Insects in the City

Instructor: L. E. Ehler, Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

Description: The Davis Campus has a rich complex of insect species.  Many of these are of practical importance in California agriculture and have an interesting history that, in some cases, includes colorful characters and political intrigue.  Examples include cottony-cushion scale on nandina, woolly apple aphid on pyracantha, black scale on olive, ash whitefly on christmas berry, California red scale on citrus, walnut aphid on English walnut, pine needle scale on Aleppo pine, and baccharis gall midge on coyote brush.  These and other relevant insects will form the basis of the seminar.  A case-history approach will be utilized:  each student will be assigned an insect species to investigate for the writing assignment and oral presentation to the group.  The writing assignment will be a short (1000 words or less) overview of the oral presentation, with emphasis on expository writing.  The oral presentation will be about 30 minutes, followed by questions and discussion. The goal of the seminar is two-fold.  The first is to awaken students to some insects of historic and practical significance that they will cross paths with while at UCD.  The same species typically occur in most urban areas of the state, so they will no doubt be encountered again.  The second is to introduce students to concepts such as insect life history, invasive species, biological control, and integrated pest management.

Format: The seminar will meet for two hours each week for ten weeks. The time will be divided between informal lecture presentations, discussion, student presentations, and short field trips to visit insects in situ (weather permitting). Required outside activities will include library research on the insect in question and periodical meetings with the instructor.  Grading: Oral presentation (35%), written assignment (35%), and frequency and quality of participation in class discussion (30%).  There will be no final exam.

About the Instructor: Professor Ehler is a member of the faculty in the Department of Entomology and Past-president of the International Organization for Biological Control.  His main research interest is biological control of insect pests in natural, urban, and agricultural environments.  He currently teaches an undergraduate and a graduate course in biological control.