After the publication of the Diagnostic Manual for the Identification of Insect Pathogens, the authors received many queries asking why they had not included the larger metazoan parasites as well as the microbial forms. An examination of the literature indicated that pictorial guides to the identification of nematodes and the immature stages of insect parasites were unavailable. Consequently we decided to rewrite the sections cover­ ing insect pathogens and combine these with new sections on ento­ mogenous nematodes and the immature stages of insect parasites. The result is the present laboratory guide, which is unique in covering all types of biotic agents which are found inside insects and cause them injury or disease. Included as parasites are insects and nematodes. Among the pathogens included are viruses, rickettsias, bacteria, fungi, and protozoans. Emphasis is placed on identification with an attempt to use the most easily recognizable characters. Use of a certain number of technical terms is unavoidable, and explanations of these can be found in most biological dictionaries or the glossary of invertebrate pathology prepared by Steinhaus and Martignoni (1970).

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Identification of the Categories of Insect Pathogens and Parasites.- Key to the Categories of Insect Pathogens and Parasites.- Viruses.- Taxonomic Status.- Life Cycle.- Characteristics of Infected Insects.- Methods of Examination.- Isolation.- Identification.- Testing for Pathogenicity.- Storage.- Literature.- Key to the Families, Subfamilies, and Groups of Viruses.- Rickettsias.- Taxonomic Status.- Life Cycle.- Characteristics of Infected Insects.- Factors Affecting Natural Infections.- Methods of Examination.- Isolation and Cultivation.- Identification.- Testing for Pathogenicity.- Storage.- Literature.- Key to Rickettsias Associated with Insects.- Bacteria.- Taxonomic Status.- Life Cycle.- Characteristics of Infected Insects.- Factors Affecting Bacterial Infections.- Methods of Examination.- Isolation and Cultivation.- Identification.- Testing for Pathogenicity.- Storage.- Literature.- Key to Common Genera and Species of Bacteria.- Fungi.- Taxonomic Status.- Life Cycle.- Characteristics of Infected Insects.- Methods of Examination.- Isolation and Cultivation of Entomogenous Fungi.- Identification.- Testing for Pathogenicity.- Storage.- Literature.- Key to Common Genera of Fungi.- Protozoa.- Taxonomic Status.- Life Cycle.- Characteristics of Infected Insects.- Methods of Examination.- Isolation and Cultivation.- Identification.- Testing for Pathogenicity.- Storage.- Literature.- Key to the Common Genera of Entomegenous Protozoa.- Nematodes.- Taxonomic Status.- Life Cycle.- Characteristics of Infected Insects.- Methods of Examination.- Isolation and Cultivation.- Identification.- Testing for Infectivity.- Storage.- Literature.- Key to the Common Groups of Nematode Parasites of Insects.- Immature Stages of Insect Endoparasites.- Taxonomic Status.- Life Cycle.- Characteristics of Infected Insects.- Methods of Examination.- Identification.- Isolation and Testing for Infectivity.- Storage.- Literature.- Key to the Higher Categories of Common Endoparasitic Insect Larvae.- Availability of Insect Pathogens and Endoparasites.- Techniques.- Culture Media, Differential Media, and Ringer's Solution.- Bacteriological Tests.- Stains and Staining Procedures.- Miscellaneous Techniques.- References.