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...................