Ichnoentomology, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2017 Insect Traces in Soils and Paleosols Topics in Geobiology Series, Vol. 37

This book is devoted to the ichnology of insects, and associated trace fossils, in soils and paleosols. The traces described here, mostly nests and pupation chambers, include one of the most complex architectures produced by animals. Chapters explore the walls, shapes and fillings of trace fossils followed by their classifications and ichnotaxonomy. Detailed descriptions and interpretations for different groups of insects like bees, ants, termites, dung beetles and wasps are also provided. 

Chapters also highlight the the paleoenvironmental significance of insect trace fossils in paleosols for paleontological reconstructions, sedimentological interpretation, and ichnofabrics analysis. Readers will discover how insect trace fossils act as physical evidence for reconstructing the evolution of behavior, phylogenies, past geographical distributions, and to know how insects achieved some of the more complex architectures. The book will appeal to researchers and graduate students in ichnology, sedimentology, paleopedology, and entomology and readers interested in insect architecture.

Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 The wall: where everything begins.- Chapter 3 Other characters: shape, fillings and further micromorphological characters.- Chapter 4 Classifications. The utopia of classifying the unclassifiable.- Chapter 5 The keys I. Celliformidae and Coprinisphaeridae.- Chapter 6 The keys II. Krausichnidae and Pallichnidae.- Chapter 7 Dung beetle masonry.- Chapter 8 Trace fossils of dung beetles.- Chapter 9 Basic architecture of soil nesting wasps and bees.- Chapter 10 Wasp and bee trace fossils.- Chapter 11 Blueprints of termite and ant nests.- Chapter 12 The trace fossil record of eusociality in ants and termites.- Chapter 13 Other insect trace fossils in paleosols: cicadas, chafers, weevils and sphinx moths.- Chapter 14 Traces from nest invaders.- Chapter 15 Soil neighbors I: traces of other organisms in paleosols. Crustaceans and earthworms.- Chapter 16 Soil neighbors II: traces of other organisms in paleosols. Vertebrates and roots.- Chapter 17 Insect trace fossils in other substrates than paleosols I. Plant remains.- Chapter 18 Insect trace fossils in other substrates than paleosols II. Bones, caddisfly cases, trackways, imprints and aerial nests.- Chapter 19 Trace fossils as the physical evidence of evolution of insect behavior.- Chapter 20 (The most remarkable insect) ichnofabrics in paleosols.- Chapter 21 Paleosol ichnofacies.- Chapter 22 Paleoenvironmental analysis and ichnoentomological synthesis.