The ˜FUNDAMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY” deals with the basic knowledge on entomology to fulfil the needs of undergraduate and postgraduate students of Entomology, Biology, Zoology, Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry who are learning Entomology as a main or ancillary subject of all the Indian Universities as well as research scholars engaged in the study of insect kingdom. This book owes its origin to the ˜Fundamentals of Entomology” course material used for the undergraduate teaching programme under ICAR syllabus in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and updated each year.

This compilation is an endeavour to make the complex subject of basic entomology easily explicable with clear idea, by including suitable figures, line diagrams and flow diagrams. Objective questions have been included at the end of each chapter, to assess the level of perception. We are sure that this compilation is an excellent endeavour not only to students and research scholars on the subject of insect morphology, physiology, behaviour, taxonomy and classification, but also to naturalists, who are interested to explore mysteries of these small creatures and their lifestyle. We sincerely hope that this book will kindle the interest in the minds of young students, who take up the study of insects. This will also serve as reference material for those students, who are aspiring for the competitive examinations viz., ICAR-JRF, ARS, NET, etc.

1. Study of Insects, History of Entomology in India and Position of Insects in Animal Kingdom

2. Dominance of Insects

3. Insect Body Wall: Its Structure and Function; Cuticular Appendages

4. Moulting Process in Insects

5. Structure of Insect Head and its Appendages

6. Structure of Insect Thorax and its Appendages

7. Structure of Insect Abdomen and its Appendages

8. Digestive System in Insects

9. Excretory System in Insects

10. Respiratory System in Insects

11. Circulatory System in Insects

12. Nervous System in Insects

13. Reproductive System in Insects

14. Metamorphosis and Immature Stages in Insects

15. Sensory Organs in Insects

16. Exocrine and Endocrine Glands in Insects and their Functions

17. Tropism and Biocommunication in Insects

18. Defense Behaviour in Insects

19. Systematics, Principles and Procedures of Classification and Nomenclature of Insects

20. Distinguishing Characters of Insect Orders

21. New Insect Order