Entomology Graduate Courses

Entomology Graduate Courses

ENY 5151	TECHNIQUES IN SYSTEMATICS		2 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. VIRENDRA K. GUPTA
Prerequisites: ENY 3005 or NEM 3002 or equivalent
When Offered: Spring semester of odd years
General Description: This course is intended to acquaint students with the importance of systematic research on insects, techniques used in the collection and preservation of insects, their care and curation, and procedures used to study them, including techniques used for their identification and publication of the results of taxonomic studies. It will also include a study and discussion of the international rules of zoological nomenclature.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from two examinations, one midterm and the other at the completion of the course, and from grading of library and laboratory assignments.
Course Outline:
Introduction to systematics or taxonomy		The voucher collection
Taxonomy as an input in agriculture		Museum pest control
Taxonomy as a unifying science		Staffing of museums
Taxonomy as a language of biology		Taxonomic publications
Importance of museums		Catalogues. Check-lists, revisions, monographs, etc., and their nature and importance
Taxonomy, systematics, classification, nomenclature		Preparation of taxonomic papers, illustrations, labeling of type specimens, and other related matters
Development of systematic thought and practice		Cataloguing and information retrieval
Phylogenetic systematics		Computers and museums; electronic cataloguing; literature search; inventory of specimens, types, voucher collections, etc.
Procedures in taxonomy		Procedures in identification and publication of results Use of reference collections, literature, keys
Collection and preservation of insects		Taxonomic journals and their publication requirements
Curation of insects		Preparation of manuscripts for publication
Study of the diversity of organisms		International Code of Zoological Nomenclature history; Study of pertinent codes
Taxonomy tools; collections, literature, equipment, etc.		Discussion on the application of the code
Proper use of microscope, light, working environment, etc.		Museums
Loan of specimens		Types of museums; role of museums and their responsibilities
The type collection		Levels of curation in museums
Texts: Beirne, B.P. 1955. Collecting, preparing and preserving insects. Canada Dept. of Agriculture, Publ. 932, 132 pages. Blackwelder, R.E. 1967. Taxonomy. A text and reference book. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York. Brown, R.L. 1978. Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, 3rd Ed. 1985. London. Insects. The yearbook of agriculture, 1952. USDA, Washington, DC. Mayr, E., and Ashlock, P.D. 1991. Principles of systematic zoology, 2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York. Ross, H.H. 1974. Biological systematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., USA. Smith, R.C., and Painter, R.H. 1966. A guide to the literature of the zoological sciences. Burgess Publishing Co. Wiley, E.O. 1981. Phylogenetics. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York.

ENY 5222C	BIOLOGY AND ID OF URBAN PESTS (URBAN ENTOMOLOGY)		2 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. PHILIP G. KOEHLER
Prerequisites: ENY 3005 or equivalent
When Offered: Summer A of even years
General Description: Biology, identification, and management of household, structural, and occasional pests. Course will focus on the main pest species that occur in urban environments. The course will consist of two lectures and one 2-period lecture/lab session per week.
Grading: Five weekly quizzes on Friday (40% of grade), final exam and laboratory practical (40% of grade), term project (20% of grade).
Course Outline:
Urban entomology overview Types of pests and damage Ecology and behavior of urban pests General management considerations		Stored food pests Pests of whole grain Pests of processed grain General feeders General concepts of control Commodity fumigation
Termites Subterranean Drywood Dampwood Concepts of insect societies Recognition of damage General concepts for control and protection
		Fabric pests and delusory parasitosis Clothes moths Carpet beetles General concepts of control Methods of dealing with delusory parasites
Other wood-destroying organisms Powderpost beetles Carpenter bees Carpenter ants Woodwasps General concepts of control		Occasional pests Spiders Centipedes Millipedes Beetles Moths
Cockroaches Principal species Biology and ecology of domestic species Biology and ecology of periodomestic species Methods of detection General concepts of control		Venomous insects Wasps Bees Other biting pests
		Ectoparasites Lice Fleas Mites Ticks General concepts of control
Flies Biology and ecology of filth flies Biology and ecology of biting flies Recognition of major pest species General concepts of control
		Moisture-related pests
Ants Principal species Social structure of ant colonies Nesting sites General concepts of control		Vertebrate pests Mice Rats Snakes Birds General concepts of control
Texts: Ebeling, W. 1976. Urban entomology.
Supplemental Reading: Mallis, A. (ed.). 1990. Handbook of pest control. 6th Ed. Bennett, G., Corrigan, R., and Owens, J. 1988. Scientific guide to pest control operations. 4th Ed.

ENY 5226C	PRINCIPLES OF URBAN PEST MANAGEMENT		2 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. PHILIP G. KOEHLER
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
When Offered: Summer A of odd years
General Description: Methods of controlling household, structural, and occasional pests. Course will focus on the methods of chemical and nonchemical control used in urban entomology. The course will consist of two lectures and one lecture/lab session per week.
Grading: Five weekly quizzes (40% of grade), final exam (40% of grade), reports of laboratories and field trips (20% of grade).
Course Outline:
Overview of urban pest control Methods of urban pest control History of urban pest control Chemophobia vs chemical sensitivities		Field trip for German cockroach control
		Methods of pretreatment for subterranean termite control Soil and wood treatment Length of residual Concepts of control application Chemical and nonchemical control measures
Chemicals used for urban pest control Botanicals, organophosphates Carbamates, pyrethroids, synergists Concepts of toxicity, manufacturing, and nomenclature
		Field trip for subterranean termite control
Formulations used for urban pest control Solutions, emulsions, suspensions, dusts Aerosols—residual vs non-residual Performance on surfaces, toxicity, and properties		Methods of remedial treatment for subterranean termite control Equipment used to ingest termiticides Calibration of equipment Chemical and nonchemical control measures
Equipment used for urban pest control Hand-compressed air sprayers Hydraulic sprayers, dusters Power aerosol generators Crack and crevice injection devices Granular applicators Concepts of application technology		Methods of drywood termite and powderpost beetle control Chemicals used for control Principles of fumigation Equipment used to monitor airborne concentrations
Methods of German cockroach control Chemical methods of control Nonchemical methods of control Surveillance for infestation Types of infested locations Concepts of scheduling and applying control technologies		Methods of vertebrate pest control Anticoagulants Single dose toxicants Methods of baiting Nonchemical control strategies
		Field trip on vertebrate pest control
Texts: Mallis, A. (ed.). 1990. Handbook of pest control. 6th Ed.
Supplemental Reading: Ebeling, W. 1976. Urban entomology. Bennett, G., Corrigan, R., and Owens, J. 1988. Scientific guide to pest control operations. 4th Ed.

ENY 5241	BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INSECTS		4 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. J. HOWARD FRANK
Prerequisites: Students who have not taken ENY 6203 (Insect Ecology) and ENY 6166 (Insect Classification) or equivalents will have difficulty and should do compensatory reading in those areas.
General Description: An introduction to the use of predators and parasites (and to a lesser extent pathogens) in controlling populations of insect pests and weeds. Guest lecturers give first-hand accounts of their work on various pests and weeds. Field trips are taken to laboratories where biological control research is being conducted. Two projects are assigned for completion during the semester.
Grading: Students’ efforts in two assigned projects provide 50% of the grade for the course; the remaining 50% depends upon two tests (10% each) and a final exam.
Course Outline:
Natural regulation of insect populations		Advancement of biological control through study of the dynamics of pest populations and natural enemies; modelling of populations
Theory of classical biological control, and quarantine regulations		Augmentative and inundative biological control and the use of biopesticides
Natural enemies: insect predators and parasitoids; pathogens of insects; entomogenous nematodes		Manipulative biological control and integrated pest management
Biological control in action against: cottonycushion scale; mole crickets; winter moth; pests of forest trees; mosquitoes; pests of citrus; aquatic weeds; terrestrial weeds; insect pests of ornamental plants; muscoid flies; etc.		Biological control information; biological control associations and institutions
		Economics of biological control; conflicts of interest and problems; biotechnology
Texts: Van Driesche, R.G., and Bellows, T.S. Biological control. Chapman and Hall. Many readings from other sources are assigned

ENY 5455	SOCIAL INSECTS	3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. H. GLENN HALL
Prerequisites: Introductory entomology (preferably) or zoology
When Offered: Spring semesters
General Description: This course has two 1-hour lectures and one 3-hour laboratory a week. The course will introduce students to the unique characteristics of social wasps, ants, bees, and termites: their natural history; their division of roles and morphological differentiation into castes; their social behavior; and their evolution (genetic and ecological factors responsible). Laboratory exercises will include: taxonomic identification of the common social insects, particularly those in Florida; examination of the structure of different social insect nests; methods for establishing nests and rearing social insects, specifically ants, bumble bees, and honey bees (beekeeping, queen rearing and insemination); recruitment by ants to resources; communication dances of honey bees; and kin recognition in ants and bees.
Special Note: The laboratory exercises with live insects are designed to greatly minimize the chances that students will be stung. However, given that some chance persists, this course cannot be taken by those who have an anaphylactic reaction to insect stings.
Grading: Grade will be based on four quizzes, four lab reports, and one final exam. For graduate level credit, the grade will also include that from a written report and oral discussion of a current scientific paper on social insects.
Course Outline:
Introduction and natural history. The importance of social insects; systematic positions of social insects; degrees of social behavior; social wasps; social bees; honey bees; ants; termites; social behavior in other insects.
Sex and caste determination.
Group effects and control of nestmates. Control of gyne production and worker laying; division of labor; colony multiplication; swarming.
Communication and pheromones. Alarm and assembly; recruitment; dance language hypothesis and controversy; kin recognition; food exchange and grooming.
The evolution of social behavior. Genetic theory of social behavior; parental manipulation and nutrition; mutualism.
Symbiosis and the superorganism concept. Symbioses among social insects and arthropods; social homeostasis; social insects as superorganisms.
Texts: Wilson, E.O. The insect societies. 1971. Harvard University Press. Hölldobler, B., and Wilson, E.O. 1994. Journey to the ants. Harvard University Press. Selected readings from texts and articles on library reserve.

ENY 5566	TROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY	3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. J. HOWARD FRANK
Prerequisites: ENY 3005C or equivalent
General Description: An introduction to tropical insects with emphasis on natural history, ecology and behavior. The course will have three 1-hour lectures per week. It is designed for students who have not had experience in the tropics. Students will learn about insects in natural ecosystems and in agroecosystems.
Grading: One final examination requiring brief answers to 45 questions.
Course Outline:
The physical, chemical, and biotic worlds
Biogeographic regions and biodiversity. Eurasia, Africa, Australasia, and Oceania. Darwin and Wallace
The Americas and their biogeography and biodiversity, contrasting boreal regions with the tropics. Humboldt
Entomology and entomologists in the Neotropics; ants in the tropics; termites in the tropics
Phytotelmata: bromeliads, Heliconia bracts, aroid axils, pitcher plants, cacao husks, bamboo internodes, and treeholes as habitat for aquatic insects in the tropics
Medical entomology in the tropics: Diptera, Hemiptera, etc., their habitats, behavior and ecology; diseases they transmit; methods of control
Neotropical crops and stenophagous insects: A case of coevolution?
Entomology of palms: Example, coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)
Entomology of wild figs (Ficus spp.); entomology of cash crops: example, sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)
Entomology of tropical staples: Example, maize (corn, mais, Zea mays)
Entomology of topical fruits: Example, mango (Mangifera indica)
Entomology of tropical root crops: Example, cassava (manihot, mandioca, yuca, Manihot esculenta)
An overview of insects in the neotropics
Texts: Readings will be provided from several sources.
Supplemental Reading: Young, A.M. 1982. Population biology of tropical insects. Plenum. New York.

ENY 5567L	TROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY FIELD LABORATORY	2 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. J. HOWARD FRANK
Prerequisites: ENY 5566
General Description: This is the laboratory for ENY 5566. An introduction to tropical insects with emphasis on natural history, ecology and behavior. Students will visit a tropical country and will be shown the insect fauna of various natural ecosystems and agroecosystems. Each student will be assigned a small project to be accomplished in the field and reported on (to the assembled class) in the final day. Duration of trip will be ten days from departure to return.
Grading: Project report due on final day in the field to be presented verbally to all participants and in writing, to describe objectives, results, and how it could have been done better if you know at the start what you know now.

ENY 5580	GENERAL ACAROLOGY		3 CREDITS
Instructor: STAFF
Prerequisites: ENY 3005C or equivalent
General Description: A study of mites with lectures and laboratories relating to the morphology, biology, taxonomy and economic importance of mites related to integrated pest management programs. The course will have two 1-hour lectures and a 2-hour laboratory per week. Students will use taxonomic keys to study mite groups and identify specimens to family level. Some groups will be identified to generic levels.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from two laboratory quizzes and a collection of slide-mounted specimens.
Course Outline:
History and literature		Order Prostigmata General overview Chiggers or red mites Spider mites - taxonomy, biology, economic importance and control False spider mites—taxonomy, biology and control Tarsonemids—taxonomy, biology and control
Terminology and general morphology
Life cycles and ecology Specialized niches
Physiology and reproduction
Evolution
Order Mesostigmata General overview Family Phytoseiidae—taxonomy, biology and use in biological control and Family Macrochelidae Honey bee ectoparasites—Varroa and Tropilaelaps		Order Astigmata General overview Stored product and bulb mites House dust mites
		Taxonomy (differences in general classification)
Order Ixodida - ticks Species of significance in Florida		Order Oribatida General overview Orthogalumna and biological control of water hyacinth
Review of mite pests on Florida crops
Texts: Krantz, G.W. 1978. A manual of acarology. 2nd Ed. OSV, Corvallis, Oregon.

ENY 5611	IMMATURE INSECTS		4 CREDITS
Instructor: STAFF
Prerequisites: ENY 4161 or permission of instructor
General Description: This course involves learning morphological characteristics and identifying immature insects at least to family. Emphasis will be placed on Holometabola. Information will be provided on economic importance, biology, habits and taxonomy. Two 1-hour lectures and two 2-hour laboratories per week are scheduled with students expected to spend additional unscheduled time in the laboratory.
Grading: Course grade will be determined by two lecture exams, three laboratory exams and a collection of identified immature insects.
Course Outline (order of topics may vary from year to year):
Introduction, importance, preservation techniques		Coleoptera
Trichoptera		Strepsiptera
Lepidoptera		Diptera
Hymenoptera		Siphonaptera
Mecoptera, Neuroptera, Megaloptera		Hemiptera
Texts: Stehr, F.W. Immature insects. Vol. 1, 1987; Vol. 2, 1991. (not required)

ENY 5810	INFORMATION TECHNIQUES IN RESEARCH		2 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. THOMAS J. WALKER
Prerequisites: None
General Description: A practical, problem-oriented course in information and computer skills needed by researchers in the agricultural and biological sciences.
Grading: Course grade is based on a series of practical problems that parallel the discussions and library and computer laboratory exercises. The student is encouraged to tailor the problems to his/her own interests and needs. Each problem has a basic and an advanced version. Those completing two-thirds of the problems at the advanced level earn an A.
Course Outline:
Information in science; libraries		Bibliographic database programs
Computers, operating systems, and networks		Spreadsheets
Word processing, scanning, and printing		Graphs for data analysis and publication
E-mail and file transfer		Presentation graphics: slides
Coping with literature; bibliographic entries		Presentation graphics: posters
Computer searching of literature indexes		Exploring the Internet
Books; more searching		Feeding the Web
Periodicals; reprint requests
Texts: Information Techniques in Research handbook/workbook.

ENY 5885	EXTENSION ENTOMOLOGY AND NEMATOLOGY		2 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. JOHN L. CAPINERA
Prerequisites: None
General Description: The course is designed to introduce the student to the cooperative extension system with its attendant responsibilities, values, and rewards; and to provide an overview of the arthropod and nematode pests of national concern and their management. Also, students will gain insight into the diverse “clientele” served by extension specialists; learn about the legal, technical, and data constraints affecting recommendations; and be introduced to various methodologies of problems diagnosis and information transfer.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from papers and participation in discussion.
Course Outline:
Philosophy and history of extension		Apiculture and beekeeping profession
Administration and responsibilities		Computer application in extension
Resources and sources of information		Non-pesticide recommendations and home-garden considerations
Methods of diagnosis		Interpretation of survey and sampling data, economic thresholds
Meeting the public: written, oral, and audio-visual techniques		Pesticides: formulation and equipment; regulations and liability
Laboratory/Discussion: Arthropods: human pests; livestock pests; fruit pests; vegetable pests; field crop pests; forage and range pests; turf and ornamental pests; structural-household pests; shade tree and forest pests; greenhouse pests Nematodes: assay laboratory; turf and ornamental nematodes; fruit and vegetable nematodes; field crop nematodes
Texts: Davidson, R.H., and Lyon, W.F. Insect pests of farm, garden and orchard.

ENY 6130	TAXONOMY OF PARASITIC HYMENOPTERA		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. VIRENDRA K. GUPTA
Prerequisites: ENY 4161 or ENY 6166 or permission of instructor
When Offered: Spring semester of even years
General Description: The course is intended to acquaint students with the importance of parasitic Hymenoptera in biological control and to teach them about the diversity of parasitic Hymenoptera and how to identify the various parasitoids. The students will build up a synoptic collection of parasitic Hymenoptera and identify various families of parasitic Hymenoptera. Biological properties of important parasitoids will be discussed. The course will have one lecture and two labs per week.
Grading: The course grade will be derived from two examinations; one midterm and one final at the completion of the course, and from grading of laboratory exercises on collection, preservation, and identification of specimens. The collection submitted by each student will also be evaluated for the final grade.
Course Outline:
Introduction to the Hymenoptera Systematic position of the Hymenoptera in the scheme of classification of insects Economic importance of Hymenoptera Hymenoptera and biological control		The superfamily Ichneumonidae Taxonomy of the Ichneumonidae and the Braconidae
Taxonomic principles and procedures A brief review of taxonomic terminology Methods of collection and preservation Identification procedures Rules of nomenclature		The superfamily Evanioidea and other smaller groups Families of Evanioidea The Trigonalioidea The Stephanidae
Classification of the Hymenoptera Outline of the higher classification of the Hymenoptera Phylogeny of the Hymenoptera Comparative morphology of the Hymenoptera Morphological terminology used in Hymenoptera		The superfamily Cynipoidea Classification of the Cynipoidea and the parasitic families
		The superfamily Chalcidoidea Classification of the Chalcidoidea and identification of the various families and subfamilies
The superfamilies of the Hymenoptera Use of keys to identify the superfamilies of Hymenoptera Taxonomic and biological notes on various superfamilies An outline of the Symphyta, Apocrita, division of Apocrita in Parasitica and Aculeata, superfamilies containing hymenopterous parasitoids, borderline cases, etc.		The superfamily Proctotrupoidea and Ceraphronoidea Classification of the Proctotrupoidea Study of the various families Relationships of the Ceraphronoidea
		The superfamily Chrysidoidea The classification of Chrysidoidea Study of parasitic groups
		Other groups of Hymenoptera with predatory habits
Texts: Gauld, I., and Bolton, B. (eds.). 1988. The Hymenoptera. Oxford University Press and British Museum of Natural History.
Supplemental Reading: Grissell, E.E., and Schauff, M.E. 1990. A handbook of the families of Nearctic Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). Entomological Society, Washington, DC. 85 pp. Marsh, P.M., Shaw, S.R., and Wharton, R.A. 1987. An identification manual for the North American genera of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Mem. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 13: 1-98. Masner, L. 1976. Revisionary notes and keys to world genera of Scelionidae (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea). Mem. Entomol. Soc. Canada 97: 1-87. Masner, L. 1980. Key to genera of Scelionidae of the holarctic region, with descriptions of new genera and species (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea). Mem. Entomol. Soc. Canada 113: 1-54. Yoshimoto, C.M. 1984. The families and subfamilies of Canadian chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). The Insects and Arachnids of Canada, Part 12. Canada Department of Agriculture. 150 pp.

ENY 6166	INSECT CLASSIFICATION		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. JOHN T. ZENGER
Prerequisites: ENY 3005 or consent of instructor
General Description: A study of the insect orders, key families and subfamilies emphasizing their evolutionary relationships. The basic concepts of speciation, classification, and nomenclature will be covered as well as proper collecting, preservation and curatorial techniques. The course consists of a single 1-hour lecture and two 2-hour laboratories per week. Numerous field collecting trips will be taken during laboratory times.
Grading: Grades will be based on weekly quizzes, a midterm examination, a Web-published literature review of a designated insect taxa, an extensive insect collection, and a laboratory practical examination.
Course Outline:
Preparation of specimens and curatorial techniques		Homoptera - Neuroptera
Species concepts and speciation		Coleoptera
Phenetic, cladistic, and evolutionary classifications		Strepsiptera
Orders: Protura - Ephemeroptera		Diptera
Odonata - Orthoptera		Trichoptera
Mantodea - Zoraptera		Lepidoptera
Hemiptera		Hymenoptera
Texts: Borror, D.J., Triplehorn, C.A., and Johnson, N.F. 1989. An introduction to the study of insects. 6th Ed. Sanders College Publishing, Chicago, IL (required).
Supplemental Reading: Borror, D.J. 1971. Dictionary of word roots and combining forms. Mayfield Publishing, Palo Alto, CA. Borror, D.J., and White, R.E. 1970. A field guide to the insects of America north of Mexico. The Peterson Field Guide Series 19. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. Nichols, S.W. (compiler). 1989. The Torre-Bueno glossary of entomology (revised edition). New York Entomological Society and American Museum of Natural History, New York.

ENY 6203	INSECT ECOLOGY		4 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. FRANK SLANSKY, DR. JON C. ALLEN, and DR. ROBERT McSORLEY
Prerequisites: None
General Description: A comprehensive review of concepts in ecology with emphasis on but not totally confined to the insects. The course will be “team taught” by three faculty members providing a hierarchical view of organization from the individual, population, and community levels. The role of insects in their environment, both biotic and abiotic, will be emphasized. Each of the three sections (I, II, and III) will be separately graded by a test at the end of the section by that instructor. The three sections will be equally weighted. There will be three lectures and a 2-hour laboratory section each week. The laboratories will vary from field problems to computer demonstrations and exercises, or they may consist of discussion of relevant subjects from reading materials. A written project and oral report will be required.
Grading: The grade will consist of the three section exams (60% of grade, 20% each), the project (25% of grade), and laboratory (15% of grade). There will be no comprehensive final; the last test will use the final exam time slot.
Course Outline:
I. Ecology and Individuals - Frank Slansky Scope of insect ecology Interactions and levels of organization Natural selection, fitness and adaptation Ecological roles LAB: Hypothesis testing in ecology Insect performance contributing to fitness Life cycles and performance Feeding, food utilization and allocation Performance interactions LAB: Allocation tradeoffs Insect-relevant environmental variation Abiotic and biotic factors Food characteristics Human-based influences LAB: Multifactor environmental interactions Insect diversity Lifestyles and performance modes Feeding guilds and feeding modes Lifestyles and environmental variation LAB: Adaptive syndrome compromises Coping with environmental variation Physiological and behavioral responses Compensatory responses Inductive responses LAB: Insects' environmental detection and response		II. Ecology of Populations - Jon Allen Single species populations Linear growth/age structure - the trouble with double Nonlinear growth - chaos Cyclic environments and “noise” LAB: Stochastic growth Spatial ecology Random movement, diffusion (normal distribution) Spatially varying diffusion (patterns develop) Metapopulation dynamics LAB: Sampling random and clustered patterns Statistical ecology and ecological data Relationships between spatial patterns and sampling Random events in space and time - waiting times Time series data - looking for cycles in noise LAB: Analysis of time series data Predator-prey interactions Lotka-Volterra, Nicholson-Bailey Functional response of predators Effects of spatial dispersion LAB: Disc equation exercise with clustered attacks Competition within and between species Within species competition - stabilizing influence Between species competition Effects of spatial dispersion LAB: Computer spatial simulation
III. Ecology of Communities - Robert McSorley Introduction Carbon cycle, photosynthesis, energy introduction Energy flow in simple system, production, respiration Trophic relationships, above-ground food webs LAB: Sampling bias and community structure Soil ecology Soil organisms Basic soil chemistry (emphasis on N) Decomposition and nutrient cycling LAB: Collection, extraction of litter and soil samples Community structure and function Discussion - energy analysis/budget of ecosystem Measuring community structure Aquatic entomology and water quality LAB: Examination of litter/soil samples Agricultural ecology Effects of management practices on insects Cropping systems, tillage, organic agriculture, etc. Discussion - review on insect management methods LAB: Applied ecology and insect management Landscape and environmental effects Succession and plant/insect communities Ecosystems in the landscape and their interactions Agrichemicals and the environment LAB: Weather, climate, and microclimates
Texts: None.

ENY 6205	NUTRITIONAL ECOLOGY OF INSECTS		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. FRANK SLANSKY
Prerequisites: Undergraduate entomology course
General Description: This course will provide an overview of insect nutritional ecology in order to achieve an understanding of the nutritional basis of insect physiology, behavior, ecology and evolution. Theory and data will be covered in both basic and applied contexts through lectures, discussions of selected readings, a term paper and an oral presentation based on the term paper.
Grading: Midterm exam (25%), final exam (25%), term paper (35%), oral presentation (10%), contribution to discussions (5%).
Course Outline:
Paradigm of nutritional ecology Historical development Logic and goals Methodology		Diversity of feeding patterns Feeding habit categorization (leaf feeders, seed suckers, predators, etc.) Specialized vs. generalized food habits Adaptations to abiotic factors (temperature, humidity, light, etc.) Adaptations to biotic factors (natural enemies, starvation, poor quality food, etc.) Impact of insects in natural agroecosystems Plant damage, energy and nutrient flux “Beneficial” insects Managing pests (insecticide resistance, host plant resistance, etc.)
Food consumption, utilization and allocation Nutritional requirements Digestion, metabolism, detoxication, excretion Feeding behavior, sensory physiology, neuroendocrine retulation Immature stages: growth, development, molting, pupation Adult stage: sexual differences, egg production, host selection Food characteristics (nutrients, allelochemicals, physical traits, etc.)
Texts: No formal text; selected readings will be assigned.

ENY 6207	INSECT POPULATION DYNAMICS		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. JON C. ALLEN
Prerequisites: MAC 3311 and MAC 3312 (Calculus) or equivalent, or consent of instructor. A statistics course and ENY 6203 (Insect Ecology) recommended.
When Offered: Spring semesters
General Description: Characteristics of the dynamics of insect populations through the use of population models. Course will focus on how the biological characteristics (age structure, behavior, genetics, etc.) can be modeled and how these features affect the dynamics of insect populations. The course will consist of two 1-hour lectures and a 2-hour lecture/ laboratory using the Pascal language on IBM PC’s.
Grading: Grades will be based on four quizzes (40% of grade), laboratory exercises (25% of grade), student project (25% of grade) and a final exam (10% of grade).
Course Outline:
Brief review of the mathematics of populations Derivatives (exponential and logistic growth) Integrals (renewal equation) Matrices (multiplication, roots, etc.) Periodic functions and complex numbers		Biological control and population interactions Predator-prey interactions Functional response of predators Numerical response of predators Host-parasitoid interactions Nicholson-Bailey and Hassell-Varhey models Continuous time models Host-pathogen interactions Effects of latent period Environmental forcing of population interactions Stability of population interactions
Basic population models for single-species, linear, times-invariant growth No age structure, discrete time No age structure, continuous time Discrete age structure, discrete time (Leslie model) interactions Continuous age structure, continuous time (renewal equation)		Spatially dispersed populations Discrete space vs. continuous space Random movement Density-dependent movement
		Modeling genetic effects at the population level Discrete time Continuous time Co-evolution of interesting populations
Single-species, density-dependent populations Density-dependent reproduction Equilibrium points Stability concepts Continuous time models Discrete time models Lagging density-dependence Modeling insect life cycles		Environmental effects on insect populations. Temperature effects Humidity-vapor pressure deficit. Life cycles vs. environmental cycles.
Texts: Syllabus of literature (required reading).
Supplemental Reading: Murray, J.D. 1989. Mathematical biology. Springer Verlag (on reserve). Edelstein-Keshet, L. 1988. Mathematics models in biology. Random House/Birkhauser. Math. Series (on reserve).

ENY 6209	CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF INSECTS		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. HEATHER J. McAUSLANE
Prerequisites: ENY 3005, BCH 3023 or CHM 3210 and CHM 3211 or equivalents
When Offered: Spring semester of even years
General Description: : This course is directed primarily at graduate students. Students will be introduced to the broad discipline of chemical ecology. The course will then focus on chemical ecology of insects and their interactions in managed and natural ecosystems. Methods of applying this knowledge for pest management will be discussed.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from two in-class midterm examinations (each 25% of grade), a term paper outline/grant preproposal (10% of grade), an oral presentation (10% of grade), and the term paper/grant proposal (30% of grade). There is no final examination
Course Outline:
Introduction		Predator/prey and host/parasite interactions - host and prey location, chemical defense, aposematism, mimicry
Overview of chemical ecology
Insect chemical ecology terminology		Plant-insect interactions—introduction
Chemoreception, neural integration		Mutualistic plant-insect interactions—pollination
Natural product separation, isolation and identification		Ant/Acacia interactions
Sex pheromones-history, production, orientation, behavioral bioassays		Antagonistic plant-insect interactions - host plant locations, host plant acceptance, plant defensive chemistry, bioassays, use in pest management
Other pheromones - host marking, trail, epideictic, alarm, aggregation pheromones, and bioassays		Detoxification - behavioral and biochemical mechanisms
Use of pheromones in pest management		Multitrophic interactions - plant/herbivore/natural enemy
Texts: None; suggested reading list will be provided in class.

ENY 6261	INSECT RESISTANCE IN CROP PLANTS		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. HEATHER J. McAUSLANE
Prerequisites: ENY 3005C or equivalent
When Offered: Fall semester of odd years
General Description: This course is designed for graduate and/or upper-level undergraduate students. It will describe the current theory and application of plant defense and the mechanisms of plant resistance to insects. It will delineate the principles of insect control through host plant resistance, the basis and genetics of plant resistance to insects, its relationship to integrated pest management, and the development and use of insect-resistant crop varieties.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from two in-class midterm examinations (each 25% of grade), an oral presentation (15% of grade), and a term paper (35% of grade). There is no final examination.
Course Outline:
Introduction, history of host plant resistance (HPR), definitions		Tolerance; developing resistant cultivars
Plant defense theory; insect sensory physiology		Factors affecting expression of resistance and incorporating resistance (conventional breeding versus genetic engineering)
Insect behavior - host plant finding and acceptance		Genetics of HPR and deployment of resistance genes
Bioassays - design and interpretation		Integration of HPR into integrated management systems
Antixenosis - physical and chemical factors		Antibiosis - physical factors, and constitutive and induced chemical factors
Texts: None; photocopied readings will be passed out in class or placed in the Entomology/Nematology reading room, Room 2105.

ENY 6401	INSECT PHYSIOLOGY		4 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. JAMES L. NATION
Prerequisites: None
General Description: This course is designed to introduce students to the principles of insect physiology. To aid students in gaining the ability to read, understand, and evaluate published reports relating to insect physiology. It will prepare students to use physiological tools and methods to investigate insect physiology. It will also prepare students to write the results of experimental investigations in manuscript form.
Grading: There will be three exams (each 25% of grade) and one term paper (25% of grade). Laboratory will count as 30% of grade.
Course Outline:
Embryogenesis and development until hatching		Muscle physiology and biochemistry
Feeding, digestion, absorption, and nutrition		Sensory physiology
The integument		Physiology of the circulatory system
Endocrine regulation of growth and development		Physiology and structure of the tracheal system
Major metabolic pathways for energy transformation and utilization in insects		Physiology or regulating the internal environment: excretion
The anatomy of the nervous system		Communication with semiochemicals
Physiology of the nervous system		Physiology of reproduction
Texts: None; text materials by instructor will be available from a campus copy center.

ENY 6454	BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS OF INSECTS		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. JAMES E. LLOYD
Prerequisites: None
General Description: Survey of concepts and theory of teleonomy (adaptation and natural selection thinking), and theory and practice of biosystematics and museum technique. Students develop, write, and instruct a lab exercise on some aspects of insect behavior.
Grading: Quizzes (10%), midterm and final exams (60%), insect collection, unknowns, discussion, reports, lab (30%).
Course Outline (lecture and discussion topics—additional topics may be brought up):
Interrelationship of behavioral ecology and systematics		Taxonomy and nomenclature
The species problem and how to solve it		Evolutionary stable strategies
Interrelationship of science and culture		Sexual selection and sperm competition
Systematics, the queen of biological science		Natural selection in nature
Classical genetics and insects		“Instinct” and learning in insects
Population genetics		Quantification of behavior
Natural selection and evolution		Cladistics and kin
Adaptation		Chemical ecology
Speciation		Migration
Laboratories and Field Trips:
Collecting techniques		Butterfly migration
Sampling techniques		Aggressive mimicry
Curating techniques		Identification of insects
Taxonomic keys		Quantifying behavior
Behavior and taxonomy		Marking insects for individuality
Chemical communication in ants		On approaching a brand-new problem
Constructing insect phylogenies
Texts: None; additional and supplementary reading sources listed below.
Supplemental Texts: Krebs, J.R., and Davies, N.B. (ed.). 1984. Behavioral ecology: An evolutionary approach. 2nd Ed. Sinauer, Sanderland. MA. 493 pp. Holldobler, B., and Lindaeur, M. (ed.). 1985. Experimental behavioral ecology and sociobiology. Sinauer, Sanderland. MA. 488 pp. Brown, L., and Downhower, J.F. 1988. Analyses in behavioral ecology: A manual for lab and field. Sinauer, Sunderland. MA. 194 pp. Morse, D.H. 1980. Behavioral mechanisms in ecology. Harvard, Cambridge. 383 pp. Martin, P., and Bateson, P. 1987. Measuring behavior: An introductory guide. Cambridge, London. 200 pp. Lloyd, J.E. (ed.). 1980-1984. Symposia in insect behavioral ecology. Florida Entomologist. Vols. 63-68. Futuyama, D.J. 1986. Evolutionary biology. 2nd Ed. Sinauer, Sunderland. MA. 600 pp. Hennig, W. 1981. Insect phylogeny. 1981. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 514 pp. Otte, D., and Endler, J. (ed.). 1989. Speciation and its consequences. Sinauer, Sunderland. MA. Thornhill, R., and Alcock, J. 1983. The evolution of insect mating systems. Harvard, Cambridge. 547 pp.
Journals:
Systematic Zoology	Evolution	Animal Behavior	Cladistics
Environmental Entomology	Journal of the History of Biology	Insect Behavior	American Naturalist

ENY 6651	INSECT TOXICOLOGY		3 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. SIMON S. YU
Prerequisites: ENY 3005, Organic Chemistry or equivalent
General Description: A study of the chemistry, formulation, toxicology, mode of action, metabolism, legal aspects and environmental considerations of insecticides, and insecticide resistance. The course will have two 1-hour lectures and a 3-hour laboratory per week.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from two midterm examinations, a final examination, and three laboratory reports.
Course Outline:
The need for pesticides and their pattern of use		The mode of action of insecticides
The formulation of pesticides		Principles of insecticide metabolism
The laws concerning the sale and use of pesticides		Phenomena associated with detoxication
The classification of insecticides		The uptake of insecticides
Evaluation of toxicity		Insect resistance to insecticides
		Insecticides in the environment
Laboratory Exercises:
Bioassay and probit analysis		Determination of acetylcholinesterase activity and its inhibition by organophosphorus insecticides
Phenomenon of insecticide synergism		Microsomal oxidation of insecticides and its inhibition by synergists
Texts: Matsumura, F. 1985. Toxicology of insecticides. 2nd Ed. Terriere, L.C. 1982. The biochemistry and toxicology of insecticides. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR..

ENY 6665	ADVANCED MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY		4 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. JERRY F. BUTLER
Prerequisites: ENY 4660
General Description: The course is to provide training for entomology majors and to serve as an advanced course in entomology for animal science and related fields. A course designed to cover the host and arthropod interaction along with identification, control, and the veterinary aspects of entomology. Students will become familiar with the epidemiology (with stress on the role of arthropods) of the major arthropod-borne diseases. The course will have two 1-hour lectures and two 2-hour laboratories per week. Students will use taxonomic keys to study insect groups and identify specimens.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from two laboratory quizzes and a collection of slide-mounted specimens.
Course Outline:
History of medical/veterinary entomology		Biting gnats and related forms
How arthropods affect animals		Biting muscoid flies
How animals affect arthropod parasites (host reaction)		Non-biting muscoid flies and miscellaneous Diptera
Eradication programs and principles		Deer flies and horse flies (Tabanidae)
Phthiraptera; siphonaptera		Ticks and diseases; mites and disease
Mosquitoes; venomous arthropods		Myiasis; onchocerciasis
Forensic entomology; tabanids		Heartworm—Human filariasis
General epidemiology		Malaria; mosquito-borne viruses
Epidemic typhus and relapsing fever		Plague and murine typhus; tick-borne encephalides
Chagas’ disease; African sleeping sickness; leishmaniasis		Rocky Mountain spotted fever—scrub typhus
Texts: None; reading assignments from books and journals. Assigned readings will be placed in the Marston Science Library.

ENY 6821	INSECT PATHOLOGY		4 CREDITS
Instructor: DR. DRION G. BOUCIAS
Prerequisites: None
General Description: The course will give an overview of the insect pathogenic microorganisms with emphasis on their physical and biochemical properties, infection pathways, and their impact on host insect populations. Primary consideration will be given to those pathogens which are currently being developed as microbial control agents.
Grading: Course grade will be derived from five laboratory reports, midterm and final exams.
Course Outline:
General		Humoral and cellular immune responses
Historical overview		Disease ecology
Insect microbe relationships		Epizootiology
Introduction to insect pathogens		Resistance
Pathology of insect diseases		Microbial control
Insect viruses		Conventional microbial control strategies
Rickettsia and bacteria		Recombinant microbes and transgenic plants
Mycoplasma and spiroplasma		Specialized techniques in insect pathology
Protozoa and microspora		Detection and isolation of insect pathogens
Fungi		Diagnosis and characterization of entomopathogens
Insect defense mechanisms		Propagation and bioassay of insect pathogens
Passive barriers to infection
Texts: None.