James T. Costa
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, MA
2006; 767 pp.
Price: $63.00
ISBN-13: 978-0-674-02163-1

When you hear the phrase “social insects,” what pops into your head? A swarm of bees? Perhaps a parade of ants? If so, you’re not alone: Many people equate insect sociality with eusocial insects; and the lives of bees, wasps, ants, and termites fascinate citizens and scientists alike. Although the spectrum of sociality ranges from solitary insects to complex eusocial communities, research largely focuses on the latter. Arthropods that fall between these two extremes have been somewhat neglected and ignored. Fortunately, Other Insect Societies by James T. Costa helps rectify this omission, a fact emphasized in the foreword by Bert Hölldobler and commentary by Edward O. Wilson, two esteemed pioneers in the field.

Other Insect Societiesbegins with the definition of sociality and how scientists have developed and altered the concept throughout the past century. Costa frames the narrative in a historical context and provides a succinct summary of the key players and relevant topics, including social classification schemes, characteristics of eusocial insects, and the evolution of eusociality. He emphasizes that the latter topic should not be confused with the evolution of sociality, a point that can be confusing for readers. One clear concept is that distinctions among traditional social groups (subsocial, communal, quasisocial, semisocial, eusocial) are often murky, and there is disagreement on how to define and organize the array of social and cooperative behaviors in nature. Costa argues that these superfluous labels should be abandoned, although he acknowledges that scientists may be loath to dispense with the term “eusocial.”

In the next chapter, he deals with ecological theories and mechanisms of social evolution, which, as in the first section, is discussed within a historical framework. Topics include cooperation or mutualism, the resource hypothesis, the semelparity hypothesis, and group selection. Costa organizes noneusocial arthropods into four categories based on evolutionary pathways, which he describes as (1) exclusive maternal and biparental care; (2) exclusive paternal care; (3) fortress defenders; and (4) herds, larval and mixed-family.

In the remainder of the book, Costa summarizes the social behavior of various noneusocial arthropods. Chapters are organized taxonomically within six larger groupings (Orthopteroidea, Hemipteroidea, Neuropteroidea, Panorpoidea, Hymenopteroidea, and noninsect arthropods). There are multiple chapters on Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Lepidoptera. Although Other Insect Societies is remarkably comprehensive, Costa omitted some taxa (e.g., endoparasitoid wasps, owlflies, parasitic meloid beetles) because of the scarcity of information, lack of space, etc., or because they are discussed in other references (e.g., halictid bees). Although Costa discusses general social attributes of larger taxonomic groups (orders, superfamilies), he also presents case studies of smaller groups (e.g., Eupterotidae [monkey moths], Nicrophorinae [carrion beetles]) with numerous species-specific examples. The book features several color plates that illustrate a range of social interactions.

One of the most appealing aspects of Other Insect Societies is the way that Costa sets the stage and captures the reader’s interest. He doesn’t just relay the extraordinary social behaviors of each arthropod taxon; but he also provides a wealth of historical, taxonomic, biological, and ecological facts. The presentation of historical research is especially appealing as Costa seamlessly weaves literature citations into the narrative and constructs a platform of knowledge. Several other relevant topics are incorporated into the text; some of which include food sources, host plant attributes, chemical ecology, seasonal phenology, sound production, and symbiotes. Social behaviors are placed within the context of this background information, giving the reader a more comprehensive picture of how and why social phenomena may have evolved.

Another wonderful attribute of Other Insect Societies is how Costa uses questions to enhance the flow of the book, stimulate readers’ thinking, consider mechanisms driving the evolution of social behaviors, or expand scientific boundaries of arthropod sociobiology. For example: Why do two-striped walkingsticks aggregate in herds? Do bessbug larvae use stridulation to communicate with their mothers? Is there a division of labor in some caterpillar colonies? Do male Brachycybe millipedes groom their eggs? As these questions illustrate, there is still much to learn.

Untangling arthropod sociality is a daunting task. However, The Other Insects Societies rises to the challenge and fills a void in the literature that scientists, students, and the public can all appreciate. This comprehensive review emphasizes that the concept of sociality extends far beyond the confines of eusocial insects. James Costa elegantly summarizes historical and recent research and describes myriad fascinating social behaviors and interactions that will inspire readers for decades.

Deirdre A. Prischmann-Voldseth
Entomology Department
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
E-mail: Deirdre.Prischmann@ndsu.edu
American Entomologist
 Vol. 55, No. 1, Spring 2009