Much community theory has ignored insects on plants, although they comprise a large proportion of extant organisms. In this text the authors review the evolution and recent history of phytophagous insects and consider the structure of phytophage communities, with the aim of bringing the study of such communities into the mainstream of ecological thought. They combine the synthetic, pattern-searching approach to community ecology with reductionist methods which isolate single mechanisms for study in a stimulating text will interest senior undergraduates and research workers in the fields of entomology, ecology, agriculture and botany.