Cockroaches: Ecology, Behavior, and Natural History

The cockroach is truly an evolutionary wonder. This definitive volume provides a complete overview of suborder Blattaria, highlighting the diversity of these amazing insects in their natural environments. Beginning with a foreword by E. O. Wilson, the book explores the fascinating natural history and behavior of cockroaches, describing their various colors, sizes, and shapes, as well as how they move on land, in water, and through the air. In addition to habitat use, diet, reproduction, and behavior, Cockroaches covers aspects of cockroach biology, such as the relationship between cockroaches and microbes, termites as social cockroaches, and the ecological impact of the suborder.

With over 100 illustrations, an expanded glossary, and an invaluable set of references, this work is destined to become the classic book on the Blattaria. Students and research entomologists can mine each chapter for new ideas, new perspectives, and new directions for future study.

William J. Bell (1943—1998) was a revered entomologist specializing in insect physiology and behavior. His two-volume work, Chemical Ecology of Insects (coedited with R. T. Carde), is considered a classic in the field. Louis M. Roth (1918—2003) was an acknowledged world expert on cockroaches at Harvard University. Christine A. Nalepa is a research specialist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and an adjunct associate professor of entomology at North Carolina State University. She works on a variety of insects, including beetles, wasps, cockroaches, and termites.