Students will use books, encyclopedias, magazines, and the Internet to discover certain facts about an insect of their choice.

Labs in this book supplement the information gained in lecture, as well as providing some perspective and experience with hands-on applications of ideas in pest management. The labs are presented in week-by-week order, so the pre-labs and reading for week 1 are labeled “Pre-Lab 1” and “Week 1 Reading”.

Pre-Labs are assignments to be done before lab meets, and will be due at the beginning of Lab. Complete the labs using your textbook, web resources, or the reading assigned for the week.

Readings are short 1-3 page “chapters” covering background topics pertinent to the upcoming lab, particular groups of insects/arthropods, or methods used in Pest Management. This should be read before coming to Lab each week.

Lab Assignments need to be printed and brought to class so that they can be completed as a group in Lab. It is sometimes helpful to read through the assignment ahead of time to get an idea of the subject matter for the week.

Table of Contents
Week 1: Introduction to Collection and Curation
Week 2: Paleoptera and the Primitive Insects
Week 3: Coleoptera and Lepidoptera
Week 4: Orthopteroid Orders
Week 5: Hemiptera
Week 6: Pests, Predators, and Parasitoids, Pt. II
Week 7: Soil Insects
Week 8: Pollinators
Week 9: The Human Body Biome
Insect Collection

Lesson 1 introduces students to the blow fly's life cycle and the accumulated degree hour (ADH) used by forensic entomologists for estimating the time of death. Lesson 2 introduces Dr. Krinsky's entomological work in solving a murder case in 1986. Students access several primary-source documents related to Dr. Krinsky's entomological work. Both lessons help students expand their understanding of a forensic entomologist's work and appreciate how scientists account for environmental/variable factors in forming a conclusion in a scientific study.

Students will make observations of the behavior and life stages in flour beetles.

In this lesson, we learn how insects can fly in the rain. The objective is to calculate the impact forces of raindrops on flying mosquitoes. Students will gain experience with using Newton's laws, gathering data from videos and graphs, and most importantly, the utility of making approximations. No calculus will be used in this lesson, but familiarity with torque and force balances is suggested. No calculators will be needed, but students should have pencil and paper to make estimations and, if possible, copies of the graphs provided with the lesson. Between lessons, students are recommended to discuss the assignments with their neighbors.

Students will observe the behavior of termites and draw conclusions about their behavior.

The University of Florida Book of Insect Records (UFBIR) names insect champions and documents their achievements. Each chapter deals with a different category of record.

Insects are an excellent resource for science education. Many insects are easily maintained in the classroom and can happily thrive despite being handled and kept in captivity. The remarkable diversity in form and function of commonly found insects promotes interest and enthusiasm in observing the natural world. Insects can also be used to model a variety of scientific principles.

The objectives of this page are to give educators basic information about insects and ideas on how to use insects in the classroom.