This book explores the profound importance of phenotypic plasticity as a central organizing theme for understanding biology. Chapters take a broad, integrative approach to explain how physical and biological environmental stimuli (temperature, photoperiod, nutrition, population density, predator presence, etc.), influence insect biochemical, physiological, learning, and developmental processes, altering phenotype, which then influences performance, ecology, life-history, survival, fitness, and subsequent evolution. Topics include endocrinology, development, body size, allometry, polyphenism, reproduction, reproductive and life-history tradeoffs, alternative mating and life-history strategies, density-dependent prophylaxis, physiological adaptation, acclimation, homeostasis, heat-shock proteins, learning, adaptive anti-predator behavior, and evolution of phenotypic plasticity.

What is Phenotypic Plasticity and why is it Important? Douglas Whitman and Anurag Agrawal

Phenotypic Plasticity and the Semantics of Polyphenism: a Historical Review and Current Perspectives; Michael Canfield and Erick Greene

Phenotypic Plasticity and the Origins of Diversity: A Case Study on Horned Beetles; Armin Moczek

Developmental Flexibility, Phenotypic Plasticity, and Host Plants: A Case Study with Nemoria Caterpillars; Erick Greene, Michael Canfield, and Adam Ehmer

Phase Polyphenism in Locusts: Mechanisms, Population Consequences, Adaptive Significance and Evolution; Stephen Simpson and Gregory Sword

Density-Dependent Prophylaxis in Insects; Kenneth Wilson and Sheena Cotter

Natural Enemy-Induced Plasticity in Plants and Animals; Douglas Whitman and Leon Blaustein

Behavioral Plasticity to Risk of Predation: Oviposition Site Selection by a Mosquito in Response to its Predators; Leon Blaustein and Douglas Whitman

Polyphenisms in Lepidoptera: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Studies of Evolution and Development; P.M. Brakefield and W.A. Frankino

Causes and Consequences of Phenotypic Plasticity in Body Size: The Case of the Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria (Diptera: Scathophagidae); Wolf Blanckenhorn

She Shapes Events as they Come: Plasticity in Female Insect Reproduction; Jason Hodin

Temperature Dependence of Development Rate, Growth Rate and Size: From Biophysics to Adaptation; Gerdien de Jong and Tom van der Have

The Developmental-Physiological Basis of Phenotypic Plasticity; H.Frederik Nijhout and Goggy Davidowitz

Wing Polymorphism in Gryllus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae): Proximate Endocrine, Energetic and Biochemical Mechanisms Underlying Morph Specialization for Flight vs; Reproduction; Anthony Zera

Evolution of Homeostatic Physiological Systems; H. Arthur Woods

Acclimation; Douglas Whitman

Heat Shock Proteins and their Role in Generating, Maintaining and Even Preventing Alternative Insect Phenotypes; Jason Williams, Stephen Roberts, and Michelle Elekonich

Learned Host Preferences; Andrew Barron

Adaptive Maternal Effects: A Case Study of Egg Size Plasticity in a Seed-Feeding Beetle; Charles Fox and Mary Ellen Czesak

On the Origins of Insect Hormone Signaling; Jason Hodin

Phenotypic Plasticity and Evolvability: An Empirical Test with Experimental Evolution; Henrique Teotónio, Michael Rose, and Stephen Proulx