What is the scientific name for the study of insects?

The scientific name for the study of insects is entomology.

The word comes from the Greek éntomon, meaning “insect,” and lógos, meaning “study” or “account.” Entomology is a branch of zoology covering insect anatomy, classification, evolution, behavior, ecology, and interactions with plants, animals, and people. Scientists who specialize in the field are called entomologists.

Entomology includes both familiar subjects, such as butterflies and honeybees, and less celebrated ones, including beetles, fleas, mosquitoes, termites, and agricultural pests. Specialized branches include forensic entomology, which examines insects associated with decomposition, and medical entomology, which studies disease-carrying insects and other arthropods.

A common mix-up is assuming that entomology covers every small crawling animal. In modern usage it focuses on insects, while arachnids are studied within arachnology, fish within ichthyology, birds within ornithology, and reptiles and amphibians within herpetology. Historically, however, “insect” was sometimes used more broadly, so older works occasionally included other arthropods.