Insects

Photographer: [1]Vadim Trunov

Entomology, The Study of Insects

Entomology is the study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment and other organisms ([1] Entomology Department, WSU.) Entomologist provide a diverse range of services to many different occupations. For example, forensic entomologists, a specific branch of entomology, would work to better understand a criminal case, such contributing to solving a murder by figuring out the type of insects that are decomposing the remains. This may provide insight to how long a body has been decomposing or if the remains were moved.

Entomology is a part of the study of ecology and human geography and it can also be used as indicators of environmental shifts or changes. Insects are important to a forests biodiversity and slight climate shifts can cause damages to an ecosystem. For example, an invasive species of insect can be introduced to an ecosystem due to a shift in climate and this can cause flora to disappear. Also, entomology can be used in studying specific types of flora to an ecosystem, which may help to better understand the type of insects within a region. An example of this would any pollinating insects.

Entomology is used in many fields and can be used to better understand areas of study such as terrestrial ecology and essential ecosystem services.

What Are Insects?

Insects have many benefits within terrestrial ecology. They work in providing essential ecosystem services. For example, honey bee's, moths, and butterfly's all work to pollinate. Essential ecosystem services like pollination, need these insects. Pollination is vital to an ecosystem because the process works in providing a source of food for other animals and for humans, providing coffee is dependent on pollinators. Without insects, there would be a missing link to an ecosystem's food chain and to ecosystem services that are vital to life.

Insects fall under the phylum of "Arthropoda" or Arthropods, a class of invertebrates. Arthropods have jointed appendages, evidencing them to be unique from other animals and phylum. More specifically, Insects or "Insecta" belong to the sub-phylum of Hexapods and as "Insecta," they are set apart from other Hexapods by the characterization of having wings. Insects can be identified through their segmented bodies and these segments can be referred to as "tagmata." Insecta posses other particular characteristics that set them apart from other animals like paired segmented appendages, bilateral symmetry or their bodies are symmetrical, and an external skeleton that are molted during the process of new growth.

The Difference Between Insects, Spiders, And Earthworms

Spiders and Earthworms often are mistaken for insects. To begin, spiders are arachnids and earthworms are annelids. The charts below illustrate that Insects, Arachnids and Annelids are categorized within different sub-phylum. Insects belong to hexapoda, which belong to arthropoda. While spiders or arachnids, belong to chelicerates who also belong to Arthropoda. Earthworms belong to the phylum Annelida or Annelids and unlike Spiders and Chelicerates, are lophotrochozoa.

Annelids and Arthropods can be distinctly recognized by a few characteristics that set them apart from each other. First, they are from different groups. The charts above show Annelids and Arthropods as apart from each other because Annelids are lophotrochozoa while Arthropods are Ecdysozoa. Second, Lophotrochozoa have a pore that is surrounded by cilia, this is used for feeding and can be referred to as a "lophophore." While Ecdysozoa have an exoskeleton made of "chitin," that they are able to shed for new growth. Lastly, Insects have three body segments, legs and antennae while annelids have no legs nor antennae but possess many body segments. These major characteristics differentiate Annelids and Arthropods and evidences that, Earthworms are not insects.