The first edition of this book, published in 1984, established itself internationally as a standard text in medical and veterinary entomology. This new edition retains the same overall aims and structure but has been thoroughly revised to take account of new advances in the subject.

The main focus of the book is on the general biology of insects and the Acari (mites and ticks) of medical and veterinary importance, together with brief descriptions of their taxonomy and of the diseases they transmit.

The book is divided into three parts: the first provides a general introduction to the classification, structure and function of the relevant insects and Acari; the second covers, in seventeen chapters, the main groups of insects and acarines of medical and veterinary importance, from the Culicidae (mosquitoes) to the Ixodidae (hard ticks); part three then provides an overview of those diseases of which the pathogens are transmitted by insects or acarines.

The book will continue to serve as a major reference text for students taking courses in zoology, tropical medicine, veterinary science, entomology and parasitology, as well as for professionals working in both pure and applied entomology.