Introductory Entomology serves as a basic background course for students intending to pursue further training in entomology as well as a review of the insects, their structure, identification and role in our environment for students with no intention to pursue further study of insects. It satisfies a Group III (Biological Sciences) general education requirement. The broad areas covered in the course include:

1. Systematics - The evolution, classification and identification of the insects.
2. Biology - The form and function of the typical insect and the specializations that contribute to their success.
3. Behavior - The range and diversity of insect behavior.
4. Ecology - The role played by insects in the ecosystem; emphasis is on population ecology and its importance to insect pest management.

Some pertinent information concerning the structure and requirements for the course is provided below.

Grading

The final course grade will be the percentage of total points that each student earns, based on the following point schedule:

                          ------------------------------
                          EVALUATION INSTRUMENT   POINTS
                          ------------------------------
                          Exam I                   100
                          Exam II                  100
                          Exam III                 100
                          Lab Quizzes & Reports    100
                          Collection               100
                          ------------------------------
                          Total                    500
                          ------------------------------  
 

Exams

Three 1-hour exams are scheduled during regular class meetings; there is no final exam. Although exams are not intended to be cumulative, some overlap is inevitable. Exams will consist of short answer and short discussion questions. Spelling counts. Discussion questions are designed to allow you to integrate facts into a meaningful presentation of a topic. Your discussion should be concise but thorough, and should consist of several well conceived paragraphs. Illustrations are encouraged where appropriate, but they should not be substituted for text.

Lab Quizzes & Reports

Assessment of performance in lab will be through a combination of lab quizzes, work sheets and reports. Quizzes will generally be taken at the end of the lab period during which the material is completed, while reports will be due the week following completion of the lab.

Collection

You are required to prepare and submit a collection of 50 insect specimens representing 10 orders, 35 families and 50 species. Details concerning the collection will be covered in the lab. Your insect collection represents an integral part of the course and constitutes one fifth of your total grade.

Journal

Each student will keep a journal of their activities related to NR 412. The journal is intended to encourage regular thought about course material, to reinforce concepts in a non-threatening format, and to foster creative speculation regarding insects and their role in the natural world.

Content

Your journal will include a variety of dated entries related to course material. Possible entries will include:

1. Essays - Informal essays on topics assigned by the instructor or initiated by the student.
2. Observations - Personal comments on topics related to entomology. These may include summaries of concepts you find particularly difficult, questions you may want to ask the instructor, speculation about the role of insects in our society, descriptions of collecting trips, etc.
3. Critiques - Critiques of written or visual materials assigned by the instructor or selected by the student. These should include critiques of individual class sessions and teaching techniques (what worked for you; what didn't ...).
4. Trivia - Entomological trivia gleaned from TV, newspaper articles, books, etc.

Journal Grading

Specific content of the journal will not be graded, although the quality and appropriateness of your observations, clarity of expression, and number of entries will all be considered in assigning a grade for each of seven grading periods. Each period will receive a grade from 0.0-1.0 and your sum for the seven periods (maximum of 5.0) will be added to your final grade for the course. Failure to submit your journal for review will result in a zero for that grading period. Note: You must be present in class to submit your journal. Graded journals will be returned by the instructor in class the following week.

Format

Your journal will be kept on loose leaf paper. Staple your pages together prior to submission, and be sure to have your name on the first page. Each entry will be labeled with the date of entry in the right margin of the page. Title each entry on the left margin of the page with the type of entry being made (Essay, Trivia, Observation, Critique) and note parenthetically if it was assigned in class. Typical entries might look like this.

		     ----------------------------------------
                                                 Paul Johnson
		     Observation                       9/9/96
		
		     Crickets make a beautiful sound, but at 
		     three AM when I'm trying to sleep, they
		     are a pain!

		     Essay                            9/12/96 
 
		     E. O. Wilson's synthesis of Sociobiology
		     is an important milestone in the 
		     development of quantitative biology, but
		     it has been greeted with a good deal
		     of controversy.
		     ----------------------------------------

Office Hours

I will maintain formal office hours from 9:00 - 11:00 am Wednesday, but feel free to "drop in" for informal discussion or questions any time or call for an appointment. While I will make every effort to be available during office hours, meetings and emergencies do occasionally intervene. If I'm not in my office, check my lab across the hall (Spaulding 265). Paul C. Johnson Room 258 Spaulding Life Sciences Building Phone: 862-1717 e-Mail: pcj@christa.unh.edu

Equipment

During the lab portion of the course, you will be issued several items of equipment. Your insect collection will not be accepted until your equipment is returned. Late submission of your collection will cost you points and could lead to an "incomplete" for the course.

Text

Borror, D.J. and R.E. White. 1970. A Field Guide to the Insects. Houghton Mifflin: Boston. (Required)

Evans, H.E. 1984. Insect Biology. Addison-Wesley:Reading, MA. (Required)