ARS/ NET Agricultural Entomology Syllabus

Unit 1: Systematics

History and development of Entomology, evolution of insects, position of insects in the animal world, characteristics of phylum Arthropoda. Structural features of important arthropod groups such as Trilobita, Chelicerata and Mandibulata. Structural features of important classes of phylum Arthropoda viz. Arachnida, Crustacea, Chilopoda, Diplopoda and Hexapoda. Classification of insects up to order level, habits, habitats and distinguishing features of different orders and important families. DNA barcoding, phylogenetic analysis.

Unit 2: Morphology

Body wall, its structure, outgrowths, endoskeleton. Body regions, segmentation, sclerites and sutures. Head and head appendages, types of mouth parts, antennae, their structure and types. Thorax structure, thoracic appendages and their modification. Wings, their modification and venation. Abdomen structure, abdominal appendages in Pterygota and Apterygota. External genitalia, general structure and modification in important insect orders.

Unit 3: Embryology, Internal Anatomy and Physiology

Embryonic and post-embryonic development, types of metamorphosis, physiology of ecdysis. General features and types of larvae and pupae. Structure, function and physiology of digestive, circulatory, respiratory, reproductive, nervous and excretory systems. Sense organs: structure and types. Insect food and nutrition including minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, lipids, vitamins and their role in growth and development. Artificial diets.

Unit 4: Ecology

Concept of ecology, environment and its components - biotic and abiotic factors and their effects on growth, development, population dynamics, distribution and dispersal. Principles of biogeography and insect biodiversity. Biotic potential and environmental resistance. Ecosystems and agroecosystem analysis, their characteristics and functioning. Intra and interspecific relationships: competition, predator-prey and host-parasite interactions, ecological niche. Life table studies and population models. Food chain and food web. Arthropod population monitoring and pest forecasting. Diapause and causes of pest outbreaks.

Unit 5: Biological Control

Importance and scope of biological control. History of biological control: biocontrol agents including parasites, predators and insect pathogens. Important entomophagous insect orders and families. Ecological, biological, taxonomic, legal and economic aspects of biological control. Phenomena of multiple parasitism, hyperparasitism, superparasitism and their applied importance. Principles and procedures for using exotic biocontrol agents. Utilization of natural biocontrol agents through conservation, habitat management and augmentation. Mass multiplication techniques and economics. Effective evaluation techniques. Biocontrol organizations in the world and India. Successful cases of biological control of pests.

Unit 6: Chemical Control and Toxicology

History, scope and principles of chemical control. Insecticides and their classification. Formulations of insecticides. Susceptibility of insects to insecticides. Physical, chemical and toxicological properties of different insecticide groups: chlorinated hydrocarbons, organophosphates, carbamates, synthetic pyrethroids, chlordimeform, chitin synthesis inhibitors, avermectins, nitroguanidines, phenylpyrazoles, botanicals (natural pyrethroids, rotenone, neem products, nicotine, Pongamia spp.). Combination insecticides. Problems of pesticide hazards and environmental pollution. Safe use of pesticides, precautions and first aid treatments. Insecticides Act 1968, registration and quality control of insecticides. Evaluation of toxicity, methods of toxicity testing, determination of LD50, LT50, RL50 etc. Pesticide Management Bill, 2020. Pesticide residues in the environment and their dynamics of movement, methods of residue analysis. Codex, FSSAI, HACCP. Pharmacology of insect poisons. Mode of action of different insecticides: neuroactive (axonal and synaptic) poisons, respiratory poisons, chitin synthesis inhibitors. Metabolism of insecticides including activation and degradation, detoxification enzymes and their role. Selectivity of insecticidal actions. Insecticide resistance: mechanism, genetics and management.

Unit 7: Host Plant Resistance

Chemical ecology: mechano- and chemoreceptors. Host plant selection by phytophagous insects. Secondary plant substances and their defenses against phytophagous insects. Basis of resistance: antixenosis, antibiosis, tolerance. Biotype development and remedial measures. Tritrophic interactions and induced resistance. Breeding for insect-resistant plant varieties. Resistance development and evaluation techniques. Genetics of resistance: vertical, horizontal, oligogenic and polygenic resistance. Biotechnological approaches and development of transgenic insect-resistant plants with advantages and limitations. Case histories. Insect resistance to transgenic plants and its management.

Unit 8: Innovative Approaches in Pest Control

Behavioral control: pheromones, types and uses, advantages and limitations. Hormonal control: types and functions of insect hormones, insect hormone mimics, advantages and limitations. Chemosterilants, antifeedants, attractants, repellents: types, methods of application, advantages and limitations. Genetic control: concepts and methods, case histories, advantages and limitations. Potentialities of IPM; molecular approaches for developing insect pest management strategies such as RNAi and CRISPR.

Unit 9: Integrated Pest Management

History, concept and principles of IPM. Components of IPM: host plant resistance, agronomic manipulations, mechanical and physical methods, chemical methods, biocontrol agents, genetic and behavioral control strategies. IPM strategies for field and horticultural crops. IPM case histories. Concepts of damage levels - Economic threshold levels (ETL), Economic injury levels (EIL) and their determination. System approach, agroecosystem and cropping system versus IPM. Constraints and strategies for IPM implementation.

Unit 10: Pesticide Application Equipments

Types of appliances: sprayers, dusters, fog generators, smoke generators, soil injecting guns, seed treating drums, flame throwers, etc. Power-operated sprayers and dusters. Types of nozzles and their uses. Maintenance of appliances. Aerial application of pesticides: principles, factors affecting effectiveness, equipment used, advantages and disadvantages.

Unit 11: Pests of Field Crops and their Management

Distribution, host range, biology and bionomics, nature of damage and management of arthropod pests of cereals, oilseeds, pulses and fiber crops, sugarcane and tobacco. Polyphagous pests: locusts, termites, hairy caterpillars, cutworms and white grubs.

Unit 12: Pests of Horticultural Crops and their Management

Distribution, host range, biology and bionomics, nature of damage and management of arthropod pests of vegetables, fruits, plantation crops, spices, condiments and ornamentals.

Unit 13: Pests of Stored Products and their Management

Fundamentals of storage of grains and grain products. Storage losses, sources of infestation/infection, factors influencing losses. Insect and non-insect pests: nature of damage and control. Microflora in storage environment and their control. Storage structures: bulk storage and bag storage, their relative efficacy and demerits. Grain drying methods and aeration. Non-insect pests (rodents, birds, mites) and their control. Integrated management of storage pests.

Unit 14: Arthropod Vectors of Plant Diseases

Common arthropod vectors such as aphids, leafhoppers, planthoppers, whiteflies, thrips, psyllids, beetles, weevils, flies, bees and mites and their relationship with plant pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma. Mechanism of pathogen transmission: active mechanical transmission and biological transmission. Toxicogenic insects, mites and phytotoxemia. Important arthropod vector-transmitted diseases and their epidemiology in India. Management of vectors and its effect on disease control.

Unit 15: Honey Bees and Bee-keeping

Honey bees and their economic importance. Bee species, their behavior, habits and habitats. Beekeeping: bee pasturage, hives and equipment, seasonal management. Bee enemies inducing diseases and their control.

Unit 16: Silkworms and Sericulture

Silkworm species, their systematic position and salient features. Rearing techniques of mulberry, muga, eri and tassar silkworms. Nutritional requirements of silkworms. Sericulture: rearing house and appliances, silkworm breeds, principles of voltinism and diapause, seed production and economics. Enemies and diseases of silkworms and their management. Sericulture organization in India.

Unit 17: Lac Insect

Lac insect, its biology, habits and habitats. Host trees: pruning, inoculation, lac cropping techniques, and harvesting. Enemies of lac insect and their control.

Unit 18: Other Useful Insects

Pollinators, biocontrol agents of weeds, soil fertility improving agents, scavengers. Use of insects and insect products in medicines. Usefulness of insects in scientific investigations. Insects as food.

Unit 19: Statistics and Computer Application

Frequency distribution, mean, mode and median. Standard, normal, binomial and Poisson’s distribution. Sampling methods and standard errors. Correlation and regression: partial and multiple. Tests of significance: t, F, chi-square, Duncan’s multiple range tests. Design of experiments: principles of randomized block design, completely randomized block design, Latin square design, split-plot designs. Probit analysis.