The Array of Desert Invertebrates

Abstract

The subjects of this book, except for inhabitants of ephemeral waters (see Chapter 17 for a treatment of those invertebrates), will now be introduced by way of an expanded outline. Initially, only a few comments about the broad geographic distribution of each major taxon are given. More comprehensive treatments are deferred until later chapters, which stress available information regardless of the distribution or size of a particular invertebrate group. Unfortunately, there is really little alternative to such an approach if a synthesis of current knowledge is to be presented. Hence “equal treatment” occurs only in this chapter.