HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Economic entomology is a field of
entomology Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
, which involves the study of
insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
that benefit or harm humans,
domestic animals This page gives a list of domesticated animals, also including a list of animals which are or may be currently undergoing the process of domestication and animals that have an extensive relationship with humans beyond simple predation. This includ ...
, and
crops A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponi ...
. Insects that cause losses are termed as
pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...
. Some species can cause indirect damage by spreading diseases and these are termed as vectors. Those that are beneficial include those reared for food such as
honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
, substances such as lac or pigments and for their role in pollinating crops and controlling pests. The ''Journal of Economic Entomology'', published by the Entomological Society of America, described itself in 2017 as the "most-cited entomological journal".


History

In the 18th century many works were published on agriculture. Many contained accounts of pest insects. In France
Claude Sionnest Claude Sionnest (Syonnest ou Sionnet) (1749 Lyon - 31 January 1820) was a French naturalist. Born in a family which had traded as pharmacists for two centuries Claude Sionnest had an early interest in natural sciences. Early career After having se ...
(1749–1820) was a notable figure.


19th century

In Britain, John Curtis wrote the influential 1860 treatise ''Farm Insects'', dealing with the insect pests of corn, roots, grass and stored grain. Fruit and pests were described by authors such as Saunders, Joseph Albert Lintner, Eleanor Anne Ormerod, Charles Valentine Riley, Mark Vernon Slingerland in America and Canada. The pioneers in Europe were
Ernst Ludwig Taschenberg Ernst Ludwig Taschenberg (10 January 1818 Naumburg – 19 January 1898 Halle) was a German entomologist. Life After 1836 Taschenberg studied mathematics and natural sciences in Leipzig and Berlin. He went, then, as an auxiliary teacher to the Fra ...
, Sven Lampa (1839–1914), Enzio Reuter (1867–1951) and Vincenze Kollar. Charles French (1842–1933), Walter Wilson Froggatt (1858–1937) and Henry Tryon (1856–1943) pioneered in Australia. It was not until the last quarter of the 19th century that any real advance was made in the study of economic entomology. Among the early writings, besides the book of Curtis, there was a publication by Pohl and Kollar, entitled ''Insects Injurious to Gardeners, Foresters and Farmers'', published in 1837, and Taschenberg's ''Praktische Insecktenkunde''. The article contains a detailed depiction of the damage and treatment as understood at the time. During the 19th century Italian entomologists made significant progress in controlling diseases of the
silkworm The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of '' Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically ...
moth, in the control of agricultural pests and in stored product entomology. Significant figures were: Agostino Bassi ( 1773–1856), Camillo Rondani (1808–1879),
Adolfo Targioni Tozzetti Adolfo Targioni Tozzetti (13 February 1823 in Florence – 18 September 1902) was an Italian entomologist who specialised in Sternorrhyncha. He was Professor of Botany and Zoology in Florence, associated with Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze ...
(1823–1902), Pietro Stefanelli (1835, 1919), Camillo Acqua (1863–1936) Antonio Berlese (1863–1927), Gustavo Leonardi(1869–1918) and Enrico Verson (1845–1927). In France Etienne Laurent Joseph Hippolyte Boyer de Fonscolombe,
Charles Jean-Baptiste Amyot Charles Jean-Baptiste Amyot (23 September 1799, in Vendreeuv – 13 October 1866, in Paris) was a French lawyer and entomologist especially interested in the Hemiptera. After his father died, Amyot lived with a neighbor, a wealthy merchant, who ...
, Émile Blanchard, Valéry Mayet and Claude Charles Goureau were early workers, as was Jean Victoire Audouin, the author of ''Histoire des insectes nuisibles à la vigne et particulièrement de la Pyrale'', Philippe Alexandre Jules Künckel d'Herculais, Joseph Jean Baptiste Géhin and Maurice Jean Auguste Girard. American literature began as far back as 1788, when a report on the
Hessian fly The Hessian fly or barley midge, ''Mayetiola destructor'', is a species of fly that is a significant pest of cereal crops including wheat, barley and rye. Though a native of Asia, upon its discovery it was believed to have been transported into N ...
was issued by Sir Joseph Banks; in 1817
Thomas Say Thomas Say (June 27, 1787 – October 10, 1834) was an American entomologist, conchologist, and herpetologist. His studies of insects and shells, numerous contributions to scientific journals, and scientific expeditions to Florida, Georgia, the ...
began his writings; while in 1856
Asa Fitch Asa Fitch (February 24, 1809 – April 8, 1879) was a natural historian and entomologist from Salem, New York. His early studies were of both natural history and medicine, which he studied at the newly formed Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, ...
started his report on ''Noxious Insects of New York''. Also in America, Matthew Cooke wrote ''Treatise on the Insects Injurious to Fruit and Fruit Trees of the State of California, and Remedies Recommended for Their Extermination'', published in 1881. The Englishman
Frederick Vincent Theobald Frederick Vincent Theobald FES (15 May 1868 â€“ 6 March 1930) was an English entomologist and "distinguished authority on mosquitoes". During his career, he was responsible for the economic zoology section of the Natural History ...
wrote A textbook of agricultural zoology in 1890. It became a standard text worldwide. Notable foresters were Herman von Nördlinger (1818–1897) and
Julius Theodor Christian Ratzeburg Julius Theodor Christian Ratzeburg (16 February 1801– 24 October 1871) was a German zoologist, botanist, entomologist, and forester. Biography Ratzeburg was born in Berlin, the son of a professor at the veterinary school of the University ...
(1801–1871).


20th century

Among the most important reports early in the 20th century were those of Charles Valentine Riley, published by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
, extending from 1878 to his death, in which is embodied an enormous amount of valuable material. At his death the work fell to Professor Leland Ossian Howard, in the form of ''Bulletin of the U.S. Department of Agriculture''. The chief writings of
J. A. Lintner Joseph Albert Lintner (8 February 1822 in Schoharie, New York – 5 May 1898 in Rome) was an American entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and ...
extend from 1882 to 1898, in yearly parts, under the title of ''Reports on the Injurious Insects of the State of New York''. Another significant contributor to the entomological literature of the United States was Charles W. Woodworth. The
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
entomologist
Wilmon Newell Wilmon Newell (4 March 1878 – 25 October 1943) was an American entomologist. He received his bachelor's (1897) and master's (1898) degrees from Iowa State University, along with an honorary doctorate in 1920. In 1903, he was named State Entom ...
was a pioneer of pest control as was Clarence Preston Gillette. In India Thomas Bainbrigge Fletcher, who succeeded Harold Maxwell-Lefroy and Lionel de Nicéville as Imperial Entomologist, wrote ''Some South Indian insects and other animals of importance considered especially from an economic point of view'', an influential work in the subcontinent. In France
Alfred Balachowsky Alfred Serge Balachowsky (15 August 1901 – 24 December 1983) was a French entomologist born in Russia. He specialised in Coccoidea but also worked on Coleoptera. Balachowsky worked at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (MNHN). In 1948 ...
was a key figure. In the last quarter of the 20th century new techniques were pioneered and new theories developed, for instance
Integrated Pest Management Integrated pest management (IPM), also known as integrated pest control (IPC) is a broad-based approach that integrates both chemical and non-chemical practices for economic control of pests. IPM aims to suppress pest populations below the eco ...
by Ray F. Smith.


Harmful insects

Insects considered ''pests'' of some sort occur among all major living orders with the exception of Ephemeroptera (mayflies),
Odonata Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous. The two co ...
,
Plecoptera Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mos ...
(stoneflies), Embioptera (webspinners), Trichoptera (caddisflies), Neuroptera (in the broad sense), and
Mecoptera Mecoptera (from the Greek language, Greek: ''mecos'' = "long", ''ptera'' = "wings") is an Order (biology), order of insects in the superorder Endopterygota with about six hundred species in nine Family (biology), families worldwide. Mecopterans ...
(also, the tiny groups
Zoraptera The insect order Zoraptera, commonly known as angel insects, contains small and soft bodied insects with two forms: winged with wings sheddable as in termites, dark and with eyes (compound) and ocelli (simple); or wingless, pale and without eyes ...
, Grylloblattodea, and Mantophasmatodea). Conversely, of course, essentially all insect orders primarily have members which are beneficial, in some respects, with the exception of Phthiraptera (lice),
Siphonaptera Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
(fleas), and Strepsiptera, the three orders whose members are exclusively
parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
. Insects are considered pests for a variety of reasons, including direct damage by feeding on crop plants in the field or by infesting stored products, indirect damage by spreading
viral Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). Viral may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...
diseases of crop plants (especially by sucking insects such as
leafhopper A leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and ...
s), spreading disease among humans and livestock, and annoyance to humans. Examples of insects regarded as pests include the
phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, ...
, migratory locusts, the
Colorado potato beetle The Colorado potato beetle (''Leptinotarsa decemlineata''), also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle, or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is about long, with a bright yellow/or ...
, the boll weevil, Japanese beetle,
aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A ...
s,
mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "lit ...
es,
cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a Paraphyly, paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are we ...
es, the
Western corn rootworm The Western corn rootworm, ''Diabrotica virgifera virgifera'', is one of the most devastating corn rootworm species in North America, especially in the midwestern corn-growing areas such as Iowa. A related species, the Northern corn rootworm, ' ...
, and some fly species. In the past entomologists working on pest insects attempted to eradicate species. This rarely worked except in islands or controlled environments and raised ethical issues. Over time the language changed to terms like ''control'' and ''management''. The indiscriminate use of toxic and persistent chemicals and the resurgence of pests in the history of cotton growing in the US has been particularly well studied.


Beneficial insects

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
is perhaps the most economically valuable product from insects. Beekeeping is a commercial enterprise in most parts of the world and many forest tribes have been dependent on honey as a major source of nutrition. Honeybees can also act as pollinators of crop species. Many predators and parasitoid insects are encouraged and augmented in modern agriculture.
Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...
is extracted from both reared caterpillars as well as from the wild (producing
wild silk Wild silks have been known and used in many countries from early times, although the scale of production is far smaller than that from cultivated silkworms. Silk cocoons and nests often resemble paper or cloth, and their use has arisen independent ...
).
Sericulture Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, '' Bombyx mori'' (the caterpillar of the domestic silkmoth) is the most widely used and intensively stud ...
deals with the techniques for efficient silkworm rearing and silk production. Although new fabric materials have substituted silk in many applications, it continues to be the material of choice for surgical sutures. Lac was once extracted from scale insects but is now replaced by synthetic substitutes. The dye extracted from
cochineal The cochineal ( , ; ''Dactylopius coccus'') is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North Ameri ...
insects was similarly replaced by technological advances. The idea of insects as human food,
entomophagy Entomophagy (, from Greek ἔντομον ', 'insect', and φαγεῖν ', 'to eat') is the practice of eating insects. An alternative term is insectivory. Terms for organisms that practice entomophagy are ''entomophage'' and ''insectivor ...
, widely practised in traditional societies, has been proposed as a solution to meet the growing demand for food, but has not gained widespread acceptance in the West.


References


Further reading


Entomologia Generalis
Journal of general and Applied Entomology (current emphasis on pest management and control) ( Entomologia Generalis)
Journal of Economic EntomologyEuropean and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation
Leads through to species accounts through th

see also th
Forest Insect Pest data in Canada since 1990
* Hill, D. S. (1983). ''Agricultural Insect Pests of the Tropics and their Control''. Cambridge University Press. * Metcalf, C. L. and W. P. Flint (1925). ''Destructive and Useful Insects''. {{Insects in culture Pest insects Subfields of entomology History of zoology Insects in culture