Biology 391
Entomology
Dr. Tara Maginnis
Course Description
This course is aimed at providing students with a general knowledge of insect diversity,
anatomy, physiology, ecology, life history, and evolution. What is different about insects?
What do they do? How do they impact humans? Why are there so many of them?
Some estimates suggest that as high as 75% of the species living on Earth are insects…
Why NOT study entomology?
Lecture Topics
Introduction to Entomology
Insect Diversity
Anatomy & Physiology
Insects & Plants
Insects & Society
Lecture #
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Course Objectives:
 know the major insect orders with respect to anatomy, diversity, and ecology
 appreciate arthropod development and evolution and how that has contributed to the
most successful group of organisms on the planet
 understand the role insects play in agriculture, medicine, and science
 increase your effectiveness at comprehending and evaluating scientific literature
Methods of Assessment:
 exams
 insect collection
 presentation on a relationship between insects and society
 class participation
Course Grading
Midterm Exam
Final exam
Presentation
Insect Collection
Total
150 points
200 points
50 points
100 points
500 points
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I assign grades based on (straight percent, rounded to the nearest percent, 0.5 rounds up):
93-100% A
87-89% B+
77-79% C+
67-69% D+
≤59% F
90-92% A83-86% B
73-76% C
63-66% D
80-82% BExceptional
Very Good
Average
Below Average
Failing
Exam Structure: Each exam will contain a variety of formats. I use true/false,
identification, fill in the blank, definitions, figures, short answer, multiple choice, and
essay questions. Review sheets and/or classroom time for review will be provided.
Insect Collection
The purpose of an insect collection is four-fold:
 identify any insect to order by sight
 be able to use a dichotomous key to identify insects to family and sub-family
 learn proper insect collection techniques (both in the field and in the laboratory)
 gain an appreciation for insect biodiversity, ecology, anatomy, and life history
You are to collect and properly identify and label 25 insect families. Each is then worth 4
points each: 2 for proper identification
1 for preparation
1 for labeling
The collection is worth 20% of your grade, so take it seriously. We will be spending class time
collecting in the field, but you WILL have to do some collecting outside of class. During the
first few months of class you should wear (or bring) closed toe shoes, and long sleeved shirts
and long pants just in case.
Note: Pay attention to the insects you collect as you go; if you are short five families by
the end of the semester, what warm and sunny climate will you go to for the collection of
those five insects??? e.g., the diversity of insects is highest the earliest in the semester,
so don’t put off time spent in the field in September and early October.
Presentations
Every student will be giving a presentation on how an insect (or group of insects) relates to
society. The broad topics are:
insects and medicine/disease
insects and products
insects and science
There are almost a million insect species out there, so no shortage of topics to choose from…
No two students can pick similar topics, so “who gets what” is “first come first serve” (e.g., all
topics and what student has what topic must be approved by me). Talks should be no shorter
than 20 minutes and no longer than 25.
Deadline for Presentation topics:
September 5th (feel free to email me ASAP)
(during class that day we will randomly select the order of presentations)
A grading rubric will be provided so you will know how you will be evaluated.
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Attendance
Although I will be taking attendance every day, there are no official points assigned to your
grade for attending (or missing) class. We only meet once a week so if you miss a class, its like
missing a full week. If you are going to miss class for something “excused”, please email me so
I know that your absence in class is for a good reason. Also, if you do miss class and do not
communicate with me about it, please do not expect me to spend time helping you outside of
class with material. Contact me during the first week of the semester if you feel you have
extenuating circumstances that we can work out together prior to attendance problems.
Email
I plan on being in touch with many of you on a regular basis, and it is your responsibility to
check email. To avoid email host/server problems, all students MUST have a valid UP email
address. I intend to use Moodle to provide all lecture materials, and it is your responsibility to
check Moodle AND your email on a regular basis.
Cell Phones, IPods & Laptops
I heart text messaging with a fiery passion. I can’t believe I went most of my life without it.
BUT, its incredibly rude to do in class or during any sort of public presentation. Be considerate
of my time and refrain from using your phone in a non-academic way during the three hours
we see each other. If you plan on using a laptop you must sit in the front row.
My Philosophy
 I prefer to have an open and interactive classroom – I’m happy to clarify topics, give
different examples, or review key points (again, why there are no set exam dates). In
addition to asking questions in class, talk to me after class, email me, etc. – it doesn’t
matter how small or large the question. Students consistently comment on my
availability and approachability, and often regret that they did not take more
advantage of it.
 I don’t believe in stupid questions, but I do believe in inquisitive imbeciles… There are
over 40 students in this course this semester, and to devote time to multiple questions
from everyone each class period would mean we would cover about two chapters of
information. If you find you are asking more than two or three questions per lecture,
you are probably taking up too much class time. Yes, I encourage questions, but
practice reason and be considerate of your peers.
 I go fast, so my lecture materials will be provided to you, and it would extremely wise
to print them out ahead of time, bring them to class, and take notes on them (or use
your laptop to take notes in the bottom portion of power point). This is so you can
listen and think instead of concentrate on taking notes and/or struggle with spelling or
figures. I encourage you to write down “little” questions to have me clarify in emails.
 There is no textbook for this course. The interweb is a fantastic place to get clarifying
information, and PLEASE feel free to email me asking for good websites to read more
about a topic that you are either having trouble with or want more information about.
 I’m a “circle of respect” person: you respect me, I respect you. Break that circle… no
bueno.
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
Cheating will not be tolerated. I find it one of the worst character traits young adults
like yourself can develop. If you are found cheating on an exam, it is an automatic zero.
Any second offense is grounds for failing the course without the opportunity to
petition.
University of Portland’s Code of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is openness and honesty in all scholarly endeavors. The University of
Portland is a scholarly community dedicated to the discovery, investigation, and dissemination
of truth, and to the development of the whole person. Membership in this community is a
privilege, requiring each person to practice academic integrity at its highest level, while
expecting and promoting the same in others. Breaches of academic integrity will not be
tolerated and will be addressed by the community with all due gravity. Assessment Disclosure
Statement Student work products for this course may be used by the University for
educational quality assurance purposes.
Disabilities Statement
If you have a disability and require an accommodation to fully participate in this class, contact
the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD), located in the University Health Center (503943-7134), as soon as possible. If you have an OSWD Accommodation Plan, you should
make an appointment to meet with me to discuss your accommodations. Also, you should
meet with me if you wish to discuss emergency medical information or special arrangements
in case the building must be evacuated.
Resource Centers
The Learning Resource Center, located in Franz 119 and 120, houses the Writing Center, Math
Resource Lab, Speech Resource Center, and the International Language Lab.
The Writing Center is open by appointment and works to support professors and students as
they write across the disciplines. To schedule an appointment, call (503) 943-8157 or email:
writing@up.edu. The Math Resource Lab offers tutoring to students studying mathematics
Sunday through Thursday. Help with mathematics is available on a walk-in basis or, to
schedule an appointment, call (503) 943- 8157. The Speech Resource Center is open by
appointment to assist students who wish to fine-tune their public speaking skills. To schedule
an appointment, call (503)943-7229. The International Language Lab offers computers and
software for language learning supported by foreign language courses. To schedule an
appointment, call (503) 943-7255.
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