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Entomology is the study of insects. Insects are defined as
small, invertebrate animals with segmented bodies comprised
of head, thorax and abdomen. Their skeleton is on the outside
of their bodies and is composed of chitin, a carbohydrate.
There are many other small invertebrates that are not insects,
such as lice and earthworms, also of great relevance to wildlife.
While approximately a million species of insect have been
identified, new species are still routinely discovered. There
are many times more insects on the planet than there are vertebrates.
Insects are critical to life on earth because they are the
planet's most abundant pollinators; without them, many plants
would not reproduce. Their diets include waste, dead plants
and animals, thus they are important recyclers of organic
matter. They aerate soil and fertilize it. They are a crucial
part of the food chain; they are a dietary staple of other
insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals - including
many humans.
What do insects have to do with wildlife and wildlife
rehabilitation?
Insects as friend:
Insects comprise part or all of the diet of many wild animals.
For example, the diets of almost 80% of avian families include
insects; 46% of the world's families of songbirds are primarily
insectivorous, as are many species of bats, other mammals,
fish, reptiles and amphibians. To provide these species with
the diets they require while in rehabilitation, it is necessary
to understand something about insects. Some insects are poisonous
and will kill or sicken animals that consume them. Others
are not a part of the animal's natural diet and may be lacking
in essential nutrients the animal has evolved to require.
Some insects are easy to culture and provide animals in rehabilitation
with the varied and interesting diets they require.
Insects as foe:
Some animals are admitted to rehabilitation centres because
they are the victims of insects or their allies. They may
be suffering from a heavy parasite load or they
may have become diseased from an insect bite. A weak or injured
animal or young orphaned animal may be infested with maggots.
However, one of the most serious threats posed to wildlife
by insects is the fact that humans consider them to be pests
that damage crops, spread disease, bite, or are a general
nuisance.
Humans have waged war against insects since time immemorial,
but only in the last century has this war incurred wildlife
casualties. The pesticides used to control insects are thought
to be responsible for abnormalities in amphibians and a sharp
decline in their numbers, while it is estimated that pesticides
kill 67 million birds each year in North America.
Many wildlife species admitted to our care are victims of
pesticides. They may either be suffering the direct effects
of pesticide poisoning, or they may have been debilitated
by the toxin and thereby unable to avoid a predator or vehicle.
Pesticides cannot differentiate between insects and those
animals that feed upon insects - they bioaccumulate up the
food chain and ultimately, they affect those at its pinnacle.
To learn more about pesticides, go to the
section of this site. To learn more about symptoms of and
treatments for pesticides exposure, go to the Wildlife Care
section of this site and choose .
Insect macrophotography combined with informative descriptions;
educational resources; categorized and reviewed links to other
insect - related web sites and resources.
The department of entomology at CSU offers a comprehensive
list of links on their Entomology on World-Wide Web page,
as well as articles, publications and images.
(Australia)
CSIRO is the largest single organization in Australia conducting
research into insects, related arthropods and terrestrial
invertebrates. Identify most Australian insects, mites, soil
organisms and nematodes, general information on biology, nomenclature
and distribution, and links.
Scientific Reference Resources has a directory of international
societies organized by continent. These records may be of
interest to rehabilitators who require information or help
with identification. While not all the societies have websites,
contact information is listed.
Iowa State’s entomology page features basic information,
an image gallery, many links in the Insects on the Web section,
“What’s New” research updates and the ‘interactive
grasshopper’.
The university’s department of entomology website EntoWeb
includes an image server, information and numerous links (including
links to ‘rearing insects’ pages).
Website offers information, identifications, research and
links.
Insects of veterinary importance: Fact files, glossary, general
topics, picture gallery.
EJE is published quarterly by the Entomological Institute
of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and by the Czech Entomological
Society. It is an international journal covering the whole
field of general, experimental, systematic and applied entomology.
The language of publication is English. Subscription. Contents
for journals from 1997 to present on website.
Almost every insect order has some aquatic representatives.
Aquatic Insects discusses the taxonomy, ecology, and the shared
habitats unifying different groups of these, bringing the
journal close to the field of limnology. With today's interest
in aquatic insects as ecological indicators, Aquatic Insects
is also important to all students of aquatic ecosystems. Subscription;
electronic version available to institutions.
Journal of Environmental Entomology, Journal of Economic Entomology,
Journal of Medical Entomology, Annals of the ESA. Print or
electronic journals by subscription. Online: Tables of Contents
and selected article reprints noted as "Free PDF"
are freely accessible. However, you must register as a guest
to see Abstracts.
A listing of and links to international journals of entomology.
department of entomology has the latest insect
news online.
: free online magazine
The Birder's Bug Book:
by Gilbert Waldbauer
Paperback - 320 pages
Harvard Univ Press
ISBN:0674002067
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Bugs in the System:Insects and Their Impact on Human Affairs
by May R. Berenbaum
Paperback
Perseus Press
ISBN:0201408244
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A Field Guide to Insects:America North of Mexico
(Peterson Field Guides)
by Donald Joyce Borror and Richard E. White
Paperback
Houghton Mifflin Co
ISBN:0395911702
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Insects Through the Seasons:
by Gilbert Waldbauer
Paperback: 304 pages
Harvard University Press
ISBN:0674454898
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Life on a Little-Known Planet:
by Howard Ensign Evans, Arnold Clapman (Illustrator)
Paperback: 320 pages
The Lyons Press
ISBN:1558212493
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Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders:National Audubon Society
by Lorus J. Milne and Susan Rayfield (Illustrator)
Leather Bound - 989 pages
Knopf
ISBN:0394507630
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Simon and Schuster's Guide to Insects:
by Ross H. Arnett and Richard Jacques
Paperback - 512 pages 2nd edition
Simon & Schuster
ISBN:0671250140
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