ENY 5611 - IMMATURE INSECTS
Days, times and place to be determined
Bldg. 970, Natural Area Drive
Updated August 2013
Instructor and Office Hours:
Dr. Marc Branham
Room 2005 Steinmetz Hall (Entomology Building)
Bldg. 970 Natural Area Drive
P.O. Box 110620
TEL 352-273-3915
FAX 352-392-0190
marcbran@ufl.edu
Office hours: Monday 1:00-4:00 p.m., or by appointment
Course Description: Instructional format includes lectures,
laboratory periods and field trips. Lectures will focus on the
anatomy/morphology, and taxonomy of immature insects at the ordinal and
familial levels. Emphasis is placed on those taxa that exhibit true
metamorphosis. Collecting techniques and curation/preservation
techniques will also be discussed. Laboratory time will emphasize the
utilization of taxonomic keys to identify immature insects to order and
family (occasionally to genus and species). Field trips will be taken
throughout the course of the semester, and an extensive collection of
immature insects is required. Two exams will be given that will include
keying out unknown specimens and answering questions regarding the
lecture material covered. Rearing assignments and identification of
unknown specimens in the teaching collection will also be required.
Prerequisites: ENY 4161/6166 or equivalent, or
instructor
approval.
Objectives and goals
The student will:
a. be provided with anatomical and taxonomic
descriptions of orders
and common families.
b. be provided with field exposure to various habitats
and collecting
techniques.
c. use appropriate methods for killing, preserving and
labeling
immature insects in order to build a scientifically useful collection.
d. be provided knowledge of proper methods of
preparation, preservation
and study of various immature insects.
e. gain practical experience in utilizing taxonomic
keys to identify
immature insects (particularly the diverse and economically important
Holometabola).
f. gain familiarity with rearing techniques as well as
the significance
of rearing.
g. become more cognizant of the relationship of
structure to that of function and be able to relate this concept to the
bionomics of
immature insects.
Course Procedure
Instruction is provided in two, 4-hour periods per week, with the first
hour generally used as a lecture period. Collecting trips will be taken
during class periods. Weekly email reminders will be sent before the
end of each week to inform you what we will be doing the upcoming class
period.
a. Lecture: Anatomical and taxonomic background
material will be
presented to enable the student to use taxonomic keys; presentations
will also cover bionomics and any unique features of taxa under
consideration.
b. Laboratory: Students will work, under expert
supervision, on acquainting themselves with taxonomic keys and on the
identification
and study of specimens to be used in their collections and assignments.
Optional open lab periods will be available to students desiring
additional time, and these will be announced later in the semester.
c. Field Work: A variety of habitats will be visited
(i.e. aquatic,
agricultural, preserves/parks) to provide students broad exposure to
immature insects, their habits and associated sampling techniques.
Assignments, collections, exams
Family Summaries
Each student is to choose an insect family of their choice, collect as
much published information as possible on the immature stages of that
family and summarize this information in 4-7 pages. You may choose to
organize your paper into sections discussing: general biology, general
morphology, life cycle/s, larval habitat and feeding behavior. You
paper must include a reference section citing the appropriate sources.
Also, please include referenced illustrations of the immature forms
found in your chosen family. You are to hand in two copies of your
summary: a) one on paper, and b) one electronic copy, {either on CD or
e-mailed to M. Branham}. Both copies are due at 12:30, July7.
Identification of Unknowns
It will be your job to help us identify unknown specimens for our
future teaching collection. You will be required to identify 15 unknown
specimens to family. 10 of these unknowns must be holometabolous
specimens. You will write down the numbers in each couplet as you key
out each specimen and indicate which key you used on a handout that
will be provided. Each specimen, correctly identified, will be worth 10
points, and can be turned in throughout the semester. The absolute
deadline for all 15 unknowns will be July 28. Specimens incorrectly
identified will receive partial credit according to how far in the key
you made it to before making a wrong choice in the couplets. If you
work on them throughout the semester, chances are there will be enough
time to ensure you get all of them correctly identified (you are
encouraged to ask questions!!). If you find out that one you have
chosen is too difficult, try another one! Once a specimen is turned in,
it will be graded accordingly. Specimens identified in addition to the
required 15 will be worth 5 points each (provided they are correctly
identified, no partial credit will be awarded)—maximum 25 points.
Collection/Rearing Assignment
The completion an extensive insect collection will be the major focus
(600 points) of the course. It will include a rear out assignment.
Please see collection handout for details. The collection (plus rearing
and identified unknowns) are due at the end of the period (4:30) on
July 28. If the collection (and its components) are turned in after
(4:30pm) July 28, 100pts. per day will be deducted beyond the 28th.
Midterm
and Final Exams
Exams will cover biology and morphology information discussed in class,
the keying out of unknown specimens, and possible sight identifications
of important and readily identified families. Each exam will be worth
100 points. The final WILL NOT be cumulative.
Field Trips
During the course of the semester we will go to a variety of habitats
to maximize your exposure to immature insects. By doing so, it also
maximizes the risk of coming across something that could harm you.
Ticks, chiggers, widow spiders, mosquitoes, biting flies, reptiles,
plants and other environmental hazards will be encountered during these
trips, so dress accordingly. Appropriate dress includes shoes, long
pants, long sleeve shirt and a hat. Although this recommendation does
not completely eliminate the risks associated with outdoor activity, it
does reduce it considerably. A change of clothes is a good idea if you
are one that doesn’t mind getting into your work. Insect/tick repellant
and sunscreen are also necessary for these trips along with snacks and
water.
Suggested Textbooks: Stehr, F.W. 1987. Immature
Insects.
Volumes I and II. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. (will be on
loan
from the department)
Chu, H.F. and L.K. Cutkomp. 1992. How to know the immature
insects, 2nd
edition. McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing. (UF Bookstore/approx.
$35.00)
COURSE OUTLINE
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Lectures will not take up the entire
lab period, so use the extra time wisely! We will stay the entire
period to help with identifications and other questions. Be prepared to
work in lab if collecting trips are cancelled due to inclement weather.
Week 1: Intro.; overview of immatures;insect eggs; growth
Introduction to orders (immatures)
Life history, metamorphosis; terms used to describe immatures
Equip. checkout; collection tech.; Berlese samples.
Week 2: Apterygota; Hemimetabola (Odonata, Ephmeroptera) Lab:
Collect in Natural Area and sort Berlese samples
All day field trip All Day Collecting Trip (Aquatic collecting).
Week 3: Lecture - Plecoptera; Orthopteroidea; (discuss family
summary) Lab - work on unknowns/collections
Hemiptera (= old Hemiptera + Homoptera) Lab - Collecting Trip.
Week 4: Pupal Stage; Neuropteroidea; Megaloptera; Neuroptera Lab
- work on unknowns/collections.
Week 5: Coleoptera 1 Lab - Collecting Trip
Lecture - Coleoptera 2 Lab - work on unknowns/collections.
Week 6: Lecture - Coleoptera 3; Pscoptera; Phthiraptera;
Thysanoptera Lab - Collecting Trip.
MID-TERM EXAM (through Coleoptera) Lab - work on unknowns/collections..
Week 7: Lecture- Diptera 1 Lab - work on unknowns/collections
Lecture - Diptera 2, Siphonaptera; Strepsiptera; Mecoptera Lab - work
on unknowns/collections.
Week 8: Lecture - Hymenoptera 1 (Family summaries due) Lab -
-Collecting Trip.
Lecture - Hymenoptera 2 Lab - work on unknowns/collections.
Week 9: Lecture - Lepidoptera 1 Lab - Collecting Trip
Lecture - Lepidoptera 2 Lab - work on unknowns/collections
Week 10: Lecture Lepidoptera 3; Trichoptera Open lab - - work on
unknowns/collections.
Week 11: Open Lab - Collecting trip/ work on collections
Open lab (Collection + ID'ed Unknowns + Rearings due) work on
collections
Collecting trip/ work on collections.
Week 12: Open Lab –
FINAL EXAM - (Diptera through Trichoptera).
Grading:
Midterm exam I = 100 points
Family Summary = 50 points
Unknowns (15 x 10pts. each) = 150 points
Collection/Rearing = 600 points
Finalk Exam + 100 points
Total Points 1000 points
Grading Scale:
A = 90-100%
B+ = 85-89%
B = 80-84%
C+ = 75-79%
C = 70-74%
D+ = 65-69%
D = 60-64%
E = 0-59%
Critical Dates for Exams or Other Work:
Please see
the
printed syllabus for scheduled dates of exams. Midterm exams are
scheduled to last 1.5
hours, and will usually begin one-half hour before normal class time,
depending on student schedules. Exams consist of short answer and essay
questions. There is no final examination. Students will be expected to
sign the following statement on all exams: "On my honor I pledge that I
have
neither given nor received assistance in the completion of this test."
Policy Related to Class Attendance:
Attendance is
not
taken
in class and is not required. However valuable information and
discussion will be
missed if the student does not attend class.
Policy Related to Make-Up Exams or
Other Work:
Missed
exams
cannot be made up except in the case of prior excused absence or family
or
medical emergencies. Late assignments will lose 10% of their value each
day after 5:00 p.m. on the due date. Weekends count as one day. Late
assignments will not be accepted more than one week after their due
date.
Class Demeanor Expected by Instructor:
Please be
considerate of your classmates by not chatting during lecture. The
banging of doors is very
distracting to both students and professor, therefore please arrive on
time and do not leave early. Turn off cell phones and beepers before
coming
into classroom. UF rules prohibit your having food or drinks in
classrooms. Use of tobacco products (in any form) in the classroom is
prohibited.
Additional General Information: The
following
information applies to all courses at the University of Florida.
We, the members of the University of Florida
community,
pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standard of
honesty and
integrity.>
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.
Copyrighted Materials and
Software Use:
All students
are
required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing
copyrighted
material and software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary
damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because
such
violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary
action will be taken as appropriate.
Accommodations for Students
with
Disabilities:
Students
requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of
Students
Office. The Dean of Students will provide documentation to the student
who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when
requesting accommodation.
University 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, 301
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 (SARS), Student Health Care Center,
392-1161, sexual counseling; and
4. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development
assistance and counseling.