The Art of Being a Parasite (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780226114385)

Parasites are a masterful work of evolutionary art. The tiny mite Histiostoma laboratorium, a parasite of Drosophila, launches itself, in an incredible display of evolutionary engineering, like a surface-to-air missile at a fruit fly far above its head. Gravid mussels such as Lampsilis ventricosa undulate excitedly as they release their parasitic larval offspring, conning greedy predators in search of a tasty meal into hosting the parasite.

The Art of Being a Parasite is an extensive collection of these and other wonderful and weird stories that illuminate the ecology and evolution of interactions between species. Claude Combes illustrates what it means to be a parasite by considering every stage of its interactions, from invading to reproducing and leaving the host. An accessible and engaging follow-up to Combes's Parasitism, this book will be of interest to both scholars and nonspecialists in the fields of biodiversity, natural history, ecology, public health, and evolution.


Author: Claude Combes
ISBN-10: 0226114384
ISBN-13: 9780226114385
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Language: English
Published: 10/01/2005
Pages: 280
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.08w x 0.69d