Functional and Evolutionary Ecology of Fleas : A Model for Ecological Parasitology (Paperback)

Preface; Part I. Brief Descriptive Ecology - What Do Fleas Do?: 1. Composition of the order; 2. Hosts of Siphonaptera; 3. Geographic distribution of fleas; 4. Origin and evolution of fleas; 5. Life cycles; 6. Fleas and Humanity; Part II. Functional Ecology - How Do Fleas Do What They Do?: 7. Ecology of sexual dimorphism, gender differences, and sex ratio; 8. Ecology of flea locomotion; 9. Ecology of host selection; 10. Ecology of haematophagy; 11. Ecology of reproduction and pre-imaginal development; 12. Ecology of flea virulence; 13. Ecology of host defence; Part III. Evolutionary Ecology: Why Do Fleas Do What They Do?: 14. Ecology and evolution of host specificity; 15. Ecology of flea populations; 16. Ecology of flea communities; 17. Patterns of flea diversity; 18. Fleas, hosts, habitats; 19. What further efforts are needed?; References; Index.