Entomologia generale:
The importance and diversity of insects. Factors for insect success. The antiquity of insects and their phylogeny. Principal evolutionary steps.
External anatomy. Internal anatomy and physiology.
Insect systematic. Apterygota: entognatha and ectognatha. Pterygota: paleoptera and neoptera.
Special Entomology:
Social insects and characteristics of pre-social orders.
Wasps, ants, bees, termites: general information and classification. Social aphids, thrips and Coleoptera.
Origin and evolution of social behaviour in Insects. Communication. Castes. Nests. Social parasites.
General entomology:
Gullan & Cranston - Lineamenti di entomologia. Zanichelli.
Davies – Lineamenti di entomologia. Zanichelli.
Special Entomology:
Le società degli Insetti (Wilson . Zanichelli)
Le società delle vespe (Turillazzi, Perdisa)
Formiche (Hoeldobbler & Wilson , Adelphi)
The other insect societies (Costa, Belknap)
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
Knowledge on the basis of entomology: adaptations of different insect groups to the environment and on the relationship between morphology and physiology. Evolutionary relationships among various insect orders.
Biology and evolution of social insects towards an higher level of selection.
Competence acquired:
Acquisition and use of a entomological terminology; basic tools for an autonomous classification of entomofaune. Knowledge on the forms and evolutionary processes leading the insect biodiversity.
Evaluation of the ultimate and proximal factors of social evolution in insects.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Autonomous capacity of different insect orders; capacity of comparative observation of external morphology and capacity of insect dissection to observe the internal anatomy.
Application of the sociobiological concepts to the insect behaviour.
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended):
Courses required: Zoology
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 150 (6x25)
Hours reserved to private study and other individual formative activities: 102
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 48
Contact hours for: Laboratory (hours): 8
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 12
Further information
Frequency of lectures, practice and lab:
The frequency to the lectures is strongly recommended to acquire personal practical experience.
Teaching tools:
Lectures are face-to-face (Power Point presentations), with much time dedicated to observation and dissection of insects. Field lessons are scheduled.
Type of Assessment
Oral text
Course program
General entomology:.
The importance and diversity of insects. Factors for insect success; insect radiation. The antiquity of insects and their phylogeny. Principal evolutionary steps.
External anatomy: the cuticle, colour production, segmentation and tagmosis. The head: mouthparts, cephalic sensory structures. The thorax: legs and wings. Evolution of wings. The abdomen: terminalia
Internal anatomy and physiology: Muscles and locomotion; The circulatory system, haemolymph and circulation; The tracheal system and gas exchange; the gut, digestion and nutrition; The excretory system and waste disposal. Reproductive organs, reproduction and insect development. The process and control of moulting.
Insect systematic. Apterygota: entognatha and ectognatha. Pterygota: paleoptera and neoptera. Selected diagnostic features (principal morphological, antomical chararcteristics), ecology and ethology of insect orders.
Special Entomology
Introduction, the degree of social insects.
Social wasps, characteristics and classification. Stenogastrinae, Polistes, Epiponines, Vespinae.
Origin and evolution of the social behaviour in wasps.
Ants, characteristics and classification. The ants of the genus Myrmica, Monomorium. Cutting leaf ants, Army ants. Origin and evolution of social behaviour in ants.
Social bees: generalities and classification. Halictidae, Allodapines, Bombus, Apis mellifera. Origin and evolution of social behaviour in bees.
Termites: generalities and classification. Mastotermitidae, Kalotermitidae, Termitidae. Origin and evolution of social behaviour in termites.
Hemiptera, Homoptera: social Aphids.
Tysanoptera. Social Thryps. Social Coleoptera and characteritics of pre-social orders.
Communication: general aspects; visual and acoustic communication; chemical communication. The dancing bee.
Control of the colony, Dominance hierarchies.
Castes and division of labour; castal differentiation.
The nest
Origin and evolution of social behaviour: genetic theory and ecological factors.
Social parasitism.