Instructors

Dr. Andrew R. Deans
4322 Gardner Hall
ncsu.edu e-mail: andy_deans
office hours: by appointment

Andrew Ernst
4319 Gardner Hall
gmail.com e-mail: ernsthausen
office hours: Monday 1:30-3:00pm

About ENT 502

Welcome to the Insect Biodiversity and Evolution (ENT 502) website. This course is designed to teach students about insect taxonomy, relationships, collection and preservation techniques, morphology, and natural history. We'll focus mostly on adult forms and emphasize insects found in North Carolina. There is a significant lab component, in which students will learn how to use diagnostic keys and to identify insects by sight. Collection techniques will be honed during multiple field trips.

Goals/Objectives

Upon completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. teach others how to collect, preserve, and transport hexapods properly
  2. name and sight-identify all of the hexapod orders and the common local families
  3. label a generalized hexapod diagram with external anatomy terms
  4. outline, i.e., draw a phylogenetic tree of, the relationships among hexapod orders
  5. teach others how to read a phylogenetic tree, what kinds of data are used to estimate trees, how those data are analyzed, and what it means to be monophyletic
  6. describe key innovations and life history strategies of major hexapod lineages
  7. solve taxonomic problems and describe how species and other taxa are named and described, i.e., understand the fundamentals of taxonomic practice
  8. name and briefly describe the latest developments in insect biodiversity research, e.g., biodiversity informatics, DNA barcoding
  9. describe how hexapods inform us about biodiversity and influence our conservation decisions

Prerequisites

Students should take ENT 425 (or its equivalent) before enrolling in this class. Contact the instructor to discuss alternatives.

Recommended Texts

Evans, A. V. 2007. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America ISBN-13: 978-1402741531 Gibb, Timothy & Christian Oseto. 2006. Arthropod Collection and Identification: Laboratory and Field Techniques. Academic Press. 336 pp. ISBN-13: 978-0123695451 Grimaldi, David & Michael S. Engel. 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press, New York. 772 pp. ISBN-13: 9780521821490 Johnson, Norman F. & Charles A. Triplehorn. 2004. Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects. Brooks/Cole (Thompson). 864 pp. ISBN-13: 978-0030968358

There is an extensive list of supplementary readings. Most of these references are being migrated to the ENT 502 Mendeley group, which is the most updated collection of references for this course.

Where, When, etc.

The class is taught in Gardner Hall. Lectures (room 2321) are MWF, 11:30-12:20pm. Labs (room 4310) are W 1:30-4:20pm. The lab is also open M 1:30-4:20pm for free time.

Feedback is always welcomed, and current students can submit course evaluations towards the end of the semester.

Students with Disabilities

Please feel free to contact the instructor(s) with regards to special accommodations. See also the Disability Services Office website for more details.