Aquatic Entomology: Major Assignments for 2010
C. Riley Nelson, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. Email:
rileynelson@byu.edu.
You will have three major assignments to complete during the course. They overlap in
content and differ in presentation:
Identification Guides: 10% of course grade
Biomonitoring Report: 15% of course grade
Aquatic Insect Collection: 30% of course grade
Identification Guides
My vision is to help you create brief identification sheets for each of the Orders,
Families, and Genera of aquatic insects found in western North America, with particular
emphasis on Utah. Each student will be responsible for about 10 -20 sheets total, as Powerpoint
slides or perhaps a MS Word document. The 2006 Aquatic Entomology class built on some
sheets I had used in Texas as well as class handouts given by Wilford Hanson of Utah State
University (Hanson 1982 and George Edmunds at the University of Utah (Edmunds 1986). I have
electronic copies of these Order based files. We want to expand it to include all genera of
western North America and to include images this time. I have taken photographs of many of
these taxa and want them included in the identification sheets. Additionally we have a nice
camera/microscope system for taking more photographs of individual features. You will be
taking and organizing these photographs. You may also choose to do some quick but effective
illustrations of key features. We will not be taking illustrations from other published sources. We
need to work quickly on this at the beginning of the semester. We will use these sheets to identify
specimens in our insect collection and biomonitoring samples.
Biomonitoring Report
In addition to the general collecting we will be doing during the course we will sample
several sites in a quantitative manner. Your participation is required. Participation includes
some or all of the following: choosing of site, mapping the site, taking the samples, picking the
samples, identifying the taxa in the samples, counting the number of each taxon in the samples,
creating summary tables and graphs, and completing a report suitable for use by government
agencies needing information on a site. Ideally we could produce several peer reviewed journal
articles. You may include any and all specimens from this Biomonitoring assignment, as long as
they are referenced clearly for me to recognize while I am grading your collection.
Collection
This is the most complex assignment of the course. Most, if not all, specimens will be
preserved in 70% ethanol. All must be labeled to a professional standard as they may become
part of the permanent collections in the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum. Each student will
turn in an insect collection properly curated so that I can grade it quickly and efficiently. The
total collection must include the following with these percentage points possible:
1
Basic collection:
More taxa and rearing:
Technique and effort:
Total:
Extra credit
65 %
20 %
15 %
100 %
10 %
The Basic collection consists of the following numbers of taxa, each worth a point:
Orders
# of families
# of genera
Ephemeroptera
5
3
Odonata
3
2
Plecoptera
5
4
Hemiptera
6
4
Megaloptera
1
1
Coleoptera
5
3
Trichoptera
6
4
Diptera
5
1
Number of taxa:
8
36
22
Total points: 65
More taxa and rearing. In this category each additional taxon is worth a point, as in the Basic
collection. A total of 20 points is expected from this category.
Technique and effort. This is subjective on my part and is awarded up to 15 points, as generally
guided by the following criteria:
Criterion:
Possible points
Neatness
2
Labeling
2
Organization
2
Diversity within taxa 1
Attempted rearing
1
Unusual habitats
3
Unusual specimens 3
Long series
1
Extra effort and credit. Additionally you may add another 10% to your collection grade by
adding even more taxa, at a rate of 0.5% per taxon (Orders, Families, and Genera).
Literature Cited
Edmunds, G. F., Jr. 1986. An annotated generic check-list of aquatic and semi-aquatic insects of
Utah. Univesity of Utah. Unpublished class handout.
2
Hanson, W. J. 1982. Identification notes for aquatic entomology. Utah State University.
Unpublished class handout.
3