# So what if I kept a critter from pupating?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-i-kept-a-critter-from-pupating/342741>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 2, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-i-kept-a-critter-from-pupating/342741 "2006-02-02T22:33:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-i-kept-a-critter-from-pupating/342741/21 "2006-02-04T02:30:08Z")

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> [@elelle](#):
>
> I do wonder, though, how do you perform brain surgery on a caterpillar??? Love to hear details, **TwoTrouts**. I see in your last post that you no longer need to do that due to the hormone being commercially available, but, still am curious about the process.

I also have many questions. Has there been an “Ask The Enymologist” thread?

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**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-i-kept-a-critter-from-pupating/342741/22 "2006-02-04T03:14:41Z")

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> [@DocCathode](#):
>
> I also have many questions. Has there been an “Ask The Enymologist” thread?

**Doc** , it’s **entomologist** , as opposed to **etymologist** , which is someone who studies the origin of words. The two terms get confused a lot.

I wouldn’t have called it to attention so much, but, in my experience with dad’s biologist cohorts, it was a sore point with the insect trust. Word.

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-i-kept-a-critter-from-pupating/342741/23 "2006-02-04T22:53:16Z")

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> [@elelle](#):
>
> **Doc** , it’s **entomologist** , as opposed to **etymologist** , which is someone who studies the origin of words. The two terms get confused a lot.
> 
> I wouldn’t have called it to attention so much, but, in my experience with dad’s biologist cohorts, it was a sore point with the insect trust. Word.

I know what an etymologist is but couldn’t remember whether the term for insect scientist was eNTYmologist or eNTOmologist. This is not nitpicking. This is science. The use of the proper term is very important.

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