Economic Entomology in Agricultural and Medical Perspective
Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. Insects in the Service of Man. 3. Causes of Success of Insects. 4. Insect Dominance. 5. Insect Ways and Fashions. 6. Insect in Relation to Human Welfare. 7. Insects and Human Welfare. 8. Beneficial insects. 9. Useful Insects. 10. Harmful insects. 11. Insects as pests of farm animal (veterinary entomology). 12. Insects as pests of public health importance (medical entomology). 13. Insects as pest of forest tree (Forest entomology). 14. Insects in the Service of Forensic Science (Forensic Entomology). 15. Insects as Human Food of the Future (Nutritional Entomology). 16. Insects and Industry (Industrial Entomology). Bibliography. Index.
Insects being ubiquarean, are in direct competition with human beings for food and fibers of natural origin. These tiny creature damage our crops right from the growing stage to harvesting, processings and even the seeds. Insect-parasites attack our domestic animals severely affecting the dairy industry and production of natural fibers of both animal and plant origin. Devastating human diseases are transmitted between humans by insect. Malaria, yellow fever, filariasis, typhus, African sleeping sickness, dengue and encephalitis are all exclusively borne and transmitted by insects.
In medical sciences bee venom has long been known to have mild antiseptic and was used in the pest for wound dressing. Bee-wax by virtue of its sterile and inert nature is still used in some orthopedic operations and larger fly maggots for cleaning of open wound is common. Using bugs, flies ad others insects a new breed of detectives called forensic entomology helps to solve crime that ranges from murder and rape to poaching of animals. These detectives look for unorthodox clues, rather than search for murder weapon and identity of the victim, they look for various bugs and flies that are in and around the body. Based on these creepy crawlies they predict the time and the location of the crime and, most importantly indicate if the suspect is really the criminal. The work is based on the oldest law of nature when you die you are recycled into earth.
Honey, silk and lac are most valuable products we derive from and depend on insects. Honey is modified condensed nectar. Bees also produce royal jelly, pollen and bee-wax used in cosmetics, candles, and in the bee-keeping industry. Silk is spun from salivary glands by the mature silkworm as it from cocoon its qualities of strength, elasticity low thermal conductivity and dye absorption make it competitive with synthetic fibers.
The fascinating world of the insects and their perfection in evolutionary maturity have inspired authors to peep deep into the intricacies of the insect world vis-a-vis the very existence of mankind.
