Faculty: Faculty of Agriculture
Department: Department of Plant Protection
COURSE TITLE Advanced Insect Taxonomy COURSE CODE NO. 606752
LECTURER Prof. Dr. Ahmad katbeh Bader
CREDIT VALUE 3 PRE-REQUISITES
DURATION OF COURSE
16 weeks, 2 (1 hr) lectures per week, and one lab. period of 3 hours per
week.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Study insect taxonomy and important biological aspects of the most common insect
families.
2. Identification of adult insects.
3. Collect, preserve, pin, label and identify insects to the family level, in addition to identification
of certain insect groups to the specific level.
4. Identify morphological characters of adult insects' families.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Subject Specific Skills:
1. Study the taxonomy and morphology of insects.
2. Identify many Jordanian insects to family level by sight.
3. Identify many Jordanian inset families using a microscope and identification keys.
4. Collecting, pinning, labeling and preserving insects.
Personal key Skills:
1. Recognize the morphological features of insect orders and families.
2. Identify common Jordanian insect families through the recognition of diagnostic features.
3. Collect insect by several types of traps.
LEARNING/TEACHING METHODS: Lectures provided electronically. Lab. Periods provided
with representative specimens. Field trips to different ecological zones in Jordan.
ASSIGNMENTS: Each student is asked to make a presentation of 30 minutes about a specific topic
after exploring the literature in the library and on the internet. A term paper is also required from each
student covering a specific topic in either insect morphology or taxonomy.
ASSISMENT: First Exam: 10%, Second Exam 10%, Presentation 10%, Insect Collection 15%, First
Lab. Exam 5%, Final Lab. Exam 10%, Final Exam 40%.
SYLLABUS PLAN:
1 Introduction
2 Schools of Systematics
3 Protura, Collembola, Diplura, Microcoryphia, Thysanura.
4 Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Grylloblattarla, Phasmida
5 Orthoptera, Mantodea, Mantophasmatodea, Blattaria, Isoptera,
6 Dermaptera, Embiidina, Plecoptera, Zoraptera, Psocoptera
7 Phthiraptera, Hemiptera
8 Thysanoptera, Neuroptera
9 Coleoptera
10 Strepsiptra, Mechoptera, Siphonaptera
11 Diptera
12 Trichoptera,
13 Lepidoptera
14 Student Presentations
15 Hymenoptera, revision
16 Final Exam
INDICATIVE BASIC READING LIST/RELATED WEBSITES:
Triplehorn, C. and Johnson.2005. Borror and DelongsIntroduction to the Study of Insects. 7th
Edition.Thomson Brooks/Cole.USA. 864 PP.
Mayr. E. and Ashlock, P. 1991. Principles of Systematic Zoology.Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, INC
USA. 475 PP.
Ride. W. D. et al (editors). 1985. International code of Zoological Nomenclature. University of
California Press.Third Edition.338 PP.Latest edition available on the internet.
Papers in several entomology journals.