حشریات

etymology, the study of the history of words سے مغالطہ نہ کھائیں۔

حشریات یا علم حشرات الارض (انگریزی: Entomology) حیوانیات کی ایک شاخ ہے جو حشرات کی ساخت، عادات اور درجہ بندی سے تعلق رکھتی ہے۔ حیوانیات کی اس شاخ میں حشرات کا مطالعہ کیا جاتا ہے۔ اس کو انگریزی میں Entomology کہا جاتا ہے۔

Diversity of insects from different orders

Entomology (سانچہ:Ety) is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term insect was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans. This wider meaning may still be encountered in informal use.

Like several of the other fields that are categorized within zoology, entomology is a taxon-based category; any form of scientific study in which there is a focus on insect-related inquiries is, by definition, entomology. Entomology, therefore, overlaps with a cross-section of topics as diverse as molecular genetics, environmental archaeology, behavior, neuroscience, biomechanics, biochemistry, systematics, physiology, developmental biology, ecology, morphology, and paleontology.

Over 1.3 million insect species have been described, more than two-thirds of all known species. Some insect species date back to around 400 million years ago. They have many kinds of interactions with humans and other forms of life on Earth. For example, species such as P. pyralis conduct bioluminescent reactions in their light-emitting organs, which have been the subject of much research, especially in recent years.