"Zoologists and their allies, mostly from New Zealand, examine a group of insects that draw public attention because of their heaviness--often outweighing mammals--and sometimes ferocious nature. Most of the bugs are members of the orthopterous superfamilies Stenopelmatoidea and Gryllacridoidea; all are of Gondwanan origin and are flagship species for biogeographical studies. Among the features described are the bizarre production of secondary sexual characters such as enlarged heads, mandibles, and hind legs, which can be asymmetrical, and odd weaponry such as tusks and mandibular extensions and protrusions suggesting exotic courtship rituals unlike those found in other orthopteroids."--SciTech Book News"Zoologists and their allies, mostly from New Zealand, examine a group of insects that draw public attention because of their heaviness--often outweighing mammals--and sometimes ferocious nature. Most of the bugs are members of the orthopterous superfamilies Stenopelmatoidea and Gryllacridoidea; all are of Gondwanan origin and are flagship species for biogeographical studies. Among the features described are the bizarre production of secondary sexual characters such as enlarged heads, mandibles, and hind legs, which can be asymmetrical, and odd weaponry such as tusks and mandibular extensions and protrusions suggesting exotic courtship rituals unlike those found in other orthopteroids." --SciTech Book News