Entomology Links 

Websites listed below are meant to supplement the class lectures and labs. This is in lieu of a formal textbook for the course.


Lecture 1: Why We Study Forest Pests?

Because they have a tremendous impact on the resource you are managing. Below are a few links to worthwhile sites that give an overview of forest entomology. They should serve as a resource for you now and in the future.

Definition of Forest Entomology -- Required Reading; brief introduction into this section of the course

Forest Entomology Glossary -- Use when needed.

Forest Entomology Education in North America -- Compare Virginia Tech to other Institutions of higher learning.

 

Lecture 1 Continued: Introduction to Insects

Ticks and Lyme Disease -- Are you concerned about this? Excellent resource.

Maggot Therapy -- Interesting reading, some pretty gruesome images. Not for the faint of heart.

Forensic Entomology -- Want to solve a murder? How about using insects?

Insect Tatoos -- Now this is getting nasty.

Lets eat some insect snacks -- You can buy stuff here but stay away from the tequila pops with the worm. I'm speaking from experience.

 

Lectures 2 & 3: Arthropod & Insect Classification

Numerous sites that provide interesting information and images on some of the more common insect Orders and other non-insect arthropods.

Crustaceans of Australia

Gordon's Centipede Photo Gallery

Millipede as Pests Factsheet

Spiders of N.W. Europe

Arachnid Links -- Everything you wanted to know about spiders.

Whiz Quiz for Arthropod Identification -- Required Reading and Surfing (take quiz until you can get at least an 80% consistently)

Iowa State Insect Image Gallery

Orthopterists Society Homepage

Digital Dragonflies

Rachel's Cockroach Webpage -- Links to numerous roach sites

Yahoo's Termite Pages

The Butterfly Website

Butterflies of North America

Moths of North America

Coleopterists Society

Yahoo's Beetle Pages

Introduction to Hymenoptera

Diptera from the Smithsonian

 

Lecture 4: Structure & Function

Insect Biology and Ecology Primer from Cornell University -- Required Reading. Read the whole thing. It is only a couple of pages. 

The Virginia Tech Insects in Motion Website -- Try the Quicktime movies. They are about 1 mb and upload quickly if you're on ethernet.

B-Eye Website: See How Bees View the World

 

Lecture 5: Insect Ecology

Sharov's Population Ecology Website -- Chapters 8.1 and 8.2, a useful introduction

Chemical Defenses of Higher Plants

 

Lecture 6: Insects Affecting Reforestation

Douglas-fir Cone & Seed Insects tutorial from Western Canada

1997 Seed & Cone Pest Conditions in southern U.S. -- Required Reading (The whole page ~ 1 page)

Pales Weevil from USDA Forest Service -- lab supplement

White Pine Weevil from USDA Forest Service -- lab supplement

Nantucket Pine Tip Moth from USDA Forest Service -- lab supplement

 

Lecture 7: Defoliators

Gypsy Moth Website from the USDA Forest Service -- Required Surfing: a comprehensive site that has a tremendous amount of supplementary material. My recommendation is to surf as far as you want to.

Gypsy Moth in Virginia -- Required Reading

Gypsy Moth Feeding Preferences -- Required Reading: Know what trees are safe and what aren't.

Pesticide Comparison for Gypsy Moth -- Required Reading

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Web Site -- Required Reading; click on various links to learn what the status of this pest is and what research is being carried out to address it.

Forest Insect Pests of the Southern Region - USDA For. Serv. Pub. -- Insect fact sheets with color images and complete descriptions. An excellent resource. Below are some individual links from the site, but there are additional insect and pathogenic forest pests not covered in this course. You should bookmark this for future reference.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar -- lab supplement

Elm Leaf Beetle -- lab supplement

Fall Cankerworm -- lab supplement

Fall Webworm -- lab supplement

Locust Leafminer -- lab supplement

Bagworm -- lab supplement

Introduced Pine Sawfly -- lab supplement

Redheaded Pine Sawfly -- lab supplement

Pine Needle Scale from Va. Coop. Ext. -- lab supplement

 

Lecture 8: Bark Infesting Insects and Wood Borers

Balsam Woolly Adelgid from USDA Forest Service -- Required Reading; supplements the lab

Southern Pine Beetle Internet Control Center -- This is the most comprehensive site for any forest insect pest in the world, and we developed it. One stop shopping for all your information needs on SPB.

The IPM link from SPBICC -- Required Reading

Verbenone On-line Workshop from Va Tech-- Required Reading; supplements the lecture. Know what verbenone is. You should also be familiar with how to use the tactic and the situations that are appropriate for its use.

Southern Pine Bark Beetles Interactive Whiz Taxa from Va Tech -- Required Reading; this interactive diagnostic tool will help you identify southern pine bark beetles. Go through each bark beetle species. You should be able to recognize the difference between Dendroctonus and Ips and the species within each genera.

Southern Bark Beetles and others from UGA- Bugwood-- Required Reading; read the different bark beetle fact sheets for the South; read bark beetles of Southern Pines - ID and Control; Go to SPB Visual simulation; peruse the USDA Forest Service Publications to know what is available online. This is a very nice site!!!

Western Bark Beetles from CSU Extension

Bark Beetle Management in British Columbia

Asian Longhorned Beetle Site from APHIS -- Required Reading

Twolined Chestnut Borer from USDA Forest Service -- lab supplement

Red Oak Borer from USDA Forest Service -- lab supplement

White Oak Borer from USDA Forest Service -- lab supplement

 

Lecture 9: Integrated Pest Management

National IPM Network for the Southern Region

USDA, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) -- You should know what APHIS does. This site helps describe their mission and how they go about accomplishing it.

Phero Tech -- Commercial pest management company

The IPM Strategies

Biological Control -- Required Reading: Read the general descriptions for parasitoids, predators, pathogens, and weed feeders.

Sampling Methodologies (In Progress)

 
Lecture 10: Chemical Control

Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs -- Anyone who expects to use pesticides as part of their job are encouraged to visit this site. It is one of the best in the country and provides all the information you'll need to become certified.

History of Pesticide Use (download the .pdf file) -- Excellent bulleted list of events

Use of pesticides by homeowners

Exposure, toxicity and risk of home pesticide use

Pesticide Applicator Training Program

Pesticide Safety Educational Opportunities

Responsibility of pesticide applicators in VA

IPM Tactics - Chemical Control


Return to
Pathology
Entomology
Fire
Course Homepage

 

Last updated 10/28/02