Preface .- Chapter 1 . The basic insect pattern: theme and variations.- Introduction: insects and their close relatives.- The insect body plan.- Inside insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 2 . Fossils and major insect adaptations.- Introduction: the process of insect evolution.- Wings and flight.- Wings and ecology.- Insect diversification.- Further reading.- Chapter 3 . Insect life histories.- Introduction: modes of development.- Diversification within metamorphosis.- Seasonal development.- Further reading.- Chapter 4 . Origins, distributions and diversity.- Introduction: Australia as an environment for insects.- Insect species?.- Further reading.- Chapter 5 . Environments and habitats for insects in Australia.- Introduction: places to live.- Resources for insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 6 . Foods and feeding biology.- Introduction: the variety of food and feeding habits.- Exploitation or partnerships?.- Searching for food.- Insect herbivores.- Insect carnivores.- Insect parasitoids.- Insect parasites.- Insect decomposers.- Further reading.- Chapter 7 . Insect behaviour and lifestyles.- Introduction: behaviour and adaptation.- Sensory mechanisms.- Social existence.- Further reading.- Chapter 8 . Insect communities.- Introduction: living together.- Richness and variety.- Evolutionary radiations.- Assessing richness.- Further reading.- Chapter 9 . Insect populations.- Introduction: population size and structure.- Population fluctuations.- Further reading.- Chapter 10 . Insects in inland water environments.- Introduction: inland aquatic habitats for insects.- Insect variety.- Further reading.- Chapter 11 .- Australia's alpine insects.- Introduction: environmental extremes.- Alpine insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 12 .- Lowland insects and their environments: non-forest insects.- Introduction: terrestrial open habitats.- Grasslands.- Arid environments.- Mallee environments.- Further reading.- Chapter 13 . Forest insects.- Introduction: forest habitats.- Forest insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 14 . Insects and people in Australia.- Introduction: interest and involvement.- Pest insects.- Further reading.- Chapter 15 .- Australia's alien insects.- Introduction: variety and impacts.- Importation and establishment.- Consequences.- Australian insects abroad.- Further reading.- Chapter 16 .- Conservation.- Introduction: rationale and needs for insect conservation.- Species conservation.- Habitat conservation.- Wider views.- Further reading.- Chapter 17 .- Diversity and its implications for understanding Australia's insects.- Introduction: relevance of basic documentation.- Surveying diversity.- Increasing understanding.- References.- Further reading.- Appendix 1. Australia's insects: the players.- Index.