Insect Natural History

Catalog description

Experiential learning in field ecology highlighting insect dynamics, diversity and adaptations in terrestrial and aquatic systems. ENT 518 Insect Natural History (2) This is an experiential learning course in field ecology highlighting insect dynamics, diversity and adaptations in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. On site sessions will introduce ecological processes and natural history from a variety of habitats. Students will gain experience in field sampling and collection techniques, field notebook documentation, GPS use, and specimen databasing. Course is designed for those with limited field experience with insects. The course is intended for new graduate students in Entomology and Ecology. Insect adaptations across multiple habitats are observed in natural, agricultural, and forestry settings and the underlying ecological processes, anthropogenic interactions, and agro/forestry ecosystem management approaches are introduced. A team of faculty and staff from Entomology, and various outside instructors accompany students to various field sites to characterize the attributes, problems, and solutions relative to insect abundance and diversity in each setting. Students learn a wide variety of field sampling and collection methods, sight and key identification to order and major family levels, and standard curation and databasing techniques for arthropods collected for scientific purposes. Methods taught include a variety of light and pheromone trapping, pit traps, sticky traps, malaise traps, sweep netting, and sequential sampling. Curation methods including spreading and pinning, and alcohol and other preservation liquids and drying for immature insects are covered. Community diversity and Shannon Index and advanced statistical characterization of community complexity methods are applied to differing community data that are gathered by teams of students during their chosen mini projects as well as the aquatic community sampling results for Spring Creek vs. Cherry Run. A student collection is required, and at the end of the week each collection is evaluated and graded. Student field notebooks are kept throughout the course and these too are evaluated on the last day and then returned to the students for their continued use.The course is offered over a 5-day period at the end of the insect "active season" with collection and sampling activities requiring natural light or darkness for a variety of the species studied. For example, aquatic insect stream sampling must be done in daylight and collecting for mosquitoes and other insects must be done at dusk or at night with specialized traps. It is essential that this course be completed prior to night temperatures in the 50's and before the first killing frost.