Brief Note on Evolution of Entomology

Description

Entomology, a branch of zoology, is the scientific study of insects. Historically, the name "insect" was less specific, and Entomology included the study of animals belonging to other arthropod groups, such as Arachnids, Myriapods, and Crustaceans. In informal usage, this broader sense may still be encountered. Entomology, like several of the other fields within zoology, is a taxon-based category; any type of scientific study that focuses on insect-related questions is, by definition, entomology. As a result, entomology touches on a wide range of subjects, including molecular genetics, behaviour, neuroscience, biomechanics, biochemistry, systematics, physiology, developmental biology, ecology, morphology, and palaeontology. Around 1.3 million insect species have been identified, over than two-thirds of all species in the world.  Some insect species have been around for almost 400 million years. They interact with people and other types of life on Earth in a variety of ways.

Since prehistoric times, entomology has been a part of practically all human cultures, primarily in the context of agriculture (especially biological control and beekeeping). Pliny the Elder authored a book on the different species of insects, while Ibn al-A'rb, a Kufa scientist, wrote Kitb al-Dabb, a treatise on flies. Scientific study in the contemporary sense, on the other hand, began only recently, in the 16th century. De Animalibus Insectis (Of Insect Animals) by Ulisse Aldrovandi was published in 1602. Jan Swammerdam, a microscopist, authored History of Insects, which accurately described insect reproductive organs and metamorphosis. Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, a book about the tropical insects of Dutch Surinam, was published in 1705 by Maria Sibylla Merian.

The habit of keeping cabinets of curiosity was followed by early entomological activities linked with the naming and taxonomy of species, primarily in Europe. Natural history groups, private collection shows, and publications for recording communications and the documentation of new species came out as a result of this collecting obsession.

Many of the collectors were from the aristocracy, and it sparked a worldwide commerce between collectors and traders. The "period of Heroic Entomology" has been coined. In England, William Kirby is generally considered to be the father of entomology. Introduction to Entomology, a complete entomological encyclopaedia co-authored with William Spence, is widely recognised as the subject's founding text. He also played a role in the founding of the Royal Entomological Society in London in 1833, one of the world's first such organisations; older forebears, such as the Aurelian Society, date back to the 1740s. The "period of Economic Entomology," which birthed the professional entomologist connected with the establishment of the university and training in the field of biology, began in the late nineteenth century with the increase of agricultural and colonial trade.

People like Sophie Lutterlough, who works at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, have a history of becoming entomologists through museum curation and research support. Insect identification is becoming a more popular hobby, with butterflies and dragonflies topping the list.

Most insects may be easily identified by their order, such as Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) or Coleoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) (beetles). Insects other than Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), on the other hand, are usually exclusively identified by genus or species using Identification keys and Monographs. Even for a professional, this can be challenging because the class Insecta has a great number of species (about 330,000 species of beetles alone), and the traits that distinguish them are unknown and often subtle (or invisible without a microscope). This has resulted in the creation of automated insect species identification systems like as Daisy, ABIS, SPIDA, and Draw-wing.

The Entomological Society of America introduced the Associate Certified Entomologist professional certification programme for the pest control sector in 1994 (ACE). An additional degree is usually required to qualify as a "real entomologist," with most entomologists earning a PhD. Individuals who earn the ACE certification may be referred to as ACEs, or Associate Certified Entomologists, even though they are not actual entomologists in the classic sense.