Entomology: Course Policies and Syllabus
Instructor: Vikram K. Iyengar
Office Hours: Thursdays 1:00pm – 3:00pm, or by appointment
Phone: 519-8081 (office); 519-5186 (research lab)
email: vikram.iyengar@villanova.edu (I prefer email messages over voice mail)
Lecture: T and R, 11:30am – 12:45pm Mendel Hall, Room 154
Lab: T 1:00pm – 3:50pm Mendel Hall, Room G14
Teaching Assistant: Jenna Maurer jenna.maurer@villanova.edu, 519-5382 (office)
Office Hours: by appointment in Mendel 192
Required texts: (1) Gullan, P.J. and Cranston, P.S. 2004. The Insects: An Outline of Entomology,
Third Edition. Blackwell Publishing, Inc. ISBN#1-4051-1113-5
(2) Milne, L. and Milne, M. 1980. National Audubon Society Field Guide to
North American Insects and Spiders. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN#0-394-50763-0
(3) Pechenik, J.A. 2006. A Short Guide To Writing About Biology,
Sixth Edition. Longmans. ISBN#0-321-38592-6
*Note: Additional readings may be assigned for specific lectures. Hard copies
will be handed out in lecture and then placed in a folder outside my office.
Course Description
Welcome to Entomology! An English cleric once asked the noted evolutionary biologist J.B.S. Haldane what could be inferred about the Creator from the works of nature. Haldane is reported to have responded that God has “an inordinate fondness for beetles.”
Insects are indeed the most abundant and diverse group in the animal kingdom. Their remarkable evolutionary success can be attributed to a unique combination of characters that have allowed them to colonize both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Insects are woven into the fabric of our lives, as they interact with us in both positive and negative ways. For example, they are responsible for pollinating most of the world plants, including crops that are responsible for over 30% of our diet. The dead plant material and dung of the world would pile up if it were not for the work of insects and other invertebrates. However, in addition to ruining a few picnics, insects have large scale negative impacts as vectors for diseases including West Nile Virus and malaria. We will discuss many of these topics this semester as we explore the fascinating world of insects.
Lecture time will primarily cover readings from the textbook, although we will also incorporate critical evaluation of papers from peer-reviewed journals, film clips, and discussions regarding current topics in entomology. The laboratory portion of the course will involve investigating the internal and external anatomy of preserved specimens to learn about functional morphology, ecology and taxonomy. Additionally, you will put together an insect collection that will allow you to learn collection and specimen preparation techniques as well as become familiar with the most commonly encountered local invertebrates. Although we will spend the first few weeks going on field trips in search of insects for your collection, you will be expected to collect insects on your own time as well. Just remember to think small. Keep in mind that most arthropods are little and you should always keep a vial or two in your pocket or daypack for the odd insect you encounter in your Writing Seminar, or on dates, etc. Finally, we will also have lab practicals that will include questions regarding classification, external and internal anatomy, and structure and function.
Attendance in the lecture is strongly encouraged; indeed, it is expected. Attendance and participation will be part of the criterion used in the calculation of your overall grade, and I expect everyone to contribute to the course by asking questions, participating in discussions, and filling out end-of-class feedback forms. Furthermore, I cannot imagine that you will find it possible to master this material without regular class attendance, especially since lecture coverage will material from other sources. As I am sure you will notice, the lecture powerpoints – which will be posted on WebCT – will not tell the whole story, and they should not be considered a substitute for lecture attendance. Since you will have access to the lectures, you should not merely copy the words on the slide; I expect you to focus more on writing down things I say that help to synthesize information into coherent ideas. Regardless of whether you are in class or not, however, you are responsible for everything that is discussed in lecture, announced changes in the syllabus, and any handouts distributed in class.
All assignments will be due at the times announced in class or in the syllabus. Late assignments will be penalized 10% of the points available for each 24-hour interval that they are late. Assignments > 1 week late will not be accepted unless you have medical or other valid documented reasons for the delay. The only valid reasons for missing an assignment deadline or an examination are those accepted by the University and published in the Student Handbook (Blue Book). If you know in advance that you will be missing an exam, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor PRIOR to the exam to make arrangements for a make-up exam.
I am here to help you not only learn the material covered in class, but also develop skills that will assist you in learning throughout your academic and professional careers. To that end, please feel free to ask us questions inside or outside of class if there is something you don’t understand – one of my primary objectives is to provide a supportive community for learning. To facilitate learning, please be respectful of your classmates by adhering to the list below:
· Be prepared for class (at the very least, skim reading before class)
· Do not be late to class (classes will start and end on time)
· Avoid conversations with others during class
· Limit food and beverages to those that can be consumed quietly
· Turn off pagers and cell phones (cell phones going off in class will result in a quiz!)
Laboratory
attendance is mandatory. It will not be
possible to recreate the lab on an individual basis, and the lab component is
an integral and essential part of your experience. If there is an unexcused absence from the
lab, it will be reflect in your participation grade. Furthermore, you will still be required to
turn in all lab exercises. Exceptions will be made only for compelling
circumstances, which must be approved by me PRIOR to your absence (see
above). Although I am here to help, you
are adults now and will be treated as such – with freedom comes responsibility,
and ultimately you must be responsible for your own education.
The Biology
Department policy is posted on the Biology Department web site (www.biology.villanova.edu), and it is
included on the penultimate page of this syllabus. It clearly states that humane treatment and
use of live and preserved animals is an integral part of courses in the Biology
Department, and this course is no exception.
Read the policy and sign the sheet on the last page indicating that you
have done so. If you have a problem with
this official Department policy for moral or ethical reasons, you MUST see the
instructor no later than the end of the first week of classes, so that the
instructor may inform you of your options.
The lecture portion of your grade will be based primarily on 2 writing assignments (the second based, in part, on revisions of the first paper), 2 in-class lecture exams, and a final (comprised of a third exam and a cumulative portion). Exams will emphasize comprehension of terminology, concepts, and factual material in entomology, as covered in lecture and assigned readings. A variety of question formats may be used – including multiple choice, matching, true/false, and short answer – to test your ability to synthesize and apply this information to novel situations (in other words, situations we have not specifically covered in the class or in the text). I usually hold a Jeopardy-style review session the week of the exam to give you an idea of the types of questions to expect on the exam.
The laboratory portion of your grade will consist primarily of one lab practical and the insect collection. The lab practical will focus on your ability to identify and classify insects based on internal and external anatomical features. The insect collection, which you will start at the beginning of the semester, will be due in its final form just before Thanksgiving. There will also be lab exercises that may include worksheets, and these assignments will be incorporated into your participation. We are also planning a fun trip to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences at the end of the semester. Details will be forthcoming.
This course is “writing enriched”: helping you develop your skills for writing about biology is a major objective. Most of the writing instruction will be associated with three major graded assignments. Goals and expectations for each of these are explained below. Save this handout! Your grades will depend to a considerable degree on whether you carefully follow these instructions and associated sections in Pechenik (2007).
All writing assignments will be due at the times announced in class or in the syllabus. Late assignments will be penalized 10% of the points available for each 24-hour interval that they are late. Assignments > 1 week late will not be accepted unless you have medical or other valid documented reasons for the delay. The only valid reasons for missing an assignment deadline or an examination are those accepted by the University and published in the Student Handbook (Blue Book). If you know in advance that you will be missing an exam, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor PRIOR to the exam to make arrangements for a make-up exam. All written assignments should be typed/word-processed, 12 pt. font, 1” margins, and double-spaced, with each page numbered. All papers in the course must be submitted electronically as an email attachment in Microsoft Word (LastNameAssignment.doc). Note: I expect you to have run spell/grammar-check and carefully proof-read all submitted written material, as you will be evaluated on your ability to communicate clearly (which includes proper grammar, spelling and punctuation).
There are 3 main objectives to the writing assignments in the course: to help you learn (1) to locate, read, and understand sources from the primary literature in entomology; (2) to construct an essay that builds an argument in which you summarize and critically evaluate the paper(s) you read; and (3) to use effective organization, clear style, and correct spelling, grammar, and citation format.
You will have two main writing assignments:
SUMMARY – Each student will write a paper (about 2.5 pages of text, or ≈ 750 words) that summarizes a very recent 1° (primary) research article (published within the last 6 months) on any aspect of entomology. The articles should present results of original entomological research; you should be able to look directly at the data on which new conclusions are drawn. I strongly recommend that you choose an article that is empirical (presents experimental or observational data) as opposed to theory or modeling (usually much harder to comprehend). Major articles of this sort (but not short communications, notes, or commentaries) from the following journals are ‘automatically’ eligible: Animal Behaviour, Ecology, Journal of Animal Ecology, Oikos, Journal of Insect Behavior, Journal of Insect Physiology, Tropical Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Biotropica, Canadian Journal of Zoology. Falvey Library receives all of these. I will accept a Summary covering an article from another journal only if you obtain my explicit approval well in advance of the submission deadline. Even if your article comes from one of the journals listed, it would be a good idea to send me an email stating the article that you intend to summarize so I can check it for appropriateness.
Note that your Summary should NOT be about an article from Behavioral Ecology (which is not the same journal as BES!) because that journal provides its own synopsis of most articles (“Lay Summary” in online content). Have a look at some of these short summaries for guidance about how to write about other people’s research, both for the Summary assignment and for the Review Essay (below) … but note that for both assignments, you will need to include longer and more detailed coverage of the patterns in the results than is included in an article’s Lay Summary for Behavioral Ecology.
The paper you summarize should present new empirical data, analysis, and conclusions. Your job is to explain the context of the study; the goals authors set out to achieve; the methodological approach they used (in general; include only those details that are essential for our understanding of the research); the results the investigators obtained (describe patterns and trends thoroughly enough to give a good sense of what their data “looked like”); and the conclusions the authors reached. You should seek additional advice about writing this sort of essay in Pechenik (2007), chapters 7 & 8.
Your essay should include your own informative title (not just repetition of the source article’s title) and a terminal section with the heading Literature Cited where you list the bibliographic information for each source that you cited in your text (and only those).
Regardless of which journal provides the paper you summarize, you must write your paper using the general style and exact citation format of the journal Animal Behaviour.
REVIEW ESSAY – You will research and write a relatively brief review essay, comparable in scope and presentation to a “News & Comment” paper in Trends in Ecology & Evolution that summarizes and synthesizes recent primary literature dealing with some topic in entomology. The topic for your review should be the similar to that of your Summary – since your Review essay will include citation and analysis of two closely related primary references (articles containing new data and analysis) published after 2001 (i.e., from 2002-present). Most importantly, one of your two sources must be the same paper you used for your Summary, and the second must be a paper by different author(s). Thus, I strongly encourage you to use the feedback and incorporate the suggested changes from the Summary into your Review Essay.
Your paper must present a clearly organized, logically sound, and carefully written argument that addresses a specific question or problem using the information from the literature references; the review may (probably should) contain additional secondary references, including Gullan and Cranston (2004) and perhaps also review papers from journals like Trends in Ecology & Evolution, BioScience, or American Scientist to help establish the context and scope of your argument. You should also include a section that explains your critical assessment of the ‘core’ articles your covered. You should briefly address most if not all of the following questions: Was the problem in common to the two papers interesting and worthwhile? Were the methodological approaches appropriate? Was one “better” than the other? How? Why? Were the results in each case conclusive? Are you convinced that the authors’ conclusions are supported by their data? Are these conclusions important, in the sense of helping to resolve some general problem or issue in entomology? In sum, were these articles that others working on entomology are likely to cite frequently…or to ignore? Why? I strongly encourage you to find the corresponding section in Gullan and Cranston (2004) and cite that as your frame of reference, along with any pertinent review articles you may find, for trying to answer the questions I just listed.
Overall, your Review Essay should contain the following components: (1) an opening paragraph on general concepts (from Gullan and Cranston) and the overarching themes that unite your two papers; (2) the “meat” of your essay, which includes a thorough summary of each of your two papers (similar to your Summary assignment); (3) 2-3 paragraphs that compare and contrast the research contained in the two papers; and (4) a concluding paragraph that places the research in the “big picture”, based on the concept you mentioned in your opening paragraph. Please check Chapter 7 of Pechenik (2006) or check my postings on WebCT for advice on how to tackle this type of assignment.
Topic description: Each student is encouraged to email the instructor with the question (or at least the focal subject area) to be addressed in the paper, followed by bibliographic information for the two (2) primary literature references that you intend to analyze as part of your review.
Complete version: The text of your completed paper should be about 8 pages, or ≈ 2400 words, not counting your “Literature Cited” section. Please use the stylistic conventions and citation format of the journal Animal Behaviour.
Notes about grading standards for written assignments
I will follow the grading philosophy explained at the end of this handout. Poorly presented science is poor science. Some of you have had courses previously that involved major written assignments. You’ll know what I’m looking for—but don’t hesitate to run ideas or drafts by me (do not, however, wait until the day before a paper’s due to seek input).
I especially advise those of you who have not had courses from me and who may not have had to write critical argumentative essays for other upper-level biology courses to seek guidance for these written assignments. Besides me, sources for help about organization, style, and grammar include Pechenik (2007) and the university’s Writing Center: don’t hesitate to take a complete but rough draft over there for input about overall structure and organization, as well as ‘mechanics.’ I am available often to give advice about your paper’s topic, sources, goals, organization, and format.
Notes about using the Internet for help with papers
The Internet can be a valuable source of information and help for writing assignments … but it can also provide you with useless trash. You have an obligation to try to assess whether information from the Web or another electronic source is any good. In general, I advise you AGAINST relying on Web sites for information to cite in your papers (except for sites that provide electronic versions of scholarly journal articles). However, you may want to use the Internet to find information that helps you get started toward a topic (e.g., by participating in an on-line bulletin board, or by asking questions of a practicing scientist via email).
Grading Breakdown
Lecture (66%):
Summary Paper (Thursday, September 13): 6 %
Exam #1 (Thursday, September 27): 15 %
Exam #2 (Thursday, November 8): 15 %
Review Essay (Thursday, November 29): 10 %
Final Exam (Exam 3 + cumulative, Thurs, Dec 20): 20 %
Lab and Participation (34%):
Lab Practical (Tuesday, October 9): 10 %
Insect Collection (Tuesday, November 20): 16 %
Attendance, participation, lab exercises: 8 %
Final grades will be assigned based on a standard plus/minus scale:
A (93 - 100 %) C+ (77 - 79.99 %)
A- (90 - 92.99 %) C (73 - 76.99 %)
B+ (87 - 89.99 %) C- (70 - 72.99 %)
B (83 - 86.99 %) D (60 - 69.99 %)
B- (80 - 82.99 %) F ( < 60 %)
Academic Integrity
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has adopted a standard policy for matters of academic integrity. All students in this course should carefully read the policy and associated explanatory statements. You will find these statements in the Enchiridion of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the University Blue Book, both of which can be accessed through the web. I expect all students to adhere strictly to the College’s principles of academic honesty throughout this course, and any student who has knowledge of any violation of the code is expected to bring that violation to the attention of the instructors. I regret to say that I have had to enforce these policies and fail students in courses for violation of these principles of academic (and scientific) integrity. Be sure that you know all of the relevant definitions and policies. This includes taking exams and all aspects of submitting written assignments: take careful notes as you review literature sources (including complete bibliographic information), save records of your work (don’t submit a final draft of a paper without keeping some evidence of you early drafts or outlines), acknowledge all sources, and use the computers appropriately. Also, the work you do for this course should be only for this course; submitting the same work for multiple classes (without the explicit agreement of instructors from all courses involved) is a violation of College policies. The College’s policies pertaining to all Academic Integrity issues will be strictly adhered to and the appropriate penalty will be assessed at the discretion of the instructor. There will be no exceptions to this policy.
Be sure that you understand what constitutes plagiarism, and be careful that the work you do is yours alone. I can only give you all the credit you deserve if I can tell how much of the work is uniquely yours. Obviously, do not attempt to copy—or even to paraphrase nearly verbatim—material directly from any other source. Even if you were to give a reference for a source you cited this way, you still would be falling short of my expectations for the assignment, because the words would not be your own. Read your sources, work towards an understanding of their content, and then restate the essentials in your own words … with appropriate acknowledgment of the source. Try to write so that the reader can reasonably infer where every piece of information and every idea came from. If an idea is yours, say so using active voice and first person: “I think that the analysis of Jones (1992) is flawed because…” Where the material instead comes from somewhere else (i.e., something you didn’t know before you started researching your topic), you must make it clear where you got the information through the use of text citations. Pechenik (2007) provides additional helpful advice about writing so that your sources are acknowledged fully, and so that your writing is clear, simple, and concise. Use his book!
Academic Accommodations
It is the policy and practice of Villanova University to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities (written notification from the Learning Support Services). If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for this course please discuss it with me and allow a one-week notice before the accommodation would be needed. Otherwise, it is not guaranteed that the accommodation can be arranged on a timely basis.
There is also support on campus for writing through the Writing Center. I will be happy to discuss your papers anytime, but I do not read rough drafts. The Writing Center is a wonderful campus resource, and I suggest you use it if you would like help in how to write effective papers.
Below is an outline of the factors I will take into consideration in assigning your final grade on papers and lab exercises, with a comparable grading scale applied to other assignments. [Adapted from materials distributed in Writing Across the Curriculum seminar, Villanova University, April 1994, directed by D. Anselmi, B. Wall, and D. Zannoni, Trinity College.]
Grade: C
Paper satisfactorily (but minimally) meets expectations of the assignment. It directly addresses a question or issue relevant to the scope of the course, with adequate reliance on appropriate biological literature sources. It presents a logical argument with a clear statement of your central objectives; develops an argument that incorporates accurately reported information from primary literature sources; and reaches a clearly explained conclusion that follows logically from that argument. The argument is developed by an organized sequence of main points and supported by specific details and examples. The text is readable and relatively free of errors in syntax, grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation, and requested format.
Grade: B
Paper fulfills all of the requirements of a “C” paper and, in addition, presents a central argument that is well thought out and shows careful analysis of hypotheses and evidence in the biological literature. The argument demonstrates original and critical thought in synthesis and analysis. Points of interpretation are soundly and thoroughly argued. Supporting evidence is strong and extensive. Text contains few errors.
Grade: A
Paper fulfills all of the requirements of a “B” paper and, in addition, presents an argument that is outstanding in its clarity, logic, rhetorical skillfulness, and originality. It demonstrates that you have a thorough understanding of the paper’s topic and an ability to apply and communicate that understanding through excellent writing.
Grade: D
Paper makes an attempt to address the issue or question posed, but has one or more serious problems: it lacks a central thesis; it fails to develop a consistent, logical, well-organized argument; details are inaccurate or few; the text is difficult to read because of multiple errors.
Grade: F
Paper contains no central question or problem, or it makes no attempt (or a fake attempt) to address a stated question. The paper fails to develop an argument of any sort. The text is filled with errors. The paper shows little or no indication that the author attempted to meet the expectations of the assignment, or to follow directions.
A paper that contains any plagiarized material, that fails to incorporate adequate acknowledgment of all sources, or that otherwise violates the standards of academic integrity established by the University, Department, and instructor will receive a grade of “F” — and trigger disciplinary procedures that can result in failure (F) for the entire course … and even expulsion from the University.
Tentative Course Syllabus (important due dates are highlighted)
|
Date |
Lecture Topic |
Reading |
Lab Exercise |
|
August 28 |
Introduction to Entomology |
Chapter 1 |
Diversity of Insect Orders Equipment; Expectations |
|
August 30 |
Insect Classification and
Systematics |
Chapter 7 |
|
|
September 4 |
Common Families (Lab
Lecture) |
Appendix |
Field trip: Insects in
Fields (West Campus) |
|
September 6 |
Insect Biogeography and
Evolution |
Chapter 8 |
|
|
September 11 |
External Anatomy: Head,
Thorax & Abdomen |
Chapter 2 |
External Anatomy plus Field trip: Insects in Forests (McKaig Woods) |
|
September 13 |
Ground-dwelling and Aquatic
Insects Summary due |
Chapters 9 & 10 |
|
|
September 18 |
Internal Systems I: Muscles
and Respiration |
Chapter 3 |
Field trip: Insects in
Water (Cobbs Creek) |
|
September 20 |
Internal Systems II:
Digestion and Excretion |
Chapter 3 |
|
|
September 25 |
TBA (Lecture or Film Clips) |
|
* Review Session * |
|
September 27 |
Exam 1 |
|
|
|
October 2 |
Sensory Systems |
Chapter 4 |
Lab = Internal Anatomy; Review of External Features |
|
October 4 |
Dr. Vik’s Research |
|
|
|
October 9 |
Development, Metamorphosis
and Hormones |
Chapter 6 |
Lab Practical |
|
October 11 |
Migration and Polymorphisms |
Chapter 6 |
|
|
October 15-19 |
No Class – FALL BREAK |
|
NO LAB |
|
October 23 |
Sexual Selection |
Chapter 5 |
Work on collections |
|
October 25 |
Reproductive Biology |
Chapter 5 (3 too) |
|
|
October 30 |
Insect Societies:
Subsociality and Eusociality |
Chapter 12 |
Work on collections |
|
November 1 |
Insect Societies: Evolution
of Eusociality |
Chapter 12 |
|
|
November 6 |
TBA (Lecture or Film Clips) |
|
* Review Session * |
|
November 8 |
Exam 2 |
|
|
|
November 13 |
Insects & Plants:
Herbivory and Coevolution |
Chapter 11 |
Work on collections |
|
November 15 |
Predation |
Chapter 13 |
|
|
November 20 |
Insect Defenses |
Chapter 14 |
Collection
Due |
|
November 22 |
No Class – THANKSGIVING |
|
|
|
November 27 |
Parasitism |
Chapter 13 |
Lab Clean-up |
|
November 29 |
Medical and Forensic
Entomology Review Essay
due |
Chapter 15 |
|
|
December 4 |
JJ Field Trip to Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences (11:30am – 3:50pm) JJ |
||
|
December 6 |
Pest Management &
Extermination Course Summary and
Evaluation |
Chapter 16 |
|
|
December 11 |
No Class – Friday class day at Villanova |
|
* Review Session * |
|
December 13 |
TBA (Lecture or Film Clips) |
|
|
|
December 20 |
Final (Exam 3 + cumulative) |
1:30-4:00pm |
|