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University of California Press

Ants of North America

A Guide to the Genera
by Brian L. Fisher (Author), Stefan P. Cover (Author)
Paperback eBook
Price: $38.95 / £33.00
Publication Date: Nov 2007
Edition: 1st Edition
Title Details:
Rights: World
Pages: 216
ISBN: 9780520934559
Trim Size: 4.5 x 7.25
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About the Book

Ants are among the most conspicuous and the most ecologically important of insects. This concise, easy-to-use, authoritative identification guide introduces the fascinating and diverse ant fauna of the United States and Canada. It features the first illustrated key to North American ant genera, discusses distribution patterns, explores ant ecology and natural history, and includes a list of all currently recognized ant species in this large region.

* New keys to the 73 North American ant genera illustrated with 250 line drawings ensure accurate identification

* 180 color images show the head and profile of each genus and important species groups

* Includes a glossary of important terms

About the Author

Brian L. Fisher is Associate Curator at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Stefan P. Cover is Curatorial Assistant at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Key to North American Ant Genera Based on Worker Caste

TAXONOMIC DESCRIPTIONS
Subfamily Descriptions
Genus Descriptions

Ant Genera of North America by Subfamily
Ant Species North of Mexico: A Working List
Terminology
Identification References
General References
Index

Reviews

“A valuable book. [It] will enlighten anyone with even a slight interest in ants. . . . This book promises to inspire a whole new generation of ant biologists.”
— Quarterly Review Of Biology
"In this enormously useful book, a profound need is met by a profound contribution, the first such comprehensive work in over fifty years. While brief, Ants of North America is the distillation of a vast amount of study and practice. It is a joy to browse and read, and will have an important impact on the study of ants."—Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

"Two of the most prolific ant faunists have produced a marvelous taxonomic guide to the ant genera of North America. The keys and genus descriptions are succinct and easy to read, the illustrations superb. This book is a must for entomologists, ecologists, and particularly all who study ants."—Bert Hölldobler, Foundation Professor of Life Sciences, Arizona State University

"This book represents a bold advance in the study of North American ants. It provides, for the first time, an accessible and lavishly illustrated guide to all the ant genera occurring in the United States and Canada. It will greatly enhance both public interest in ants and scientific investigation of their ecology, behavior and evolution."—Philip S. Ward, Department of Entomology and Center for Population Biology, University of California at Davis