A FEW WORDS TO INTRODUCTION 



Professor JAN OBENBEROER, D. Sc, Member-Cor. of the Czechoslovak Academy 

 of Sciencss, Head of the Entomological Laboratory of Czechoslovak Academy of Sci- 

 ences, Praha. 



In the time of my youth, some 50 years ago, it seemed that the entomolo- 

 gical science would develop in future in one direction only. The scientific 

 entomological schools in Germany and Austria lead by prominent personalities, 

 such as Redtenbacher, Gangelbauer, Seidlitz, Reitter, Kraatz, Dahl, Ratzen- 

 burg and others, worked mainly in systematics and taxonomy as can be seen 

 from the numerous entomological periodicals of that time. 



The young Czechoslovak entomological science develoi^ed under the 

 influence of these already advanced entomological schools. The entomologists 

 were engaged predominantly in collecting; their private collections became 

 later the nucleus of large museal collections which are an indispensable basis 

 for all the systematical and documentational investigations. When the syste- 

 matic basis of entomology was roughly built up — at least in the mild zone, 

 the study went more in depth; new branches and disciplines were founded 

 giving rise to the large development of entomology which has not yet reached 

 and will not reach its peak so soon. It was shown that entomology as a far 

 greatest component of the zoological science should be based on general 

 biology, zoology and a solid taxonomic knowledge and must develop in all 

 its branches. Extensive Avorks were compiled dealing with general morphology 

 and anatomy. This period of time gave rise to a new independent branch — 

 applied entomology based mostly ггроп the bionomical, anatomical, ontogene- 

 tical and physiological results. Immense damages caused on the human work 

 by insects compel us to mobilize all the forces against their detrimental activity. 

 In this connection it is v^ery urgent to undertake further investigations in toxi- 

 cology of insects, insecticides, in problems of insect vectors in virology etc. 



Thanks to the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and particularly to the 

 support of the Communist Partj^ and government of our Republic the ento- 

 mological science has been developing very successfully in these last 3^ears. 

 New laboratories and departments engaged in entomological research have 

 been founded — in the first place the Entomological Laboratory of the Cze- 

 choslovak Academy of Sciences, new, young highly qualified and enthusiasted 

 people have come to луогк in this modern field of science. In consequence 

 a large number of valuable scientific communications both theoretical and 

 practical have been published representing a considerable contribution to the 

 state economy, too. We feel very satisfied to see the general interest in our 



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