Insect Societies

Edward O. Wilson was Pellegrino University Professor, Emeritus, at Harvard University. In addition to two Pulitzer Prizes (one of which he shares with Bert Hölldobler), Wilson has won many scientific awards, including the National Medal of Science and the Crafoord Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

• * Acknowledgment *1. Introduction: The Importance of Social Insects *2. The Degrees of Social Behavior *3. The Social Wasps *4. The Ants *5. The Social Bees *6. The Termites *7. The Presocial Insects *8. Caste: Ants *9. Caste: Social Bees and Wasps *10. Caste: Termites *11. The Elements of Behavior *12. Communication: Alarm and Assembly *13. Communication: Recruitment *14. Communication: Recognition, Food Exchange, and Grooming *15. Group Effects and the Control of Nestmates *16. Social Homeostasis and the Superorganism *17. The Genetic Theory of Social Behavior *18. Compromise and Optimization in Social Evolution *19. Symbioses among Social Insects *20. Symbioses with Other Arthropods *21. The Population Dynamics of Colonies *22. The Prospect for a Unified Sociobiology * Glossary * Bibliography * Index

If only because of the rarity of the event and the stature of the author…The Insect Societies must be considered a work of major importance. It is certain to influence the focus of research as well as the content of public information on the social insects for years to come…For anyone, layman or specialists, interested in a single, concise, lucid, and authoritative account of the most significant facts and theories about insect societies, The Insect Societies is the best available and will be for many years.