edited by L.E. Ehler,
R. Sforza and T. Mateille

This book addresses recent developments in genetics and evolutionary biology as applied to biological control.

Chapters are organized around the following themes:

• Genetic structure of pest and natural enemy populations
• Molecular diagnostic tools in biological control
• Tracing the origin of pests and natural enemies
• Predicting evolutionary change in pests and natural enemies
• Compatibility of transgenic crops and natural enemies
• Genetic manipulation of natural enemies

The authors identify new issues for each of the major approaches in applied biological control. These include:

• Use of molecular genetics to trace the origin of target pests in classical biological control
• Potential of mass-reared, transgenic agents in augmentative biological control
• Compatibility of transgenic crops and natural enemies in conservational biological control

Genetics, Evolution and Biological Control is an invaluable reference for researchers and all those involved in entomology and pest management, genetics, ecology and evolution.

Contents

1. Genetic structure of natural plant and pathogen populations
2. Measuring genetic variation in natural enemies used for biological control: why and how?
3. Molecular systematics, Chalcidoidea and biological control
4. Genetic markers in rust fungi and their application to weed biocontrol
5. Tracing the origin of pests and natural enemies: genetic and statistical approaches
6. Tracing the origin of cryptic insect pests and vectors, and their natural enemies
7. Predicting evolutionary change in invasive, exotic plants and its consequences for plant-herbivore interactions
8. Experimental evolution in host-parasitoid interactions
9. Interactions between natural enemies and transgenic insecticidal crops
10. The GMO guidelines project: development of international scientific environmental biosafety testing guidelines for transgenic plants
11. Genetic manipulation of natural enemies: can we improve biological control by manipulating the parasitoid and/or the plant?
12. Sex-ratio distorters and other selfish genetic elements: implications for biological control

Index

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