ENY-5223C, Biology and Identification of Urban Pests, 3 Credits

Distance Education

                                                                             

My goal for this distance education class is to maintain the same schedule as students taking the class on campus and in the classroom.  Lecture CDs, syllabus, course schedule, class notes, and assignments are available from the course website (http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/koehler/eny3222/) for download. You will have to email the instructor to obtain the password for the site.  The following is a general concept for keeping on schedule:

            Lectures M W-- Lectures should be accomplished on or before the date listed

            Laboratories F-- Assignments due and submitted to instructor by email on date listed

 

Instructor:      Philip G. Koehler

Office:                        Urban Entomology Building

Phone:            392-2484

Email:             pgk@ufl.edu

Web Site:        http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/koehler/eny3222/

Office Hours: 8:00-5:00 weekdays

 

Course Description:  This course will cover the life cycle, behavior, and biology of urban pests, such as cockroaches, termites, fleas, stored food insects, flies, and ants.  Understanding of the damage these insects cause and sources of infestations will be emphasized.

 

Course Objectives:

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.

            3.  Identify blood-sucking insects and understand their biology

            4.  Recognize pest ant species and their colony structure.

            5.  Recognize important stored food pests.

 

Text:   Mallis, Arnold. Handbook of Pest Control.  9th Edition.  1997.  Mallis Handbook and Technical Training Co., Cleveland, OH.  ISBN: 1-890561-01-0. Library of Congress Catalogue Card No.: 2003117135

 

Class CDs: Contain lectures, reading assignments, class notes, class schedule, and syllabus.  The CDs should be downloaded from eLearning (lss.at.ufl.edu) or will be provided

 

Lecture Notebook:  Print this on your own from the CD.  You can have it printed/bound at a copy store if you desire.

 

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 project orally, on site in Gainesville, or by submission of the presentation and script for a grade.

 

Grading:  The course is based on 700 total points:

            Midterm -- 200 points

            Final exam – 200 points

            Laboratories – 200 points

            Special research project and presentation – 100 points

 

Grading scale (%):

            94-100             A

            90-<94             A-

            87-<90             B+

            83-<87             B

            80-<83             B-

            77-<80             C+

74-<77             C

70-<74             C-

67-<70             D+

64-<67             D

60-<64             D-

<60                  E

 

Academic Honesty:

As a result of completing the registration form at the University of Florida, every student has signed the following statement: “I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the University”.

 

We, the members of the University of Florida, pledge to hold ourselves and peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

 

UF Counseling Services:

Resources are available on campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals which interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:

1. University Counseling Center, 302 Peabody Hall, 392-1575 personal and career counseling

2. Student Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, personal counseling

3. Sexual Assault Recovery Services, Student Health Center, 392-1161, sexual counseling

4. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling

 

Software Use:

All faculty, staff and students of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damage and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken, as appropriate.

 

Information for Students with Disabilities:

Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the Office for Student Services to determine the appropriate classroom accommodations. Any student requesting classroom accommodations must be registered with the Dean of Students Office, P202 Peabody Hall, 392-1261(TDD - 392-3008), and have documentation on file in the office of Student Services in order to receive classroom and/or examination accommodations.  For students with hearing disabilities trying to contact an office that does not list a TDD, please contact the Florida Relay Service at 1-800-955-8771.

 

UF Policy on E-mail:

Official University business email will be communicated to students using the University GatorLink email account. That is, official email will be sent exclusively to GatorLinkUserName@ufl.edu. The preferred email address recorded for all students will be the GatorLink address.  This is the email address displayed in the online phonebook. Students may continue to use the forwarding mechanism to deliver their email to other mail services, if they wish. However, it is the student’s responsibility to insure that the forwarding address is current so that they receive official communications from the University”.

 

Specific Directions for CDs

 

Log onto the course website (http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/koehler/eny4660/) using the password provided by the instructor.

    1. Click on Lecture CDs
    2. Click on desired CD Download (e.g., ENY 4660  CD1)
    3. If yellow security bar appears, click and allow download
    4. Extract the zip files to a zipfolder and then to CD or hard drive

 

1.  Read the assignment in textbook for each class before listening to the lecture.

2.  Print the lecture notes for each class.  You may want to go to a copy store to have the notes printed and bound.

3.  Put lecture notebook and pen/pencil at a convenient place in front of a computer.

            A. You will need sound so make sure the computer has speakers and sound capabilities turned on.

4.  Insert CD into computer.  It should autoload.  If autoload is turned off:

            A. Windows

            1.  Go to Windows desktop. 

            2.  Double click “My computer”

            3.  Double click on “UrbanBioEntCD.exe”

            B.  Mac :  the CD will not work properly on a Mac computer


 

4.  Each lecture has

            A. A title slide that has the time you need to plan for completion of each lecture.

            B. An objectives slide that presents the objectives of each lecture.

            C. Content slides that present the lecture information

            D. Practice essay questions slide

4. View each slide. Start each lecture by clicking on the menu on the left.  Sound or video is played automatically for each slide.

            A. The next slide is advanced automatically.

            B. You can control the sound/video volume and replay sound by sliding the bar controls.

            C.  Video can be advanced or rewound by sliding the bar under the video.

            C. You can go to other slides by clicking on the menu at the left side of screen.

5.  As each slide is playing sound, take notes in the lecture notes.

            A.  Some slides are color coded.  The teal (light blue color) for text indicates that more important information about the word/subject will be orally presented.

            B.  You have the capability of repeating portions or all of the sound for each slide to hear the information again.

            C.  You can read additional information from the textbook for each slide.

6.  Complete the practice essay questions.

            A.  These questions are good examples for you to study

7.  Laboratories.

            A.  You should download your laboratory assignment on Friday of each week.

            B.  Assignments may require internet access and familiarity with browsing the internet.

            C.  Submit your completed laboratory assignment to eLearning by the due date for the laboratory to get full credit.  The laboratory assignments are due on Mondays.

8.  It is your responsibility to stay on schedule.  Make sure you complete the lectures on or before the date on the syllabus.

 

List of Lectures

1.  Overview of Urban Entomology

2.  Orders of Arthropods that are Urban Pests

3.  Cockroaches

4.  Cockroaches (Problems)

5.  Cockroaches (Blattellidae)

6.  Cockroaches (Blattidae)

7.  Composition and Structure of Wood

8.  Termites

9.   Subterranean termites

10. Non-Subterranean termites

11.  Wood-boring Beetles

12.  Wood Decay & Other WDOs

13.  Pests in Damp Locations

14. Delusory Parasitosis

15.  Biting flies & Mosquitoes

16.  Lice & bugs

18. Bedbugs

19. Fleas

20. Ticks and Mites

21.  Pests of Fabric

22.  Pests of Paper

23.  Ants

24.  Pest Ants

25.  Wasps

26.  Bees

27.  Spiders and Scorpions

28.  Envenomization

29.  Stored Food Pests

30.  Filth Flies & Small Flies (Gnats)