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Entomologist
Studies insects — their biology, behavior, ecology, and role in ecosystems.
Did you know?
About one million insect species have been named so far, and scientists think there may be around 5.5 million in total.
How subjects help
- Biology: Identify insects by their legs, wings and mouthparts and study their life cycles.
- Chemistry: Study the scent signals insects give off to find mates, food or each other.
- Environmental Science: Track how losing wildflowers affects bees and other insects that pollinate crops.
- Mathematics: Count insects caught in traps to estimate how big a population is and if it is changing.
A famous name
E. O. Wilson: Entomologist who spent his life studying ants and showed how they communicate using chemicals.
Try it yourself: Watch an animal for ten minutes
- Choose an animal and stay still and quiet so you don't disturb it. Don't touch or chase it.
- Make a tally of what it does: eating, moving, resting, calling, grooming.
- Draw one feature that helps it survive, like a beak shape, legs or colour.
- What was it doing most? What question would you want to answer next time?
Zoologists observe animals patiently, often for hours, recording what they really do rather than what we expect.
Also try: Invent a way to sort leaves.
Known for it in
USA, Brazil, UK, Australia, Costa Rica