00283 - Agricultural Entomology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student has learned the basic knowledge of Agricultural Entomology.

The student is able to criticize conventional insect pest control and to know integrated pest management. Information given to the students it permits to understand how to determine some insect and arthropod species. A possible sustainable methods and techniques are preferably considered in respect of pest control. This is acquired due to knowledge of general entomology and studies on biological insect cycles, their natural enemies, plus the knowledge of the main insect pest species infesting our agroecosystems and urban environments.

Course contents

A) Prerequisites

For the skill for learn and understand the course lectures is sufficient a preparation obtained at the high school regarding mainly in base biology knowledge. Further prerequisites are achieved following previous courses during the first and second years.

B) Teaching units

1. – General Entomology (Total teaching units 2 hours)

Introduction of the course with particular references at the insect class in respect to the arthropods phylum Agricultural entomology, veterinary, forensic, systematic, etc. Phytophagous insect pests, agricultural practices, biological equilibrium.

2. - Insect class (Total teaching units 15 hours)

2.1 External anatomy

2.1.1 Head and its appendages

Mouthparts –chewing apparatus, chewing-sucking, proboscis, piercing-sucking (Thrips, Rhynchota) , unpiercing –sucking Lepidoptera, Diptera), Larvae mouthparts.

Antennae – different features and importance

2.1.2 Torax and its appendages

Torax - protorax, mesotorax , metatorax, torax endoscheleton.

Legs- locomotion, deambulatory legs, cursory, jumping, raptatorious, digging and other leg features.

Wings- fly, wing morphology, wing types: membranaceous, tegminae, emielytron, elytron, halteres and other features of wings.

2.1.3 Abdomen and its appendages

Abdomen different features,cercus, stila, preimaginal appendages, ovopositors and external genitalia.

2.2. Elements of anatomy and physiology

2.2.1 -Tegumental system: esoscheleton, endoscheleton, components of integument layers. Colours.

2 .2.2 -Muscle system (briefly).

2.2.3- Nervous system and sensory organs (sensilla, compoud eyes ti, ocella).

2.2.4- Digestion system, digestion and different food sources.

2.2.5- Respiratory system and respiration( aquatic insect).

2.2.6.- Circolatory system, insect blood.

2.2.7.- Excretion system and excretion, malpighian tubules.

2.2.8 - Secretory system(hormones, endocrines and esocrines glands - pheromones).

2.2.9- Reproduction systemspermatozoa and eggs.

2.3. Elements of general insect biology

2.3.1 - Reproduction: sexual, asexual, poliembriony, sexual maturity, anfigony, parthenogenesis.

2.3.2 - Fecundity, prolification and parental care.

2.3.3.- Egg hatching.

2.3.4.- Moults and emergence metamorphosis.

2.3.5.- Postembrional stages of primitively apterous insects, esopterigota, endopterigota, protection.

2.3.6– Adult emergence, sexual dimorphism, ginandromorphism, unisexual polymorphism.

2.3.7.- Life length.

2.3.8.- Aggregation of individuals. Society: Isoptera, Hymenoptera (short account).

Skills acquired by the student- units 1 and 2:

- The student knows the insect external and internal anatomy. Briefly knowledge on insect physiology and other arguments necessary for the prosecution of entomology understanding of scientific. The student could be skilled for applied agricultural entomology and be critical regarding the different techniques to a rational insect pest control.

3. – Insects and environment (Total teaching units 8 hours)

3.1 .Insects and weather conditions

3.1.1.-Temperature.

3.1.2.- Humidity.

3.1.3.- Atmospheric pressure.

3.1.4.- Microclimate.

3.1.5.- Photoperiod, diapause and pseudo-diapause- quiescence, voltinism.

3.1.6.- Species dispersion.

3.2. Insects and plants

3.2.1.- Insects host of vegetal microorganisms.

3.2.2- Vegetal organisms that attacks insects.

3.2.3.-Phytophagous insects: primary and secondary phytophagy, monophagy, oligophagy and poliphagy; primary and secondary host, endophyta and ectophyta insects, plant reactions due to insect attacks, host plant resistance to insects.

3.3. Insects and other animals

3.3.1.- Insects and animal microorganisms.

3.3.2.- Organisms enemies of insects.

3.3.3.-Insects living on other animals , entomophagous insects (predators, parasitoids: endophagous–ectophagous parasitoids, monophages, oligophages, poliphages, solitary and gregarious, synchronous and asynchronous, primary and secondary- iperparasitoids, superparasitodism and multi parasitoidism, etc.).

Skills acquired by the student- unit 3:

- Base knowledge and methods to understand insect population dynamics and insect spreading.

- It can be able to make diagnosis on damages due by insects to plants, stored products and other animals. It is enough competent on the knowledge regarding beneficial insects and pollinators and the relationships between natural and biological control. These topics are related to point 4 and 5 of the program.

4.- Plant and products protection against insect pest (Total teaching units 8 hours)

4.1.- Agricultural methods(cultural operations, resistant cultivars, GMO short accounts).

4.2.- Mechanical methods(collection, screens ,insect- proofing).

4.3.- Physical methods (high-low temperatures, vacuum, electromagnetic waves, sound, etc.).

4.4.- Chemical methods

4.4.1.-Principal insecticides:short history, deleterious side effects of insecticides, insecticide mode of action, fumigants, effects regarding chemical pesticide sprays on arthropod populations, effects at short and long range, damages on: pollinators, ground microphauna, entomophagous . Insect resistance to pesticides.

4.4.2.-Problems regarding insecticide applications: labels, waiting periods, protection of workers, handling and pesticide storage.

4.5.-Biological-biothecnical methods

4.5.1.-Microbiological preparations (bacteria, fungi, virus and entomopathogenic nematodes).

4.5.2.- Growth regulators, juvenile hormone analogues, moulting hormone- ecdisoids, phitoecdisoids, possible application of pheromones and semiochemicals.

4.5.3.- Laws and rules, quarantine

4.5.4.-Integrate pest management - IPM: sampling methods

4.5.5.-Integrated production guidelines regarding arthropod control

Skills acquired by the student- unit 4:

- The student knows : when and how apply insect control using different methods and IPM.

- Acquire all the methods of insect control and the damages and benefits regarding practical applications. This knowledge is necessary for the point 5 of the program.

5 . – Special entomology (Total teaching units 15 hours)

5.1.- Short account regarding all the insect orders of the insect class. Fauna europaea, taxonomy and systematic.

5.2.-Treatments of pest and entomophagous insects considering the different ecosystems and following a detailed program distributed during the lectures and posted at the web site * internet www.entom.unibo.it.

5.3.- Insects of fruit orchards, vineyard, open field vegetables, ornamental, protected grown ornamental and vegetable plants.

5.4.- Short account of urban entomology and brief treatments of medical and veterinary importance.

* Each insect species of high economical importance in agriculture is treated studying the morphological features, the direct and indirect damages on products, the biological cycle, sampling methods, economic thresholds, the main predators and parasitoid complex, the methods of control and particularly the most environmentally friend and sustainable .

Skills acquired by the student- unit 5:

- The student knows the biological cycles of the main insect pests, voltinisms, overwintering, etc.

- It can be able to recognize insect orders and families and can be able to determine the single species of economic importance, furthermore he can know the insect nymphs and larvae of of the main insect pests.

- Acquire the basis for rationally prepare a plan of insect control in different agroecosystems.

Readings/Bibliography

Important is the material distributed by the teacher and posted on web sites and notes during the lectures.

It is suggested the reading and study in the books that can be found in ‘Biblioteca centralizzata G. Goidanich' (other English text are also present):

- Generalità e mezzi di controllo / Ermenegildo Tremblay. - 7. ed. - Napoli : Liguori, 2003. - 282 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. (fa parte di "Entomologia applicata" Volume 1).

- Lineamenti di entomologia / Penny J. Gullan, Peter S. Cranston. - Bologna : Zanichelli, 2006. - XIV, 514 p. : ill. ; 27 cm.

- Manuale di entomologia applicata 2/ed / Aldo Pollini. - Bologna : Edagricole, Il Sole 24 ore [2013] - 1504 p. : ill. ; 24 cm

- Entomologia generale e applicata / Luigi Masutti, Sergio Zangheri. - Padova : CEDAM, 2001. - XVI, 978 p., 16! c. di tav. : ill. ; 24 cm.

- Il Poster degli Insetti / Stefano Maini, Giovanni Burgio. - Bologna : Ed. EUGEA

- Lotta biologica e integrata / Cestaat, ed. Sepe, Roma, 1988 Celli Giorgio., Maini Stefano.,. (edizione fuori commercio a disposizione per eventuali fotocopie presso la biblioteca centralizzata di Facoltà).

- La fabbrica degli insetti / Celli G., Maini S., Nicoli G., Franco Muzzio Editore, Padova, 1991.

- Gli ausiliari nell'agricoltura sostenibile / Nicoli Giorgio, Radeghieri Paolo, Edagricole, Bologna, 2000.

Teaching methods

The course is divided in two parts:

1) Front desk teaching: lectures regarding the teaching units in classroom, the student acquire the necessary knowledge to insect anatomy (external and internal) to understand the potentiality evolutionary success of this class of animals i.e. biodiversity, the strong environment adaptation, activity and behaviour.

2) Exercises: the student participate at the projection of videos with the aim to bring basis knowledge on insect life, in particular in relation to agroecosystem and natural ecosystems. Furthermore the new recent and important problems/difficulties related to insect control are reported by external technicians and extensive entomologists invited at the classroom discussions with the students (the relevant cases are those present in our geographical area, i.e. Emilia-Romagna). Another aim of exercises hours is how to determine the insect order, family, genus and species of the most dangerous and beneficial insect. The methods to prepare, send parcel containing specimens insects to the specialists working in museums or other institutions, is explained in the exercise hours. Time is spent also for database researchers and for correct insect Latin names and other references. A plan for the students that like to prepare Power Point presentations regarding case studies are discussed during the exercises lessons. The total of exercise lessons are around the 30 hours.

Assessment methods

The assessment of knowledge in Agricultural entomology is made by a final oral test plus a practical identification of dried insects. The colloquium is on the topics that are carried out during the lectures. Questions are related to each of the main teaching units (general entomology, control methods, special entomology). Starting with one question is possible to go in deep of the argument. Oral test could be related of course on student skill and may vary from 15 to 45 minutes.

Teaching tools

Overhead projector, personal computer and projector will be used for class lectures.

Laboratory exercises will take place in the didactic laboratories, incubators and rearing insect facilities, greenhouse and in ‘Guido Grandi' insect collection.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Maini