STARTING YOUR INSECT COLLECTION:

For your first laboratory, you will be introduced to some of the methods that entomologists use to capture, pin, and label insects. Using those techniques, we want you to collect, pin and label insects of your own. In later labs (week 4, weeks 7-12) you will learn how to properly identify the insects you have collected so that you can add them to your collection. The creation of your insect collection will allow you to become familiar with (A) the physical collection of insects, (B) insect habitat and ecology, (C) taxonomic identification of insects, and (D) proper labeling, handling and storage of insects. EACH STUDENT SHOULD MEET WITH EITHER OF THE TAs BY THE 4TH WEEK OF CLASSES TO LOOK AT AND DISCUSS YOUR COLLECTION. This way the TAs can point out any problems with your collection so you can fix them or at least avoid repeating those mistakes in future pinning, labeling, or identifying.

HOW TO GET A GOOD MARK FOR YOUR COLLECTION:

Your collection will be expected to contain 30 undamaged insects, each belonging to a different taxonomic family, properly pinned, identified and arranged in a systematic way. The highest marks are given to collections containing as many different insect orders as possible. For example, an insect collection containing a single family from 30 different orders will receive higher marks than a collection containing 30 families from a single order. Realistically, it is highly improbable that any student will be able to find 30 different insect orders in the lower mainland of Vancouver. Instead, we consider a collection containing 25 (correctly identified & undamaged) insect orders (INCLUDING PROTURA, DIPLURA & COLLEMBOLA) to be diverse enough to achieve a perfect mark. This means that a perfect collection for this class may contain 5 duplicate orders as long as each of the families within those duplicate orders are different. Even if your collection does not meet the criteria required for a perfect mark, you should still strive for maximizing the number of different orders in your collection (PLEASE REFER TO MARKING SCHEME BELOW). THERE ARE 7 INSECT ORDERS THAT YOU SHOULD EASILY FIND WITH MINIMAL SEARCHING: DIPTERA (flies) - extremely abundant everywhere, outdoors and indoors, day and night. COLEOPTERA (beetles) - fairly common in gardens and forest floors. You are likely to find one if you turn over garden or forest rocks. HYMENOPTERA (ants, bees & wasps) - common around flowers and flowering trees and shrubs. Ants are extremely abundant in gardens, forests, under rocks, etc. LEPIDOPTERA (moths & butterflies) - butterflies are common around flowers and flowering trees and shrubs. Moths are attracted to lights in the evening. ORTHOPTERA (grasshoppers, crickets & katydids) - common in tall grass, especially in late summer. You are likely to find one by sweep-netting grassy fields. ODONATA (dragonflies & damselflies) - adults and larvae common near still water such as ponds and ditches. Most easily captured when resting on plants. HEMIPTERA (bugs, hoppers, aphids, etc.) - common in most environments. For example, aphids are extremely abundant on most plants. THERE ARE AN ADDITIONAL 10 ORDERS THAT ARE EASY TO FIND IN THE LOWER MAINLAND, IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK (ASK YOUR TAs): COLLEMBOLA (springtails) - found within leaf-litter on the forest floor. They are often easier to collect using a Berlese funnel. THYSANURA (silverfish & firebrats) - found indoors, near boilers and steam pipes (such as SFU boiler rooms). DERMAPTERA (earwigs) - found under rocks, wood,leaves & other debris in forests or gardens. ISOPTERA (termites) - found under rocks, wood,leaves & other debris in forests or gardens. In late summer, winged adults often fly from forest tree tops at dusk. EPHEMEROPTERA (mayflies) - adults & larvae relatively common in and around forest ponds, lakes, and streams. PLECOPTERA (stoneflies) - adults & larvae relatively common in and around forest ponds, lakes, and streams. NEUROPTERA (alderflies, dobsonflies, lacewings, etc.) - adults & larvae relatively common in and around forest ponds, lakes, and streams. TRICHOPTERA (caddisflies) - adults & larvae relatively common in and around forest ponds, lakes, and streams. THYSANOPTERA (thrips) - tiny insects that are very abundant within flowery bushes and weeds (eg. dandelions). PSOCOPTERA (booklice & barklice) - booklice can be found in dusty cracks and crevices around SFU. Barklice are found in leaf litter or on trees and bushes. 11 ORDERS CAN BE FOUND IN BC (8 IN THE LOWER MAINLAND), BUT USUALLY REQUIRE SEARCHING IN VERY SPECIFIC HABITATS: PROTURA (proturans) - found within dirt & leaf litter on the forest floor. They are often easier to collect using a Berlese funnel. DIPLURA (diplurans) - found within dirt & leaf litter on the forest floor, or occasionally under rocks. They are often easier to collect using a Berlese funnel. BLATTODEA (cockroaches) - found indoors, often in dark crevices, near human food or garbage. Best collected at night or very early morning. MICROCORYPHIA (jumping bristletails) - sparsely distributed in forest leaf litter. More common nocturnally, on rocks of Vancouver beaches. MECOPTERA (scorpionflies & hangingflies) - adults can be found around wooded areas from November to March. SIPHONAPTERA (fleas) - fairly common animal parasites, but collection requires location of infected animals. PHTHIRAPTERA (lice) - fairly common animal parasites, but collection requires location of infected animals. GRYLLOBLATTODEA (rock crawlers) - very rare. found in the Rocky Mountains and rarely in the Coastal Mountains. PHASMATODEA (stick/leaf insects) - can be found in the desertous regions of British Columbia. MANTODEA (mantids) - can be found in the desertous regions of British Columbia. STREPSIPTERA (twisted-wing parasites) - bee and wasp parasites that have been found in the lower mainland, but are somewhat rare.  3 ORDERS ARE LISTED IN YOUR TEXTBOOK, BUT ARE NOT KNOWN TO EXIST ANYWHERE IN CANADA: EMBIIDINA (webspinners) - found in leaf litter & debris in tropical areas and in some southwestern U.S. states (eg. Arizona, California). ZORAPTERA (angel insects) - found under logs and debris in eastern, central, and southern U.S.A. MANTOPHASMATODEA (gladiator insects) - very rare and found only in South Africa.

IMPORTANT RULES REGARDING YOUR COLLECTION:

25 of the 30 insects in your collection MUST be collected by you, within Canada. In your collection you are allowed to have a total of 5 insects that have been either traded/received from other people, or that were collected from outside of Canada. NOTE: all traded/received insects must be labeled with the name of the person who originally caught the insect as well as the time/place of capture. All insects must have been captured during the current or previous semester. Insect species that can be specifically purchased at pet stores are not allowed (eg. crickets, meal worms, etc.). Nor are any insects allowed that were specifically reared by a facility or person for culture.

ROUGH FIELD NOTES ARE REQUIRED FOR YOUR COLLECTION:

You are required to take rough field notes as you collect insects in the field. They should include notes on environmental conditions like time of day, temperature, as well as the method of collection. As complete ecological information as possible should be included. Please do not transcribe these notes but do provide a key referring to specific insects (labeled 1-30), in your collection. You will not be required to submit the steps you took to key out your insects, but remember, YOU NEED TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH KEYING INSECTS TO FAMILY FOR YOUR FINAL LAB EXAM.

MARKING SCHEME FOR THE INSECT COLLECTION:

Focus on collecting as diverse and array of insects as possible. An absolutely perfect insect collection (a collection worth 126/126 possible marks) must contain a total of 30 undamaged insect specimens. Each of these 30 insects must belong to a different taxonomic family, and 21 of these insects must belong to a different taxonomic order. As well, all 30 insects must be properly identified and labelled, arranged in a systematic way, and indexed with numbers 1-30. The specific marking scheme is as follows:

Individual Marks Totals 41% ORDERS correctly identified: First 13 Orders up to 8 additional orders 2 Marks Each 2.5 Marks Each Up To 56 Marks 37% FAMILIES correctly identified: First 20 Families Each additonal Family 1.5 Marks Each 2 Marks Each Up To 50 Marks 18% PRESENTATION: Correct Labeling/Pinning Overall Presentation (see: Overall Presentation Marks) 0.5 Marks Each 10 Marks Up To 25 Marks 4% Rough Field Notes 5 Marks Up To 5 Marks 100% TOTAL   136

Overall Presentation (10 marks): Are insects evenly aligned/spaced? Is the collection box, and all of its contents (including insects) in good condition = 5 marks Are orders/families displayed taxonomically? = 1 mark Are members of the same order displayed together? (not necessarily taxonomically) = 1 mark Are insect labels aligned and in the same ink/font? (not necessarily labeled properly) = 1 mark Are there any loose items in the box that could damage the collection? = 1 mark Are all insects properly indexed with numbers 1-30? = 0.5 marks Are labels of the proper size and orientation? = 0.5 marks

NOTE: Partial marks will be subtracted for pinning or labeling errors as well as obscured identification features, broken insects, or crookedly pinned insects. For example, an otherwise well presented specimen presented with a broken wing would have 0.1 marks subtracted and receive 0.4 marks. With the exception of Lepidopteran wings, you are not required to neatly spread and position the legs and other appendages of your pinned insects.

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