FunctionalandEvolutionaryEcologyofFleas:AModelforEcologicalParasitology

Fleasareoneofthemostinterestingandfascinatingtaxaofectoparasites.Allspeciesinthisrelativelysmallorderareobligatoryhaematophagous(blood-feeding)parasitesofhighervertebrates.Thisbookexamineshowfunctional,ecologicalandevolutionarypatternsandprocessesofhost-parasiterelationshipsarerealizedinthisparticularsystem.Assuchitprovidesanin-depthcasestudyofahost-parasitesystem,demonstratinghowfleascanbeusedasamodeltaxonfortestingecologicalandevolutionaryhypotheses.Thebookmovesfrombasicdescriptiveaspects,tofunctionalissuesandfinallytoevolutionaryexplanations.Itextractsseveralgeneralprinciplesthatapplyequallywelltootherhost-parasitesystems,soitappealsnotonlytofleabiologistsbutalsoto'mainstream'parasitologistsandecologists.