Lecture No.1

History of Entomology in India-position of insects in the animal kingdom-relationship with members of Arthropoda

Entomology (Entomon-insect; logy-study) is defined as a science, which deals with

insects. The term entomology is derived from two Greek words Entomon means an insect

and logos means to study. The term ‘Insect ’ is derived from a Latin word insectum which

means ‘cut into’.

Insects are estimated to have existed for over 350 million years. Humans count

only one to 200 million insects and there are about 40 million insects for each acre of

land. Out of the 1.35 million living species described 9,00,000 are insects.

Branches of Entomology

Toxicology : Study of insecticides

Ecology : Study of insects and its environment

Acarology : Study of mites

Apiculture : Study of honeybees

Sericulture : Study of silkworm

Nematology : Study of worms

Economic importance of insects

Insects affect both agricultural and horticultural crops and cause yield loss.

Transmit diseases from plant to plant and animal to animal.

Attack wood works, books and museum specimens.

Attack the man personally and directly. Eg. Mosquitoes and houseflies

transmit dreadful diseases.

Cause annoyance to human beings. Eg. Ants and bedbugs.

Beneficial to man in many ways as below.

Honeybees : Give honey, beeswax

Silkworm : Gives silk

Lac insect : Gives lac

Small wasps/flies : Act as parasitoids

Larger insect : Predators

Weed killer : Cochineal insect, Dactylopius tomentosus on opuntia

Honeybees, flies : Help in cross pollination

Used for scientific value : Drosophila, cockroach

Used for aesthetic value : Jewel beetle, butterfly

History of Entomology in India

Our ancient people were well known about the insects. They used the terms

viz., pathanga, pipilika, bharamara, shakpeda, makshika” to indicate the insects in the

ancient epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Physician Sushrutha classified classical ants (pipilika) into six groups and

gave an account on structure and habits of ants.

Ancient people also knew about the usefulness of the beneficial insects like

honeybee, lac insect and silkworm. The story of “house of lac” in Mahabharata

(Gowravas planned to kill the Pandavas by burning their house constructed with lac)

is an evidence they had known about the inflammable property of lac.

Some of chronological events of Indian history of entomology are as follows.

Period Events

1758 AD Carl Linnaeus included 12 insects in his Systema Naturae.

1759-1778 Dr. J. G. Koenig, Medical Officer collected insects from Coromandel

coast and got identified by the systematists like Linnaeus and Fabricius.

1779 Dr. J. G. Koenig, published a special account on “Termites of

Thanjavur district”.

1782 Dr. Kerr published “An account of lac insect”.

1791 Dr. J. Anderson released a monograph on “Cochineal scale insect”.

1800 Buchanan wrote about “Cultivation of lac in India” and “Sericulture

in some parts of South India”.

1875 Foundation of Indian museum at Kolkata.

1883 Foundation of Bombay Natural History Society.

1892 Hampson issued four volumes on “Moths of India”.

1893 Rothney published about “Indian ants”. GOI published four volumes

of “Fauna of British India”.

1901 Dr. Lionel de Niceville was appointed as the first entomologist to the

Govt. of India.

1903 Dr. Maxwell Lefroy-succeeded Niceville and was the first Imperial

entomologist at Imperial Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa, Bihar

(presently called Indian Agricultural Research Institute and shifted to

New Delhi).

1906 Lefroy published “Indian insect pests”.

1909 Lefroy published “Indian insect life”.

1912 Plant quarantine act was implemented.

1914 T.B. Fletcher, first entomologist of Madras state and he published

“Some South Indian Insects”.

Destructive insects and pests act was implemented.

1916 Zoological Survey of India was formed.

1925 Indian lac research institute was started.

1929 Indian Council of Agricultural Research was started.

1938 Entomological society of India was started and Indian Journal of

Entomology was released.

1940 Dr. T.V. Ramakrishna Ayyar published “Hand book of Economic

Entomology for South India”.

1946 Directorate of Plant protection, Quarantine and storage was started

at Faridabad.

Indian station for the Common Wealth Institute of Biological Control

(CIBC) was established at Bangalore.

1968 Central insecticide act was implemented.

1969 “Text book of Agricultural Entomology” by H.S. Pruthi.

“Insect pests of crops” by S. Pradhan.

“The Monograph on Indian Thysanoptera” by

T.N. Ananthakrishnan.

1975 “Elements of Economic Entomology” by B.V. David and

T. Kumarasami.

“Insects and Mites of crops in India” by M.R.G.K. Nair.

1976 “General and Applied Entomology” by K.K. Nayar,

T.N. Ananthakrishnan and B.V. David.

Position of insects in the animal kingdom and its relationship with members of

Arthropoda

Insects belong to the Sub-division Invertebrata.

Phylum-Arthropoda (Arthro-joint, poda-foot i.e.animal with jointed

legs/appendages).

Class-Insecta. The word insect is derived from the word Insectum-‘cut-into or

in-cut’.

Characters of Phylum Arthropoda

Arthropods are bilaterally symmetrical animals.

Having segmented body (segments are called tagmas) composed of renewable

chitinous exoskeleton.

Body cavity called haemocoel filled with haemolymph.

Have tubular alimentary canal with mouth and anus.

Tracheal system of respiration.

Classes of Phylum arthropoda

Phylum Arthropoda is classified into six classes.

1. Onychophora (claw bearing)-Eg. Peripatus

2. Crustacea (Crusta-shell)-Eg. Prawn, crab

3. Arachnida (Arachne-spider)-Eg. Scorpion, spider, tick and mite

4. Chilopoda (Chilo-lip; poda-appendages)-Eg. Centipedes

5. Diplopoda (Diplo-two; poda-appendages)-Eg. Millipedes

6. Hexapoda / Insecta (Hexa-six; pod-legs)-Eg. Insects

Handlirish-1908 Carl.Linaeus -1758

J.C.Fabricious : 1745 Maxwell Lefroy

T.B.Fletcher: 1914 Dr.T.V.Ramakrishna Ayyar

M.S.Mani S.Pradhan

Y.Ramakrishna Rao H.S.Pruthi

Relationship of class Insecta with other arthropods

Character Onychophora Crustacea Arachnida Chilopoda Diplopoda Insecta

Habitat Terrestrial Aquatic and few

terrestrial

Terrestrial Terrestrial Terrestrial Terrestrial and few

aquatic

Body

regions

Worm like.

Unsegmented in

adults

Two-cephalothorax

and abdomen

Three-pro, meso

and metastoma

Two-head and

multisegmented

trunk

Two-head and

multisegmented trunk

Three-head, thorax

and abdomen

Antenna One pair Two pair No antenna One pair One pair One pair

Visual organ Not distinct One pair of stalked

compound eyes

One pair of simple

eyes

One pair of

simple eyes

One pair of simple eyes Both simple and

compound eyes.

Locomotor

organs

Many pairs of

unjointed legs

5 pairs of biramous

legs

Four pairs One pair per

segment (1st pair

modified into

poison claws)

Two pair per segment (no

poison claws)

3 pair of legs in

thoracic region and 2

pairs of wing on

meso and

metathorax

Mouth parts Non-mandibulate Mandibulate

(1 pair)

Non-mandibulate Mandibulate

(1 pair)

Mandibulate

(1 pair)

Mandibulate

(1 pair)

Respiration Tracheal Gill breathing Book lungs and

tracheal

Tracheal Tracheal Tracheal

Body fluid Haemolymph Haemolymph Haemolymph Haemolymph Haemolymph Haemolymph

Circulatory

system

Heart with ostia Heart with ostia Heart with ostia Heart with ostia Heart with ostia Heart with ostia

Developmen

t

Anamorphosis Anamorphosis Metamorphosis

absent- scorpion

Metamorphosis

present in mites

Metamorphosis Metamorphosis Metamorphosis

Questions

1. Who has made the first detailed classification of insects?

2. Classification of bees was given by

3. Classification of ants, flies and mosquitoes was given by

4. Define Entomology

5. Who is the father of insect classification

6. Who was the first entomologist made an extensive study of Indian insects

7. Who was the first govt. Entomologist appointed to the govt. Of India?

8. Who was the first govt. Entomologist appointed to the madras state?

9. How many classes are present in phylum arthropoda?

10. Who is the author of the book, Hand book of economic entomology for south

India?

11. In which year the Indian Institute of Natural resins and gum was started?

12. The author of the book, Elements of Economic Entomology is ...............

13. Who is the author of the book, Insects and mites of crops in India

14. Directorate of plant protection and quarantine was started at Faridabad in the

year.............

15. Text book of agricultural entomology was authored by ...................

16. General and Applied Entomology was authored by ...................

17. Indian Council of Agricultural Research was started in the year...................