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Explain the fundamental difference in insect classification between fundamental entomology and applied entomology.
Explain the fundamental difference in insect classification between fundamental entomology and applied entomology.
In fundamental entomology, classification is based on insects' structure, while in applied entomology, it is based on their economic impact (whether they are useful or harmful).
Provide a nuanced example of how an insect can be simultaneously considered both an injurious insect and a beneficial insect.
Provide a nuanced example of how an insect can be simultaneously considered both an injurious insect and a beneficial insect.
A honeybee can be considered both beneficial and injurious. It is beneficial for honey and pollination, yet injurious if it stings.
Critically analyze the following statement: 'Insects of no economic importance have no impact on human life or the environment.'
Critically analyze the following statement: 'Insects of no economic importance have no impact on human life or the environment.'
The statement is incorrect. Insects of no direct economic importance still play crucial roles in ecosystems like nutrient cycling, and serve as a food source for other animals. Their removal would result in significant ecological consequences.
Describe a scenario where the principles of applied entomology could be used to mitigate the spread of a vector-borne human disease.
Describe a scenario where the principles of applied entomology could be used to mitigate the spread of a vector-borne human disease.
Synthesize the relationship between 'Soil Builders' and 'Scavengers' in terms of their contribution to ecosystem health. How do their roles complement each other?
Synthesize the relationship between 'Soil Builders' and 'Scavengers' in terms of their contribution to ecosystem health. How do their roles complement each other?
Flashcards
Applied Entomology
Applied Entomology
Deals with the usefulness of insects to mankind.
Storage Pests
Storage Pests
Insects that cause economic loss to stored products.
Honeybees
Honeybees
Insects that provide honey, beeswax, bee venom, or royal jelly.
Parasites (Helpful insects)
Parasites (Helpful insects)
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Soil Builders
Soil Builders
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Study Notes
Applied Entomology
- The field of entomology is divided into fundamental or general entomology and applied or economic entomology
- Fundamental entomology deals with the basic or academic aspects of entomology, including morphology, anatomy, physiology, and taxonomy
- Fundamental entomology involves gaining knowledge on entomology irrespective of its usefulness or harm
- Applied or economic entomology focuses on the usefulness of entomology for mankind
- Applied entomology covers the study of insects that are either beneficial or harmful to humans
- Applied entomology looks at how beneficial insects like predators, parasitoids, pollinators, and productive insects can be exploited
- Applied entomology studies methods to manage harmful insects or pests without causing damage or loss
- In fundamental entomology, insects are classified based on their structure, while in applied entomology, insects are classified based on their economic importance
Economic Classification of Insects
- Insects can be classified based on their economic importance
Insects of No Economic Importance
- Many insects in forests and agricultural lands neither cause harm nor benefit
- These insects are classified under this category
- Insects existed 250-500 million years ago, while humans came into existence 1 million years ago.
- Insects comprise 70-95% of all animals present
Injurious Insects
- Injurious insects are pests of cultivated plants (crop pests)
- Cultivated plants harbor insect pests that feed on them and reduce crop yield
- Field crops and horticultural crops are attacked by insect species like cotton bollworm and maize stalk borers
- Storage pests feed on stored products and cause economic loss, such as maize weevil and larger grain borer
- Pests attack cattle and domestic animals (veterinary importance)
- Cattle are affected by pests like horse flies, flesh flies, fleas, ticks, and lice that suck blood and transmit pathogens
- Household pests include cockroaches and ants
- Insects of medical importance are disease carriers like mosquitoes, houseflies, bedbugs, fleas, and lice
Beneficial Insects
- Beneficial insects include productive insects, which refers to Silkworms
- Silkworm filaments secreted from the salivary gland of the larva are used to produce silk
- Honeybees provide honey and byproducts like beeswax, bee venom, and royal jelly
- Lac insects create a secretion called lac, useful in making varnishes and polishes
- Insects have uses as food, ornaments, and in producing medicines
- Honeybee venom serves as medicine for rheumatism and arthritis
- Cantharidin, extracted from blister beetles, is a hair tonic
- Insects as food source - aquatic insects for animals, grasshoppers/termites/moth pupae for humans
- Artists and designers copy butterfly colors for ornaments
- Beetles are used as necklaces, and insect collecting is a hobby
- Drosophila and mosquitoes are useful in genetic and toxicological research
Helpful Insects
- Parasites are small insects that feed on harmful insects, completing their life cycle in a host
- Examples of parasites are egg, larval, and pupal parasitoids
- Predators are large insects that capture and devour harmful insects like Coccinellids (ladybird beetles) and praying mantids
- Pollinators are insects that help cross-pollinated plants with fruit set
- Example - honeybees pollinate soybeans and other crops
- Weed killers are insects that feed on weeds, such as cochineal insects feeding on Opuntia
- Soil builders are insects such as ants, beetles, and larval cutworms that make tunnels in soil, aerate the soil, and enrich the soil with nutrients
- Scavengers feed on dead and decaying matter and maintain hygiene in ecosystems
- Carrion beetles and rove beetles feed on dead animals and plants
- Some feed on household and disease-carrying insects
- Scarab beetle larvae feed on animal waste or dung
Pests
- Certain pests damage household goods like furniture, wool, and paper
- Examples include cockroaches, furniture beetles, silverfish, and termites
- Pests can cause painful bites and inject venom
- Wasps, ants, and bees can cause painful stings
- Hairy caterpillar netting hairs are poisonous
- Mosquitoes, horse flies, tsetse flies, and bugs can bite, pierce, and suck blood from humans and animals
- Insect vectors spread diseases
- Mosquitoes spread malaria, filariasis, and dengue fever
- Houseflies spread helminths, viruses, bacteria, and protozoans like typhoid, cholera, leprosy, and anthrax
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