Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
Introduction
Insect nutritional ecology has been defined as an area of entomology that involves the integration of biochemical, physiological, and behavioral information, within the context of ecology and evolution (Slansky and Rodriguez, 1987a). Such a broad view suggests the need for basic studies essential to understanding the different life styles of insects.
Considering the damage inflicted to plant structures by feeding arthropods, it is possible to identify several feeding guilds, from the more conspicuous foliage and fruit chewers to the less noticeable seed-suckers, fruit-borers, and root-feeders. All of these, and many others, have been studied and reviewed under the paradigm of insect nutritional ecology (see chapters in Slansky and Rodriguez, 1987b). In general, these reviews using the insect nutritional ecology model, have focused primarily on basic aspects of the different insects (feeding guild biology), and only secondarily have dealt with applied aspects, despite the enormous importance of insects in these guilds as pests of major crops worldwide.
Within the context of integrated pest management (IPM) systems, several tactics taking into account the nutritional ecology model sensu lato can be considered. They include host plant resistance, trap crops, asynchrony of foods and pests phenology, crop consortiums, and functional allelochemicals.
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