Entomology, the study of insects, has been practiced as a science ever since people began observing animals and recording information about them. The first people who studied insects concentrated on naming them and sorting them into groups (taxonomy and systematics). Much later, insects were studied for their role in transmitting disease (medical entomology) or damaging crops (economic entomology). Today, entomologists recognize the value of studying insects to learn their secrets of physiology, embryology, biochemistry, endocrinology, genetics, and much more. Entomologists are not as likely as kings, queens, or presidents to be immortalized on the face of a stamp, but a few have made it! Catch a glimpse of them by clicking on links in the left frame. |