but is directed mainly to specialists in proinsecticides which are suggested in this vol that field. Chapters 4 through 11 consider a variety ume include insect growth and development, re of potential and established groups of insecticides. production, chemoreception, sterol metabolism, Endocrine-based insecticides (Sparks) have been lipid metabolism, and detoxication reactions. studied for a relatively long time in an attempt to Examples of proinsecticides mentioned include achieve selective modes of action. The structural long-lastingjuvenoids, light-activated compounds similarity of insect neuropeptides and ecdy and analogues of precocenes, as well as anti steroids to vertebrate hormones is, however, a feedants and antipheromones. serious impediment to progress in this area. Ju An important although brief chapter on plant venile hormones are an exception, and thus as natural products (Bell et a!.) stresses the signifi pects of JH metabolism seem to offer greater cance of these compounds as insect antifeedants. possibilities for interference. Many natural plant compounds are known locally A balanced presentation of nervous-system for their medicinal and insecticidal properties based insecticides (Eldefrawi and Eldefrawi) be and await discovery by western researchers. Plants gins with a structural and functional comparison presently used as insecticide sources may contain of insect and vertebrate nervous systems, followed undiscovered molecules of value. The Neem tree by a discussion of critical proteins (receptors, ion of India contains several antifeedants and growth channels) as possible targets of selective inter- regulators, and has been known locally for its 228 ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 2 medicinal and insecticidal properties. A chapter Spider toxins, however, probably require exten on viruses and bacteria (Kawanishi and Held) sive structural modification in order to function points out that progress in this area is restricted as insecticides in field conditions. by a lack of knowledge of microbial ecology and An important chapter by Hall describes im pathogenesis. provements in application techonology as a ma Among the most interesting chapters in this jor contributor to successful crop protection, IPM book is a long and thorough treatise on spider programs, and resistance management. Such im toxins as potential novel insecticides (Quicke provements include techniques for obtaining and Usherwood), which points out that animal "biologically optimum spray droplet size", and toxins, with the exception of Neristoxin, have electrically charged sprays designed to minimize not as yet been employed as pesticides. This environmental damage. Reduced use of existing chapter lists spider taxonomy and toxin distribu insecticides is further discussed by Agnello and tion with examples that have both theoretic and Bradley. The book ends with a chapter on safety general interest. The toxin of Loxosceles reclusa, considerations in the manufacture of agro a well-known inhabitant of zoology laboratories chemicals in the U.S. and developing countries even in the northern latitudes, include neuro (Kohn and Raab) and one on the viewpoint of toxins, cytolytic factors, and complement inhibi industry (Engel eta!.). The volume as a whole is tors. The authors present data from their labora highly recommended. tory on the actions of low-molecular-weight toxins on insect nerve and muscle preparations. Seppo Turunen Steinmann, H. 1989: World catalogue of Dermaptera. - (Series Entomologica. Vol. 43. Ed. K. A. Spencer). Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dordrecht-Boston-London. 934 pp. ISBN 0-7923-0096-3. Price DFL 500, USD 265, GBP 164. The insect order Dermaptera comprises about For each species the relevant literature is 2000 species among the world fauna, most of the mentioned, including information about types, species occuring in tropical regions. In the Finn type locality and where the type is deposited (if ish fauna only two species are known, so the use known). The very important information con of this catalogue will be limited in museums in cerning where to find keys and illustrations for this country. determination of the species is also indicated. The author is a world specialist on the group: Lastly the general distribution is summarized in a fact which guarantees this to be accomplished larger geographical units (countries or regions). work. He has recently also finished a world revi The literature list consists of nearly 900 ref sion of Dermaptera. erences and the index covers all generic and The catalogue is organized in systematic or infrageneric taxa (about 4300). der on the suprageneric level and in alphabetical An important and welcome feature is the list order on the generic and infrageneric level. A ing of authors and years for the suprageneric new suprageneric classification of Dermaptera is taxa, but in this connection two small inconsist established, and all new synonymies and homo encies should be mentioned. First the author for nymies are listed at the beginning of the cata the subfamily Forficulinae should be the same as logue. for the family Forficulidae, Stephens 1829 and ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 2 229 not Verhoeff 1902 (principle of coordination). tiona! Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to Secondly the subfamily Labiinae Burr 1909 and presetve the names Labiidae and Labiinae. The the family Labiidae Burr 1909 should be re catalogue is comprehensive enough for even such placed by Isolabellinae Verhoeff 1902 and Iso details quite easily to be resolved. labellidae Verhoeff 1902 according to strict My general impression of this catalogue is, keeping to the code (the type-genus for Isolabellinae, that it is a perfect tool for museum work. Isolabella, is included in the subfamily Labiinae). However, this may also be a case for the lnterna- Larry Hulden Gilbert, L. I. & Miller, T. A. (eds.) 1988: Immunological Techniques in Insect Biology.-284 pp. 71 figs. 15 tabs. Springer Verlag, New-York, Berlin, Heidelberg, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong. ISBN 3-540-96630-7. Price DEM 110. Springer Verlag published in late 1988 a new nological techniques is intended for insect biolo book on immunological techniques specially de gists, ranging from graduate students to senior signed for researchers in the field of insect biol investigators, who wish to utilize immunoassays ogy. The book is the 12th in a series on experi in studies ranging from systematics to molecular mental entomology. The purpose of the Springer biology. It is what the editors call a "how to ... " series is to report new developments in method book and indeed, using insects as the model sys ology, to identify research groups who have dealt tem, it covers most of the immunochemical tech with and solved particular entomological prob niques available. lems, and to describe experiments which can be The eight chapters are organized in such a used in biology laboratory courses. The series way that each chapter stands by itself, thus ena covers topics such as techniques in insect bling easy access to the description of the differ neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, pheromone re ent techniques and sparing many potential users search, insect-plant interactions, etc. The new from having to read or even browse through the volume includes contributions by J. Ballarino, whole book. The first chapter is a general intro Ad M. T. Beenakkers, L. I. Gilbert, W. G. Good duction to the field and has the benefit of being, man, N. A. Granger, B. W. Hermann, R. Keller, so to say, closer to the laboratory than to the J. G. Kunkel, M. Ma, R. C. H. M. Ouclejans, H. library. It describes how to store antibodies, and Schooneveld, T. K. F. Schulz, K.-P. Sieber, J. A. shows you the values of monospecific versus Veenstra, H. Voshol, J. T. Warren, and S.-J. Wu. complex polyclonals, of titer calculations and of The utilization of immunochemical analysis microcomplement fixation, and gives you a choice for a wide variety of anatomical, physiological, of references if you need basic information. The biochemical and molecular biological research charm of the introductory chapter is that you projects has increased logarithmically in recent sense after thirty-five pages that it has saved you years, and ELISA-readers have become almost from making several crucial errors clue to an as commonplace in the laboratory as spectra underestimation of the power of immunochemical photometers. In the case of insect biology, techniques. raclioimmunoassays for insect hormones have The other chapters cover: 2) Elisa and mono revolutionized the field of insect endocrinology, clonal antibodies, 3) time-resolved fluorescence and immunocytochemistry has accomplished the immunoassay, 4) immuno-cytochemistry, 5) same for insect morphology and physiology. This immunoassay of pesticides, and radioimmuno present volume of the series, dealing with immu- assay of 6) ecdysteroicls, 7) juvenile hormone 230 ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 2 and 8) peptides. To allow the chapters to func The layout is clear, and the figures and tables tion as such, there is partial overlap between the in black and white most often enhance the text different contributions, but on the other hand it by giving an idea of what how the measurements avoids excessive cross-referencing. should look to be reliable. An extensive list of Characteristic of all the contributions is that references at the end of each chapter opens the they convey much information one would nor field to further bibliographic studies. The meth mally gain during a corridor discussion in a lab ods being presented are well established and no rather than from any research publication, where longer liable to rapid changes due to the general on the technical side, one often tends to be mys advancement of science, so the value of the ma tified by too short descriptions. One is told in terial should endure for several years. The price detail how to immunize a rabbit, for example, as makes this book affordable to anyone, avoiding well as how to radioiodinate the antigen, and all the problem of handbooks always being some this against a background of insect biology. Some where else than in the library. of the chapters describe the method through a At less than 300 pages, this book is likely to case study, which also gives the reader an idea of be a valuable companion for many scientists, not the time needed to be reserved for an equivalent only entomologists. experiment. Christophe Roos