Master Gardener Basic Entomology Lesson Plan

 

Approach: This lesson plan is designed to introduce Master Gardeners to the fundamentals of insect and mite management.A slide show has been provided to cover the basic information.This should take no longer than 2 hours of the 3 hour meeting.Assuming a half hour break this should leave about 30 minutes for interactive exercises to stimulate learning and discussion.Items 1-7 which include a Japanese beetle example, are fundamental. Item 8 includes information other common pests that can be included be used at the discretion of the Educator for either basic training or advanced training on topical issues.You may want to use the link provided to print out a 6 slide per page handouts of all the slides.

 

Topics

  1. What is a pest
  2. Arthropod fundamentals

                                                               i.      What are arthropods, and Insect

                                                             ii.      Use Japanese beetle to introduce concepts of nomenclature.

                                                            iii.      They make up most of the described species of terrestrial organism

                                                           iv.      Few arthropods are pests, most are benign, some are beneficial.

Review shared characteristics of arthropods

                                                             v.      Arthropods grow by molting, not by stretching skin

  1. Basic biology and anatomy of insects and mites

                                                               i.      How insects can grow � Complete and incomplete metamorphosis

1.      Relationship between metamorphosis and food of adult and immature stage flies and beetles vs grasshoppers and true bugs.

ii.Insect Body Characteristics

����� ������ 1. Overview of body regions

����� ������ 2.Head structure and function

i.adaptations to help them feed � chewing vs sucking

ii.adaptations to help them see and smell

3.Thorax structure and function

����� i.adaptations for flight, and digging

4.Abdomen structure and function

iii.Internal Insect Systems

�� 1.Review location of

����������� Circulatory, digestive, nervous, and respiratory systems.

  1. Diagnosis of insect and mite damage using representative pests
    1. Leaf Chewers. (Beetles, Sawflies, Caterpillars, Grasshoppers)
    2. Leaf Suckers(Aphids, hoppers, scales, plant bugs, thrips, spider mites)
    3. Boring (beetles, caterpillars)
    4. Leaf miners (flies, wasps)
    5. Gall Formers(flies, wasps, mites, bugs)
    6. Feeding below the soil
    7. Transmitting of disease
    8. Oviposition Injury

 

����� 5.Break�� ViewResource tables and conduct exercises

 

����� 6.Control

����������� -Cultural Chemical Biological

����������� IPM

������� ���Chemical Review (use E221-W)

����� 7.Examples. Japanese beetles, Bagworms

�����������

8. Miscellaneous examples

Occasional Invaders (slides 118-123).

Stinging Insects (slides 124-132)

Nuisance Ants (slides 133-136)

Carpenter Ants (slides 137-139)

Termites (slide 140)

Household related parasites (slide 141)

Fleas (slide 143-144)

Ticks (slide 145)

Lice(slide 146)

Mosquitos (slide 147)

Nuisance and filth flies (slide 148-150)

Scale insects (slide 151-152)

Spider morphology (slide 153)

 

Exercises.

1.Make copies of a list of home landscape insecticides (E-221W) Buy some common insecticides and bring to workshop.

 

2. Bring an insect collection if you have one., or Get natural enemy and pest cards from U of IL. http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/outreach/good/guysframes.htm

- Break gardeners into groups have them look at cards and determine

����������� - Insect or mite?

���� ������ - Complete or incomplete metamorphosis

����������� - Beneficial or Pest

 

3. Library of references.

Johnson, W.T. and H.H. Lyon 1994.(3rdedition). Insects that feed on trees and shrubs.Cornell University Press., Ithaca, New York. 556 pp.�����������

Lloyd, J. 1997.Plant health care for woody ornamentals: A professional's guide to preventing and managing insects and mites on woody plants. International Society of Arboriculture, Savoy, IL223 pp.