ENY 6665L Advanced Medical and Veterinary Entomology Lab

Description

Advanced Medical and Veterinary Entomology Laboratory is a 1-credit class that provides students the opportunity to observe and handle the specimens discussed in the companion lecture of this course. Laboratory exercises are designed to reinforce concepts introduced during the companion lecture and provide hands-on viewing of arthropods for future identification. Some students may be making pest management decisions in the future; it is therefore essential that they be able to properly identify the pest that they are attempting to manage. This is increasingly important as the ecological and social pressures increase for control of non-specific arthropod pests with minimal effects on human health and the environment. Students will be given the opportunity to learn about evolving relationships that many of the species have developed in order to survive as an ectoparasite and/or serve as an efficient vector. Several evaluation methods including laboratory quizzes, laboratory exams and a collection will be administered so that students can demonstrate their knowledge of arthropod identification, pest importance to human and animal health and effective management tactics. We will take several trips to local sites during the laboratory session where students will have the opportunity to examine issues on site and to obtain specimens for their collections. Transportation will be provided.

Course Format

Location: Online

Course Goals

1. Identify the major pests of veterinary entomology and provide pest management solutions.
2. Learn to recognize the diversity of arthropods of medical and veterinary importance.
3. Learn the biology and ecology of the primary pests of importance.
4. Compare and contrast the life-history strategies used by major vector and pest species of medical and veterinary importance.
5. Compare the variety of taxa and recognize that this is but an example of the diversity in the world.