What Are the Duties of Entomologists?
Entomologists are scientists whose research and scholarship focus on insects and arachnids, more commonly known as spiders. They study all aspects of these creatures, doing research, teaching future entomologists and conserving insect habitats for future generations. Entomologists work as college professors, researchers and conservationists. Insects and arachnids are a critical part of the Earth's ecosystem. Without them, there would be nothing to pollinate all the plants on Earth and perform other important functions we humans rarely notice.
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Study the Insect World
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Mosquitos transmit disease, making them an excellent subject for medical entomologists to study. Entomologists study the insect world to solve crimes and help prevent and cure diseases. Forensic entomologists focus on investigating criminal matters by studying insects with relevance to the scene of the crime. In this way, entomologists can identify how long a corpse has been in a particular place or whether that corpse has been moved. Forensic entomologists have also helped to investigate abuse cases, identifying children who have been stung with wasps or bees for punishment and elderly victims of neglect.
Medical entomologists study the way that insects and arachnids cause and transmit disease. These entomologists learn what organisms work at each level of the disease transmission pathway. These organisms include the infectious agent, the host that carries that agent and the insect that spreads the agent to the host. Malaria research is a common field of study for medical entomologists.
Conduct Research and Teach
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Entomologists teach courses at colleges and universities and conduct research on all aspects of insects and arachnids. Entomology courses taught at Texas A&M University, for example, include General Entomology, Biodiversity and Biology of Insects, and Insect Physiology.
Entomology researchers study the genetics and evolution of insects with medicinal value. Some focus on mosquitoes with relevance to malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Others study insect and arachnid-related subjects including fly population genetics, interactions between ticks and their hosts, biological alternatives to pesticides, and the biology of members of the parasitic Hymenoptera, an order that includes ants, bees, wasps and similar insects.
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Conserve Insect Habitats
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Roaches may be one of the species most likely to survive to the end of the world, but conserving the many roach species along with the other insects in the world is important for the preservation of biodiversity. Human activity divides insect habitats, damaging their delicate ecosystems and species interactions on which they depend. Insects make up most of the invertebrate organisms on the planet and provide support functions for biodiversity throughout the world. Conservationist entomologists study and solve problems including increasing apiary insect mortality rates, efforts to monitor migratory butterfly patterns and populations, and development of pest control plans that limit the damage caused to beneficial and benign species.
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- Photo Credit Insect image by Tim Osborn from Fotolia.com mosquito image by Martin Sevcik from Fotolia.com
