Flies: Agricultural and Public-Health Perspectives

Description:

The term ‘flies’ applies to the insects belonging to the order Diptera, more commonly known as flies, gnats, midges, and leaf miners. They typically possess a pair of antennae, a set of sponging-type mouthparts, two developed forewings for flight, and two hindwings which are used for aerial balance.

Flies occupy unique and diverse roles within our ecosystem: some are pests which affect our agricultural and horticultural crops; other varieties act as vectors that spread diseases within the human and animal populations. However, not all flies are harmful to humans: some species of fly play a role in facilitating crop pollination, whilst others are involved in environmental engineering, waste decomposition, and/or nutrient recycling, forming an important component of integrated pest management as effective biocontrol agents. Others even play a role in crime solving within the field of forensic entomology.

This book has been planned with a holistic approach to highlight both the positive and negative aspects of flies. This book starts with a chapter on the introduction to flies, followed by insects of agricultural and horticultural importance, flies as vectors, and beneficial flies. Designed with ease of reader use in mind, each chapter includes "pointwise learning objectives" at the beginning, as well as "conclusions" and "points to remember" at the end.

This book will be useful not only to students of entomology, public health, agriculture, and applied life sciences but also to those involved in policy planning and vector management. In addition, this book will benefit students preparing for competitive examinations as well as the public.