Fall 2002, LECTURE - M & W 1:30-2:20; LAB M & W 2:35-4:25

I. INSTRUCTORS:

Lewis L. Deitz
4322 Gardner Hall
Phone: 515-2833 (work: voice mail), 828-1477 (home)
E-mail: lewis_deitz@ncsu.edu
Office hours: Tuesday 10:35-11:30 am, 1:00-3:00 pm (appointment desirable); please make an appointment for other times.

Teaching Assistant:
Marie Newman
Gardner Hall
Phone: 838-0447 (home), 515-1651 (work)
E-mail: marie_newman@ncsu.edu.marie_newman@ncsu.edu

II. PREREQUISITES:

ENT 425 (or equivalent): thus, students are assumed to be familiar with certain taxa (see IV below), and the material in Chapter 3 of the required text (below).

III. REQUIRED TEXT:

Borror, D. J., C. A. Triplehorn, & N. F. Johnson. 1989. An Introduction to the Study of Insects. 6th edition. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. xiv + 875 pp.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

Borror, D. J., and R. E. White. 1970. A Field Guide to the Insects of America North of Mexico. The Peterson Field Guide Series 19. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. xii + 404 pp.

Nichols, S. W. (compiler). 1989. The Torre-Bueno Glossary of Entomology. (revised edition). New York Entomological Society and America Museum of Natural History, New York. xviii + 840 pp.

OTHER USEFUL TEXTS ON RESERVE, D. H. HILL LIBRARY:

Boudreaux, H.B. 1979 (1987 reprint). Arthropod Phylogeny with Special Reference to Insects. John Wiley & Sons, New York. viii + 320 pp. [QL434.35.B68 1987]

CSIRO (eds.). 1991. The Insects of Australia: a Textbook for Students and Research Workers. 2nd edition. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria. 2 vols., xvi + vi + 1137 pp. [QL487.I5 1991]

Futuyma, D. J. 1998. Evolutionary Biology. Sinauer, Sunderland, Massachusetts. Xviii + 763 + [64 (glossary, literature cited, index)] pp. [QH366.2 F87 1998]

Gupta, A. P. 1979. Arthropod Phylogeny. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York. xx + 76 pp. [QL434.35.A77]

Richards, O. W., and R. G. Davis. 1977. Imm's General Textbook of Entomology. (10th edit.). Halstead Press, New York. 2 Vol. viii + vi + 1354 pp. [QL463.I7 1977]

Ross, H. H. 1974. Biological Systematics. Addison-Wesley Publ. Co., Reading, Massachusetts. 345 pp. [QH83.R67]

Sneath, P. H. A., and R. R. Sokal. 1973. Numerical Taxonomy. The Principles and Practice of Numerical Classification. W. F. Freeman & Co., San Francisco. xv + 573 pp. [QH83.S58]

WEB SITE: N.C. State AgNIC Web Site for Systematic Entomology:


IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES:

A. Survey the diversity of insect structure and biology tracking the major evolutionary pathways.

B. Develop the ability to identify insects*, especially adults, through the taxonomic levels of order, family, and in some groups genus or species.

C. Become familiar with the basic concepts of speciation, classification, nomenclature, zoogeography, evolutionary relationships of insects and other arthropods, and techniques of collection, preservation and curation.

*It is assumed that students coming into ENT 502 are able to identify on sight most members of the following 70 taxa, at least to the level given here (order, suborder, superfamily, or family): Collembola, Thysanura, Odonata (Libellulidae), Ephemeriida, Plecoptera, Orthoptera (Acrididae, Gryllidae, Tettigoniidae), Mantodea, Blattaria, Phasmida, Dermaptera, Isoptera, Thysanoptera, Heteroptera (Belostomatidae, Gerridae, Pentatomidae, Miridae), Homoptera (Coccoidea, Aphididae, Delphacidae, Cicadidae, Cicadellidae, Membracidae), Mallophaga, Anoplura, Hymenoptera (Ichneumonidae, Formicidae, Vespidae, Sphecoidea, Apoidea), Megaloptera (Corydalidae), Neuroptera (Chrysopidae), Coleoptera (Carabidae, Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, Gyrinidae, Elateridae, Coccinellidae, Cerambycidae, Chyrsomelidae, Curculionidae), Mecoptera, Diptera (Tipulidae, Culicidae, Tabanidae, Asilidae, Syrphidae, Calliphoridae, Tachinidae), Siphonaptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera (Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, Danaidae, Sphingidae, Saturniidae, Noctuoidea).

V. GRADING (A+ = 100-97, A = 96-93, A- = 92-90, B+ = 89-87, B = 86-83, B- = 82-80, C+ = 79-77, C = 76-73, C- = 72-70, D+ = 69-67, D = 66-63, D- = 62-60: based on overall grade rounded to the nearest integer; final grades are accessible using the TRACS LINK to the Department of Registration and Records):

VI. EXAMINATION POLICY, ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, AND ATTENDANCE:

Students are expected to be familiar with and honor the NCSU Code of Student Conduct and the Honor Pledge as it applies to exams and projects (www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/stu_affairs/policies). Absolute honesty and scientific integrity are expected in the completion of all tests and assignments. Regular attendance is essential to completing ENT 502 in a satisfactory manner. Excuses for anticipated absences should be approved by the instructor before the absence. Make-up examinations for anticipated and certified emergency absences (see Handbook for Teachers at North Carolina State University) will normally include oral as well as written questions. Penalties commensurate with the importance of the work will be imposed for late assignments (such penalties may be waived at the discretion of the instructor if certification is provided documenting a serious interruption in the student's work not caused by his or her negligence).

Exams stress orders and suborders as well as the families marked by an asterisk(*) on the collection grading sheets. For these taxa, students should know the major research workers, feeding habits, life histories, scientific and common names, and the order (or both order and suborder) placement of the families. The final exam is comprehensive with emphasis on the most recent material.

ENT 502 examinations will be returned to the student for review during a laboratory period following the examination. Any answers that a student believes are graded incorrectly must be brought to the instructor's attention for possible adjustment of credit at that time. Immediately upon completion of this review all examinations must be returned to the instructor so grades may be recorded. Subsequently, that examination will be available for review only in the instructor's office by appointment. Among the reasons for holding the examinations are the following:

(1) Unless all old tests are available to all students, those students who have access to the largest number will have an unfair advantage.
(2) The number of reliable questions that stress important information is limited. After an instructor teaches several years, entirely new questions are more difficult to create. Consequently, if numerous old tests are available, students may limit their studying to old tests and complain when new questions are added.
(3) Student members of the Committee to Select Outstanding Teaching Professors at North Carolina State University have said that many professors who return examinations should not be considered as outstanding because their students need only study old examinations in order to make a B in the course.

VII. EQUIPMENT TO BE SUPPLIED BY STUDENT:

Dissecting forceps, scissors, probes, fine point pen for labeling specimens ( Pigma MICRON 005, crowquill pen, Rapidograph® pen, or Ultradraw® pen with 4 x 0 point), and permanent black ink (FW non-clogging, waterproof India ink; Pelican drawing ink 17); large ringbinder for handouts.

VIII. REQUIRED FIELD TRIP:

This trip should greatly enhance your collection. (Additional information will be provided separately.)

IX. DISABILITY NOTICE:

Students with disabilities are asked to schedule an appointment with the instructor so that necessary classroom adjustments can be provided as soon as possible.

X. LABORATORY SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT:

Know the location of the nearest exits, fire extinguisher, shower (eye wash station), safety plan, and accessible telephone. If a FIRE ALARM sounds, exit calmly and quickly (do not use the elevator)--in smoky conditions crawl close to the floor; gather outside west of the building. Use all CHEMICALS with extreme caution in the laboratory and while collecting in the field. Ethyl acetate dissolves paint and other finishes--never place bottles containing this chemical on cars or furniture. Handle MICROSCOPES with great care--use both hands (one supporting the base) to hold the scope upright (otherwise, the eye pieces may fall out). When placing a scope in its cabinet, avoid knocking the adjustments (cabinets are intended only for the storage of microscopes, not books or other personal items). If last to leave the classroom, always LOCK THE DOORS, even if you plan to be gone only briefly.

XI. HINTS FOR SUCCEEDING IN ENT 502:

Keep up with the course--both lecture and lab. The content is covered quickly and requires considerable memorization. Organizing handouts in a 3-inch ring binder helps. To use the teaching collection beyond working hours, a key may be checked out from the head secretary for a $5.00 deposit (see the instructor).

Begin working on the required collection as soon as possible. Label specimens with temporary labels at the time they are collected; mount them as soon as possible thereafter. Do not put off preparing permanent data labels. Key some of your own specimens during the laboratories. Before each lab read the relevant sections of your text. Use bookmarks (tabs) to mark order keys in your text–-this will save valuable time during lab practicals.

ENTOMOLOGY 502: INSECT SYSTEMATICS

Fall 2002, LECTURE - M & W 1:30-2:20; LAB M & W 2:35-4:25

TENTATIVE SYLLABUS