This book is the best out there. Be advised it is very technical but is a great addition. It is costly though.This is a good detailed book about mantids: http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Mantids-Fred...0613&sr=1-1
Maybe you can find it at your library.
Otherwise, a Google search might help you. Good luck!
http://www.google.com/search?num=30&hl...+walking+sticks
Yes, I wondered what "huge project" you might be involved in that did not require setting up a reading list until you were six weeks or more into the semester/quarter, and how it could include both mantises and phasmids. I am sure that your explanation will make everything clear. Having access to a university library gives you a huge advantage over most of us. Have you done a library computer search yet? I am sure that you have and would be interested in hearing what you have come up with on mantids, since we are only able to recommend Prete. Also bear in mind that if you have passable German or French, you might find something there, particularly in German.It might be helpful to know what type of info you are looking for. I have several articles from journels that I can scan and send to you if they are on topic.
Yeah, these are both standard texts, though the second, now a revision of Borror and DeLong's's text is called Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects by Norman F. Johnson and Charles A. Triplehorn and is principally on North American insect taxonomy. A now disregarded book that you should find in your stacks is The Principles of Insect Physiology by V.B. Wigglesworth. The first edition is nearly as old as I (i.e. Very Old) but it was still current when I was doing my B.S. in the sixties, and I doubt if insect physiology has changed much in the meantime."The Insects, structure and function" By R.F. Chapman"An Introduction to the Study of Insects" by Borror, Triplehorn and Johnson.
The first text will provide every detail regarding the internal and external anatomy in mind-numbing detail. Very expensive!!
The second text covers anatomy in detail, just not as much. But more then enough to have you nodding off by the end. Also rather expensive.
Thank you for starting this post because I am also doing a project for class about mantids. It's going to be in Second Life, a 3D virtual world environment where my school has a presence. I'm working on a entomological display that when selected would supply the user with information about mantids, and keeping them as pets. I am a library science student and this chart would be part of an insect themed display in one of the virtual libraries. I am not a formal student of insect science, as I mentioned I am studying to be a librarian, so I'm more interested in finding relevant, informative sites online. Virtual libraries are run by volunteers, and do not generally have the funds to purchase their own books to lend. They also cannot offer articles from scholarly journals because they don't own subscriptions. I can refer people to online books, but they would need to be in the public domain, or have a creative common license. Anyhoo, below is a picture of what I think my display may look like:Most stuff was done in articles and books are usually merely a review. You should find articles, in case you have access to an University Library, by searching databases. For Zoology, try "Biosis" and "Zoological record". Both should be available at your library. I would focus on one group, though, mantids and phasmids are not closely related.Taxonomical papers, if freely available (most aren't), are generally older, although there are still many published. Physiological and some ecological stuff was done much later and should be better available.
I'm also very interested in the 'factors that control color', but are you speaking genetically or environmental?I would like to know more about the nervous system and factors that control color.
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