Research in Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, their biologies, histories, behaviors and their impacts on other organisms and ecologies. While the study of bugs may not sound all that important, it is in fact extremely valuable in such practical fields as forensic science, disease control, species recovery and ecology. Insects play a vital role in the world and entomology helps us to understand that role and the impact of insects upon humans.
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Agriculture
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Entomology is critical to agriculture because insect infestations can be devastating to crops. Even insects not known to carry diseases can eat away a crop yield at incredible rates. Without effective means of controlling these insects not only do farmers lose their livelihoods, but there is less food to harvest. The less a crop yields, the higher the price for the crop and the more you have to pay at the grocery store.
Disease Control
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While many insects are harmless, some can carry diseases and bacteria that can be transmitted to humans. The CDC lists 10 different diseases that can be mosquito-borne, including four different types of encephalitis, West Nile virus and malaria. The Public Health Entomology Research and Education Center—PHEREC—has established an "insecticide-testing center" to learn more about mosquito control and make methods of control safer for humans and animals.
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Forensic Science
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Entomology can be used to help solve criminal and legal investigations as well. Forensic entomologists not only help determine the approximate time of death of a given victim, but they also establish connections between suspects, locations and victims. Putting a suspect at a given location can strengthen the case against them, and because entomologists can recover DNA from blood-feeding insects and measure the rate of digestion, they can potentially establish whether a suspect and victim were together at the time the crime was committed.
Potential Threats
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The Entomology Research Museum houses numerous collections of insects for study. One such collection comprises insects not found in the United States but considered pests elsewhere in the world. Entomologists study the insects in that collection, considering potential threats in the event that they are introduced to the United States. Such research helps to prepare against possible agricultural and disease-based threats.
Species Preservation
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Each insect fills a niche in its own ecology. Honey bees, for example, are responsible for the pollination of numerous species, including almonds, apples, avocados, broccoli, cucumbers, onions and strawberries. Entomologists working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are studying the causes and effects of colony collapse disorder, wherein a honey bee colony loses a large percentage of its adult worker bees, making it unable to function. Preserving this species means preserving the ecology of which they are a part.
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References
- Photo Credit bee bees apises beehive hive insect image by Pali A from Fotolia.com
