Insects are the most successful multi-cellular organism on our planet, and new discoveries about them help us understand the natural world. Reginald Chapman's "The Insects" has been the standard textbook in the field since the first edition was published more than forty years ago. Building on the strengths of the original text, the richly illustrated 5th edition brings this classic work up-to-date for the molecular era.
In a Chats in the Stacks book talk Oct. 24, 2013 at Mann Library, editor Angela E. Douglas touches on Dr. Chapman's original work and the process of producing the 5th edition with an international team of eminent insect physiologists. Her talk provides examples of the volume's focus on form and function, bringing together basic anatomy and physiology, highlighting how these relate to behavior, and illustrating the importance of this comprehensive new edition as an essential reference tool for students, researchers, and entomologists.
Douglas is the Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor of Insect Physiology and Toxicology at Cornell University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and the Entomological Society of America.