Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1 - History
1 - History
ENTOMOLOGY IN INDIA
#history of different periods
#entomologists to Govt. of India
The history of Entomology in India
can be divided into four distinct
periods
Carl Linnaeus
• The first regular work on Indian insects on scientific lines was initiated by Dr. John Gerard
Koenig (1728-1785). He collected insects of Coromandel Coast and sent to C. Linnaeus and
J.C. Fabricius for identification. Fabricius named the red cotton bug after Koenig as
Dydercus koenigi (Fabricius). He also published a special account of the termites of
Thanjavur District.
• John Christian Fabricius who received a large number of insect
collection from some Christian missionaries and officials of East
India Company and included more than 1000 Indian insect species in
his publication “Entomologia Systematica” (1792-98).
T. B. Fletcher 1913–1934
Edward Percy Stebbing Muhammad Afzal Husain Hem Singh Pruthi Dr. S. Pradhan Prof. A.S. Atwal
History of Entomology
• Entomology (Entomon = Insect; Logos = Study) is the branch of science that deals with the study of insects.
• The word insect is derived from insecare are which means “to cut in to”.
• Insects belong to the Phylum Arthropoda which is the biggest phylum of Animal kingdom. Insects appeared 350
million years ago, much earlier than human beings who appeared on earth only 150 000 years ago. They are
initially aquatic and later became terrestrial .
• There is much variation in size, shape of the insects
• Insects are distributed every where from cooler parts to hottest tropics. They live in water, land, air, deserts,
high mountains etc.
• They can be seen in crop plants, gardens, libraries, museums, stores etc.,
• Aristotle made investigation about flies, honey bees, ants etc.
• 1745- 1808 : “J.C. Fabricius” made an extensive study of Indian insects for the first time and classified insects
into 3 orders based on the type of mouth parts.
• 1758 : The beginning of the modern Indian entomology with the publication of 10th edition of ‘Systema
Naturae’ by ‘Carolus Linnaeus’ where only 12 Indian insects were included and it forms the first record
• 1767-1779: “J.G. Koenig” initiated the first regular scientific work on Indian insects and supplied the insect
specimens to systematists like Linnaeus,Fabricius, Cramer and Dury
• 1782: “Dr. Kerr” published an account of Lac insects
• 1840: “Rev Hope” published a paper “Entomology of the Himalayas and India”
• 1893: “Dr. Rothney” published the book ‘Indian ants’ (Earliest record of biological pest control in India i.e
white ants attack on stationery items kept free by red ants.)
• 1897: Sir Ronald Ross, an IMS officer, in-charge of a Madras regiment stationed in Begumpet (Secunderabad)
made the discovery of the malarial parasite in a dissected Anopheles mosquito.
History of Entomology
•1901 : “Lionel de Niceville” was appointed as first entomologist to Govt. of India.
•1903 : “Maxwell Lefroy” succeeded as the second entomologist.
•1906: publication of ‘Indian insect pests’ by “Maxwell Lefroy”
•1909: publication of Indian insect life’ by “Maxwell Lefroy”
•1914 : “T.B Fletcher” , the first Govt Entomologist of Madras state wrote a book ‘Some South Indian
insects’.
•1914: E.P.Stebbing, the first imperial forest entomologist published “Indian forest insects of economic
importance :coleoptera
•1937 : A laboratory for storage pests was started at Hapur, U.P.
•1937: Entomology division was started in IARI, New Delhi
•1939-Establishment of locust warning organization after the locust plague during 1926-32
•1940: T.V. Rama Krishna Ayyar, wrote a book ‘Hand book of Economic Entomology for South India’
•1953: National Malaria eradication programme was launched
•1960-“The desert locust in India” monograph by Y. Ramachandra Rao
•1963: ‘Text book of Agricultural Entomology’ - H S Pruthi
•1968: ‘General Entomology’ – M S Mani
•1969: ‘Insect Pests of Crops’- S Pradhan
•1975: ‘Elements of Economic Entomology’ - B. Vasantharaj David and T. Kumara Swami
•1975: Insects and Mites of crops in India- M R G K Nair
•1976: ‘General and applied Entomology’- K.K. Nayar, N. Ananthakrishnan and B. Vasantharaj David.