Entomology Totally Explained

Everything about Entomology totally explained

Entomology, from the Greek: entomo-/εντομο- "that which is cut in pieces or engraved/segmented", hence "insect"; and logos/λόγος, "knowledge", is the scientific study of insects. At some 1.3 million described species, insects account for more than 2/3rds of all known organisms,dating back some 400 million years, and have many kinds of interactions with humans and other forms of life on earth, so it's an important specialty within biology. Though technically incorrect, the definition is sometimes widened to include the study of terrestrial animals in other arthropod groups or other phyla, such as arachnids, myriapods, earthworms, and slugs.
Like several of the other fields that are categorized within zoology, entomology is a taxon-based category; any form of scientific study in which the organisms studied happen to be insects is, by definition, entomology. Entomology therefore includes a cross-section of topics as diverse as molecular genetics, behavior, biomechanics, biochemistry, systematics, physiology, developmental biology, ecology, morphology, paleontology, anthropology, robotics, agriculture, nutrition, and more.

History of entomology

Entomology is rooted in nearly all human cultures from prehistoric times, primarily in the context of agriculture (esp. biological control and beekeeping), but scientific study began only as recently as the 16th century . The list of entomologists through recorded history is enormous, and includes such notable figures as Charles Darwin, Vladimir Nabokov, Karl von Frisch (winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, E. O. Wilson. Entomology has even entered popular modern culture; Gil Grissom on the TV show is an entomologist, who is played by actor William Petersen. Similarly, Dr. Jack Hodgins of Bones helps his team by analyzing insects and "particulates" near to or attached to decomposed victims, often identifying the precise location a murder originally occurred; he allegedly has three Ph.D.'s, at least one of which is in entomology.

Identification of insects

Insects other than Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) are typically identifiable only through the use of Identification keys and Monographs. Because the class Insecta contains a very large number of species and the characters separating them are unfamiliar, and often subtle (or invisible without a microscope), this is often very difficult even for a specialist.
Insect identification is an increasingly common hobby, with butterflies and dragonflies being the most popular.

Taxonomic specialization

Many entomologists specialize in a single order or even a family of insects, and a number of these subspecialties are given their own informal names, typically (but not always) derived from the scientific name of the group:

Apiology (or melittology) - bees
Coleopterology - beetles
Dipterology - flies
Hemipterology - true bugs
Lepidopterology - moths and butterflies
Myrmecology - ants
Orthopterology - grasshoppers, crickets, etc.
Trichopterology - caddis flies

Organizations

Like other scientific specialties, entomologists have a number of local, national, and international organizations. There are also many organizations specializing in specific subareas.

Amateur Entomologists' Society

Deutsches Entomologisches Institut

Entomological Society of America

Entomological Society of Canada

Royal Belgian Entomological Society

Royal Entomological Society of London

Société Entomologique de France

Netherlands Entomological Society

Entomological Society of Japan

Entomologist.org

Museums

Many museums contain very large and important insect collections. Here is a list of some of the most important.

Europe

Natural History Museum, Vienna Naturhistorisches Museum.

Natural History Museum, Paris Muséum national d'histoire naturelle

Natural History Museum, Berlin Humboldt Museum

Natural History Museum, London Natural History Museum

Royal Museum for Central Africa, Brussels Royal Museum for Central Africa

Natural History Museum, Leiden Natural History Museum, Leiden

Natural History Museum, Sweden Swedish Museum of Natural History

Natural History Museum, St. Petersburg Zoological Collection of the Russian Academy of Science

Natural History Museum, Geneva (External Link

)

The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology Zoologische Staatssammlung München

United States

National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC

American Museum of Natural History, New York

California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco

Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles

Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia

University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Lawrence, KS

University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE

Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven

Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, MA

Canada

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto

Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa

Montreal Insectarium, Montreal

University of Guelph Insect Collection, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario

Lyman Entomological Museum, McGill University, Montreal

Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa

E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum, EdmontonFurther Information

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