with contributions from Piotr Cerynger and Ivo Kovár. 1996. XVI + 464 pp., 133 tables, 95 figures, 11 plates. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 0-7023-4177-5. NLG 325.00; US $211.00; £143.00. Preparing a well-balanced review of the literature on Coccinellidae was a challenge, as limited space forced the authors to select the most important works of all related publications, the number of which has increased rapidly during the last decades. The authors have solved this problem successfully. This volume is not simply an extended edition of the previous book by I. Hodek (Biology of Coccinellidae, Academic, Prague and W. Junk, The Hague, 1973), rather, the two volumes partially complement each other, as the chapter on larval identification of Palaearctic Coc-cinellidae has been omitted. The title is somewhat misleading: the reader finds a considerably broader range of information than suggested by the title. The first chapter deals with the adult beetles' most important morphological and anatomical characteristics as related to feeding habits. The second chapter proposes a new phylogenetic tree of the higher coc-cinellid taxa based on adult morphology and anatomy. The third chapter surveys the heredity of colour patterns , their seasonal and geographic variability as well as the much discussed problem of Müllerian mimicry in these beetles. Chapter 4 treats the main factors affecting pre-adult and adult development, mating, flight, fecundity, longevity as well as energy conversion and allocation in both larvae and adults. The fifth chapter reviews the factors influencing distribution and abundance of coccinellid populations. The authors "use the term 'community' in its broadest sense as a set of coccinellid individuals present in a given habitat at a particular time" (p. 95). The term 'assemblage' would have been more appropriate. The description of several methods for the estimation of coccinellid numbers is followed by discussing the effect of geographic and local factors on the number and distribution of coccinellids. Data are presented on dominance, diversity and niche differentiation as related to the composition of coccinellid assemblages. Many examples of coccinellid assemblages reported from various habitats are surveyed, with special emphasis on their economic importance. The large sixth chapter is devoted to food relationships. The literature data on food range are extremely variable, mostly due to superficial observations. The authors present the main methods for ascertaining the natural food range of coccinellids appropriately. The data about the amount of food consumed by coccinellid larvae and adults also vary extremely due to the great variability of observational and experimental methods used. Concerning food related behaviour the authors in extenso deal with the searching behaviour of adults and larvae. The voluminous seventh chapter, amounting to one fourth of the text, surveys the literature on dormancy. This includes the adaptive function of dormancy as well as the anato...

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Abstract. Although some parts of diapause development have been clarified up by endocrinologists, knowledge of the underlying processes remains insufficient. The survey of ecophysiological aspects of diapause development has thus to be limited to inputs and outputs from the blackbox. The terms diapause development, diapause intensity, post-diapause quiescence, horotelic processes of diapause, and tachytelic processes of diapause (reactivation) are defined. Andrewartha's term diapause development has been accepted because it shows diapause as a dynamic event.In about the last 20 years, some views on diapause development have been updated, while others have fossilised. The assumption that chilling is a general prerequisite for completion of diapause development in all insects still survives in part of the scientific com munity, in spite of much contradictory evidence and often due to inadequate interpretation of experiments (examples given in figures and tables). On the contrary, it has been generally recognised that in temperate climates overwintering diapause is usually already completed in early/mid winter and the dormancy is then temperature quiescence. The conception of multiple pathways of diapause completion postulates that diapause can be completed either by the normal (slow) progress of diapause development (horotelic proc esses), or by a faster activation (tachytelic processes). There are important differences between the mechanisms regulating activation and the horotelic processes. Thus, e.g., the photoperiodic response is lost during horotelic completion, while after photoperiodic acti vation it persists. In addition to photoperiodic activation other kinds of activation are being studied, particularly activation by high temperature.Some conclusions can be made from modern studies on diapause development. In every individual, several (at least two) possible pathways exist that are evidently interlinked and mutually complementary. Thus the time of diapause passed at any condition has to be considered, as well as the exposure to very low temperatures. In temperature studies the experimental range ought to be ade quately wide and less affected by a priori assumptions. Stimulation by temperature increase or improvement in food or other condi tions has to be considered.The success of diapause completion should be measured by at least four parameters: (1) incidence (%) of developmental steps; (2) duration of delay; (3) synchronization; (4) vigour of post-diapause insects (shown by long-term survival or fecundity). The last two parameters have usually been neglected.

The review emphasizes that there are multiple pathways to diapause completion. The programmed course of events is modified by environmental cues. Often chilling is not a prerequisite for the completion of hibernation diapause (examples tabulated). Diapause completion progresses well at intermediate or high temperatures, sometimes it is even stimulated by high or increasing temperature. Low temperatures are important, as they (1) conserve metabolic reserves, (2) prevent resumption of post‐diapause morphogenesis and thus synchronize the life‐cycle, (3) represent contrast to the later increase in temperature. Diapause consists of phases with different prerequisites. There is a principal difference between diapause development and photoperiodic activation as indicated by the subsequent physiological condition of insects.

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