ENY 5241 -- BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
TUESDAY/THURSDAY, Class - 50 minutes; FRIDAY, Lab - 2 hours
Place and times to be determined
Bldg. 970, Natural Area Drive
Updated 10-2004

Instructor and Office Hours:
Dr. J. Howard Frank
Room 2125, Entomology-Nematology Bldg.
Bldg. 970, Natural Area Drive
P.O. Box 110620
TEL 352-392-1901 X128
FAX 352-392-0190
jhf@ifas.ufl.edu

Office hours: Call or email for an appointment.

Course Description: Introduction to the principles involved in the natural and biological control of insects.

Objectives and Goals: To demonstrate the ecological principles of biological control; to demonstrate methods used in biological control of insects and other arthropods, by insects, and other arthropods, pathogens, and entomogenous nematodes, as well as biological control of weeds by insects and other arthropods; to show sources of information about biological control and those who practice it; to teach the relevant aspects of the laws that govern the practice of biological control.

Topics to be Covered

Lectures
Labs

The 2-hour weekly lab period will be used for visiting local laboratories and field sites, for viewing relevant videotapes; or for discussion. In some weeks there will be no lab because an all-day field trip has been arranged for the following Saturday.

Saturday field trips are not obligatory. They will be assigned a separate course number (ENY 6932 - sign up for it if your want the credit - or don't sign up and just come on the trips if you don't want the credit) worth one credit hour. Students choosing this option will be expected to write a brief report of what they saw and learned on each trip (probably three trips), and these reports will be graded S/U.

Prerequisites: A basic course in insect identification such as ENY 4161. Consult instructor if you have not taken such a course.

Textbook: Van Driesche, R.G., and Bellows, T.S. 1996. Biological control. Chapman and Hall. (Please note that Kluwer bought Chapman and Hall's book publication business and handles sales). The textbook is not required reading. Many readings from other sources are assigned. These will be presented as low-resolution Adobe Acrobat .PDF files on a temporary class web site.

Assignments and Methods by which the Student will be Evaluated and Grades Determined: Project 1: Rear and obtain data on development rate and feeding rate of immature stages of a coccinellid, a chrysopid, and a parasitoid wasp, then present the data and methods in a report. Project 2: Make a computerized search of the literature about a family of insects or mites or nematodes (which will be assigned), sort the types of information, and write a brief essay about the relevance of the information to the biological control of pests in the southern USA.

Grading:
Project 1 = 25%
Project 2 = 25%
First exam = 10%
Second exam = 10%
Final exam = 30%

Grading Scale:
A = 91-100%
B+ = 86-90%
B = 81-85%
C+ = 76-80%
C = 71-75%

Critical Dates for Exams or Other Work: Please see the printed syllabus for scheduled dates of exams. Students will be expected to sign the following statement on all exams: "On my honor I pledge that I have neither given nor received assistance in the completion of this test."

Policy Related to Class Attendance: Students are expected, but not required, to attend all class sessions.

Policy Related to Make-Up Exams or Other Work: Make-up exams will be allowed only by instructor permission.

Class Demeanor Expected by Instructor: Please be considerate of your classmates by not chatting during lecture. The banging of doors is very distracting to both students and professor, therefore please arrive on time and do not leave early. Turn off cell phones and beepers before coming into classroom. UF rules prohibit your having food or drinks in classrooms. Use of tobacco products (in any form) in the classroom is prohibited.

Additional General Information: The following information applies to all courses at the University of Florida.

We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standard of honesty and integrity.

Academic Honesty: As a result of completing the registration form at the University of Florida, every student has signed the following statement: "I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the University."

Copyrighted Materials and Software Use: All students are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing copyrighted material and software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.

University Counseling Services: Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals which interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:

1. University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, personal and career counseling;
2. Student Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, personal counseling;
3. Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual counseling; and
4. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling.


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