[Nhcoll-l] Tropical Entomology Summer Field Course in Panama

[Peter Lahanas]

2014 Summer Course Announcement (July 15-Aug. 9, 2014)
 
FIELD COURSE IN TROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY (TEN B-14)
 
COURSE LOCATION: Bocas del Toro Biological Station, Boca del Drago, Isla
Colon, Republic of  Panama.  The biological station is located on a beach
facing the Caribbean Sea.  Coral reef and sea grass ecosystems lie out in
front of the station and lowland tropical rain forests lie directly behind. 
This juxtaposition of the two most biologically diverse ecosystems provides
tremendous opportunities for education and research.  See
 http://www.itec-edu.org/ for details.
 
INSTRUCTOR: Leonor Ceballos, Ph.D. Cand. Department of Zoology. University
of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia; email: lceballos at ciencias.unam.mx. 
Research focus: topical entomology, arachnology, animal behavior and
evolution, socio-ecological systems and conservation.
 
TEACHING ASSISTANT: Mike C. Rotter.  Dept. of Zoology, University of
Northern Michigan; email: mrotter at nmu.edu.  Research focus: tropical
entomology, invertebrates, botany, ornithology, plant-insect interactions.
 
COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course is designed to provide the student with a
sound foundation of the wide variety of functions that insects, and other
terrestrial arthropods, can manifest during their life, such as feeding,
communication, orientation in their natural environment, reproduction, and
interactions.  The course is also designed to provide students with the
field techniques (as applied to entomology) to explore and conduct research
in tropical entomology which includes natural history observation and
experimental approaches to insect population analysis. Students will be
introduced to the diversity of tropical insects through hands- on experience
and activities in the field. The material covered is equivalent to an
undergrad university course in theoretical and practical entomology.   The
course is divided into five distinct categories: formal classroom lectures,
informal field lectures, readings, group projects and individual research
projects. 
 
Also, this course will consider, in a general way, the different
methodologies used in both 
qualitative and quantitative entomology studies.  General objectives of this
course are: 1) to provide students with a general view of insects and other
terrestrial arthropods, as well as approaches employed in their study.  We
will also examine insect¹s importance and relationship to plants and other
animals and their environment; 2) to enable students with basic field
methodological tools required in entomological studies; and 3) to acquaint
students with the terminology used in entomology through selected readings. 
See course syllabus at: http://itec-edu.org/tropical-entomology/.
 
Formal lectures.  Formal lectures will take place in the classroom and will
include the use of chalk boards, and digital projector (PowerPoint). Topics
that will be covered are provided in the ³Course Schedule².  Unless
otherwise noted, these will begin at 8:00 am each morning.  Note: in some
particular days, evening lectures (beginning at 7:00 pm), will take place in
order to take up daylight hours that could be better used for fieldwork.
Topics include:
 
·     Insect emergency and diversification
·     Insect diversity
·     Insect structure
·     Insect taxonomy and systematics
·     Sampling methods
·     Aquatic, edaphic, cave, carrion and ectoparasitic insects
·     Insect behavior, social, communication, feeding, territoriality,
defense, etc.
·     Insect-plant interactions
·     Insects and humans: pollinators, pets, food, ethnoentomology, etc.
·     Medical and veterinary entomology
 
Informal Lectures.  Informal lectures will be provided periodically during
orientation walks, during group field projects or in discussion groups.
These will cover a wide variety of topics and will generally be prompted by
what we encounter in the field, or by the direction taken during group
discussions. 
 
Readings.  Readings corresponding to lecture subjects will be assigned in
the course. We will also read and critique papers brought by students and
faculty and additional readings may be assigned from time to time. In
addition, each student will read, critique, and provide oral reports on
published papers brought to Bocas.
               
         Recommended texts:
Chapman, R. F. 1998. The insects. Structure and function. Cambridge
University Press. 
Gullan, P.J. and Cranston, P.S. 1994. The Insects: An outline of Entomology.
Nelson Thornes Ltd.
Hoque, C. H. 1993. Latin American Insects and Entomology. University of
California Press. 
 
Field Book.  A field book will be required in the course and will contain
all data related to group projects and independent research project.  The
field book should also contain other incidental observations such as species
lists, behavioral notes, etc., and contain detailed location, time, and
weather information. The field book must be water-proof and either pencil or
water-proof ink used to record data.
 
Group Projects.  These are research projects designed by the faculty and
worked on in groups of up to three students. The purpose of these projects
is to familiarize students with an array of field sampling techniques and
equipment commonly used in field studies.  With help from a faculty member,
students set up projects, collect data, and generally (depends on the
project), analyze data, present the results to the class, and write a
report.  During the report writing phase, each student will be responsible
for one section (introduction, methods, results, etc.).  In the evening
before each project, student groups will meet with their respective project
leader to discuss aspects of the next days¹ project.  Data collection for
each group project will take place the following morning directly after
breakfast, lunch and/or diner.  Students will be designated to accomplish
different and various phases of each project and up to two students will be
selected as project write-up secretary for each project.  Group Projects
include:
 
·     Entomological collection techniques
·     Insect diversity in different forest strata
·     Diurnal vs nocturnal insect diversity
·     Activity budgets in leaf cutting ants
·     Plant-insect interactions
 
Individual Research Projects. Working closely with faculty, students will be
responsible for designing and completing an original research project of
their choosing. The project may deal with any topic in insect diversity,
ecology, behavior, adaptation strategies, and/or economic, medical or
veterinarian importance.  By the middle of the second week, students will
have submitted their written project proposal to the faculty for evaluation
in terms of conceptual validity, analytical design and ability to complete
in the time-frame allowed.  During the individual research projects phase,
the student will be responsible for running the field project, collect and
analyze all the resulting data and information. In the final week of the
course, students will write and orally present their findings to the class.
 A full-length draft of all reports must be completed before leaving Bocas. 
 
BOQUETE CLOUD FOREST FIELD TRIP:  This field trip will allow students the
opportunity to visit other areas of Panama, to experience Panamanian
culture, and to visit tropical cloud and seasonal forests first hand.  We
travel in ITEC boats to the mainland and then by chartered bus to Boquete
which lies at the base of 11,000 ft. Volcan Baru.  The bus trip will take us
up and over the central mountain range and through Palo Seco National Park. 
Several stops will be made in route.
 
COURSE LENGTH: ITEC Winter field courses are about three weeks in length. 
The TEN C-14 will run from July 15 through August 9, 2014.
 
GRADING and COURSE CREDIT:  Up to 6 units of credit will be given, 3 for the
lecture portion and 3 for the field portion.  A letter grade will be
assigned based on exams, reports, proposals, attendance at lectures, as well
as by less tangibles such as personal attitude, motivation, and contribution
to the course.  Course credit must be arranged through the student¹s
institution.  Contact ITEC for details. 
 
TUITION: $2150 USD.  Tuition fee includes all lodging, meals and airport
transfers in Bocas del Toro.  The tuition also covers transportation and
lodging during the 3-day cloud forest field trip on the mainland.
 
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: June 10, 2014.  The course is limited to 10 students
and applications will be evaluated as they arrive.  Applications can be
found at: http://itec-edu.org/education-programs/application/.  If you
believe that your application may arrive late, notify ITEC.
 
CONTACT:  Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation,  2911 NW 40th PL,
Gainesville, FL 32605, phone: 352-367-9128, email: itec at itec-edu.org, web:
http://www.itec-edu.org.  ITEC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
founded in 1996.
 


*********************************
Peter N. Lahanas, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Institute for Tropical Ecology
and Conservation (ITEC)
2911 NW 40th Place
Gainesville, FL 32605, USA

phn: 352-367-9128
web: http://www.itec-edu.org

In Panama: 011-507-6853-2134
lahanas at gmail.com

Bocas del Toro Biological Station
Boca del Drago, Isla Colon, Panama
Field Station Manager, Enrique Dixon
011-507-6624-9246




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