ENY 6203L Insect Ecology Laboratory

Description

This lab class in designed to introduce you to common techniques used in insect ecology field research and to be comfortable with the manipulation of data derived from ecological experiments. A major component of the course gives you practice in writing up research results as a scientific paper. This is one of the required courses in the entomology graduate curriculum and should be taken concurrently with the Insect Ecology lecture course, ENY6203.

Prerequisites

ENY 3005/5006, or any introductory entomology course.

Course Format

Location: Online

Course Goals

1. Assess the extent of foliar damage done by insect herbivores
2. Model insect development and population dynamics through various techniques
3. Estimate insect population size through various techniques
4. Describe insect diversity within ecosystems
5. Evaluate and critique content of scientific journal articles
6. Analyze experimental data and write a manuscript in the format required for publication in a scientific journal

Topics

Description

This course is an introduction to the concepts in ecology with emphasis on insects. The relationships of insects with their biotic and physical environments, along with the roles of insects in nature, will be emphasized. The basics of ecological research will also be covered. This is one of the required courses in the entomology graduate curriculum.

Prerequisites

ENY 3005/5006, or any introductory entomology course

Course Format

Location: Online

Course Goals

1. Explain influences of an insect’s biotic and abiotic environment on evolution of life histories
2. Describe causes and effects of patterns of insect species abundance and distribution within ecosystems
3. Describe fundamental ecological principles underlying the development and application of insect pest management and insect conservation
4. Evaluate and critique ecological primary literature for content and scientific quality
5. Translate scientific ecological literature into lay public-accessible presentations

Topics

Description

The goal of this course is to provide you with a sound theoretical and practical understanding of insect diversity and the practice of classifying organisms. Lectures discuss the general principles of systematics, history of insect classification, construction and use of identification tools, nomenclature, and biology and evolutionary history of the hexapod orders. We also explore why competing classifications exist in taxonomy, and what existing classifications imply about broad patterns of evolutionary change and diversification within insects. A collection is required that will refine your ability to identify insects to the level of order, family and species. Accumulating the required numbers of taxa will be possible only by employing a variety of collecting techniques and working with dichotomous keys. Building an insect collection, with correctly identified and curated specimens is an excellent way to learn, understand and employ the methods used by professionals to identify and classify not only insects, but living organisms in general.

Prerequisites

NY 3005, Principles of Entomology, or a similar course dealing with the classification of insects. Students are expected to be familiar with the insect orders before taking this class.

Course Format

Course Goals

• Identify hexapods to order and the majority of common insects to family by sight.
• Identify adult insects to order and family using dichotomous keys.
• Collect insects and field data in different habitats using a variety of techniques.
• Curate insect specimens properly, including labeling, pinning, point mounting, and preserving in ethanol.
• Describe the taxonomic process: how species are described, named and classified.
• Explain how key innovations in the life history of insects led to their incredible diversity.
• Interpret phylogenetic trees depicting the evolutionary relationships among insects.

Topics

Description

The biology of honey bees and the craft of apiculture will be examined by exploring the natural history, biogeography and ecology of honey bees. Honey bee anatomy, physiology, colony social structure, pests/diseases, pollination ecology, management and current topics in beekeeping will be discussed.

Prerequisites

This course contains significant scientific content. If you are unsure of any vocabulary terms or scientific principles, please take the time to research them. It will be easy to fall behind if you do not understand the content. A basic biology prerequisite is recommended, though not required.

Course Format

Location: Online

Course Goals

1. Compare the natural histories of honey bees with those of other bees, emphasizing the development of sociality in bee hymenoptera.
2. Examine the diversity and biogeography of honey bees.
3. Discover the intricacies of honey bee biology, anatomy, physiology.
4. Determine the contributions of nest structure, eusocial behavior, and super organism colonytraits to the success of honey bees globally.
5. Appraise the history, development, and practice of apiculture.
6. Associate apiculture with production agriculture, ecosystem health, and human success.
7. Synthesize transcending topics (such as parasitology, invasive species biology, IPM, etc.) using apiculture as a model.

Topics

Description

Identification, biology, ecology, and management of common arthropod families and species inhabiting turf grasses and ornamental plants in urban landscapes (emphasis on the Southeastern U.S.) are discussed. Integrated pest management (IPM) (e.g., safe use of insecticides, biological and cultural control, plant resistance, etc.) is emphasized.

Prerequisites

• At least 1 semester of a college-level Biology course is encouraged, but not required.
• Students should be self-motivated, avoid procrastinating, and ask questions if needed.
• Students must have reliable access to a computer and basic computer skills to access course materials.

Course Format

Location: Online

Course Goals

• Explain the rationale behind different IPM tactics in turf and ornamental pest management.
• Recognize arthropods in different horticulturally-important orders and families by sight and by written description.
• Differentiate arthropod signs and symptoms, and troubleshoot problems on various sites (e.g., lawns, golf courses, nurseries, greenhouses, or urban landscape plant beds)
• Anticipate pest activity periods, evaluate turf and ornamental plant health, and create a practical management plan to solve arthropod pest problems.
• Identify beneficial arthropods and explain why they are important in urban landscape systems.

Topics

Description

This 3-credit-hour course and will cover the methods of managing urban pests, such as cockroaches, fleas, termites, flies, stored food pests and ants. Chemical and nonchemical methods of control will be emphasized and will emphasize that you:

1. Learn to manage urban pest populations
2. Understand methods of managing major pest species
3. Learn methods of managing cockroaches.
4. Learn methods of managing blood-sucking insects.
5. Understand the management techniques for the major pest ant species.
6. Develop strategies for managing important stored food pests.

Prerequisites

• ENY 3005-Principles of Entomology

Course Format

Location: Online

Special Research Project

Special research project must be approved by instructor and should be an in-depth review of the scientific literature. The research project report must be written as a scientific paper in Entomological Society of America format. PowerPoint presentation and written script will be a 10-minute scientific paper suitable for presentation at a scientific meeting. Student has the option of presenting the research.

Description

Urban pests are found in many situations and are difficult to recognize. Students will be expected to identify the insect pest and recognize the damage they cause. Emphasis will be on determining ways to prevent infestations based on the pest’s biology.

1. Learn to recognize wood destroying insects and their damage and understand their biology and life cycles.
2. Learn to recognize cockroaches, their biology, and life cycles. Learn methods of managing cockroaches.
3. Identify blood-sucking insects and understand their biology.
4. Recognize pest ant species and their colony structure.
5. Recognize important stored food pests.

Prerequisites

• ENY 3005-Principles of Entomology

Course Format

Location: Online

Special Research Project

Each student will be responsible for a written research report and presentation. The topic must be approved by instructor, and should be an in-depth review of the scientific literature. The research project report must be written as a scientific paper in Entomological Society of America format. Powerpoint presentation and written script will be a 10 minute scientific paper suitable for presentation at a scientific meeting. Student has the option of presenting the research project orally, on site in Gainesville, or by submission of the presentation and script for a grade. More information is at the end of the syllabus.

Description

Insects and other arthropods and their relationships with wild vertebrate animals.

Prerequisites

This is an introduction to entomology that focuses on the interrelationships of insects and vertebrate animals. Some background in biology is useful, but there are no prerequisites. If you have not taken an entomology course, you should enroll in ENY 3002L or ENY5006L, the introductory entomology laboratory, while enrolled in ‘Insects & Wildlife’. This will give you hands-on experience with insects, and will enhance your diagnostic abilities.

Course Format

Location: Online

Course Goals

By the end of this course, students will develop an understanding of the ecological relationships of arthropods and pesticides with natural resources, particularly the roles of arthropods as food, nuisance pests, vectors of animal disease, and in natural resource and wildlife conservation. Students will be able to identify the groups of insects (and other arthropods) that are most important as food, nuisance pests, and vectors of animal disease. They will learn methods of arthropod diet assessment and know how different methodologies affect the outcomes of research. They will learn how arthropod populations can be manipulated to favor wildlife, and will create a wildlife management plan that applies the principles and practices provided in the course.

Description

This class provides the laboratory activities for the ENY 3005/5006 web course. In this lab, you will learn the anatomy of an insect, how to identify an insect to order, how to collect and curate insects, and you will learn a bit about how insects fit into our lives. There are a series of lab activities for you to complete during the semester. Some of the assignments are interactive virtual labs, some are hands-on labs that you must report on, and some are just for you to read through for the information. The first few labs will give you a foundation that will help you learn to identify insects so you can begin working on your collection. You will notice that there are two lab reports. These two experiments will take time to set up and will take a while to collect the data, so be sure to read them ahead of time. (You will hear this from me again.) Besides the insect collection and lab reports, there will be a lab exam at the end of the semester and several worksheets along the way.

Prerequisites

• Co-requirement: ENY 5006 Graduate Survey of Entomology

Course Format

Location: Online

Topics

Description

This course focuses on non-native species invasions and environmental effects of these invaders. Students will develop analytical capabilities to assess the consequences of biological invasions. This course is oriented toward students in the biosecurity track major in the entomology department.

Prerequisites

1. Integrated Principles of Biology 1 and Laboratory (BSC 2010 and 2010L) or equivalent.
2. Integrated Principles of Biology 2 and Laboratory (BSC 2011 and 201lL) or equivalent.

Course Format

Location: Online

Course Goals

From the lecture and course assignments, students will gain an understanding of the following concepts:

1. A global awareness of the economic costs and environmental impacts of biological invasions.
2. An understanding of the principles and basic practices of pest exclusion, eradication, and management tactics for biological invaders from six continents.
3. An ability to assimilate information on biological invaders, and develop inferences from case study examples.
4. A perspective on the research, extension, and regulatory components of biological invaders.
5. An awareness of biological invader sin current events reported in the popular and scientific media.

Topics