Lesson 1Standards for specimen handling and labelling: preservation, pinning, ethanol storage, metadata conventionsCovers best practices for collecting, killing, preserving, and labelling insect specimens. Emphasizes pinning standards, ethanol storage, metadata fields, and label formats that support later identification, databasing, and legal compliance.
Field collection and killing methodsDry preservation and pinning standardsEthanol storage and tissue samplingLabel formats and required metadataLegal, ethical, and permit considerationsLesson 2Insect classification hierarchy: kingdom to species, nomenclature rules, binomial names and authorshipOutlines insect classification from kingdom to species, explaining ranks, clades, and nomenclatural rules. Discusses binomial names, authorship, type specimens, and how revisions, synonyms, and online catalogues affect applied entomology.
Taxonomic ranks from kingdom to speciesICZN principles and name validityBinomial names, authorship, and datesType specimens and reference collectionsSynonyms, revisions, and online databasesLesson 3External morphology: body regions (head, thorax, abdomen), appendages, wing types and venation basicsIntroduces external insect morphology, focusing on head, thorax, and abdomen. Details major sclerites, sutures, appendages, and wing types, including venation patterns, to build a vocabulary used in keys, descriptions, and identification guides.
Head capsule regions and suturesThoracic segments and notal structuresAbdominal segments and terminalia overviewLeg segments and functional modificationsWing types, venation, and cell terminologyLesson 4Antennae, legs, and sensory structures: forms and taxonomic valueExplores diversity of antennae, legs, and sensory organs, emphasizing their taxonomic and ecological significance. Covers antennal forms, leg specializations, mechanoreceptors, chemoreceptors, and how these traits support identification and hypotheses.
Major antennal types and segment terminologyLeg types: cursorial, fossorial, natatorialPrehensile and saltatorial leg adaptationsMechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors on cuticleSensory traits as diagnostic charactersLesson 5Practical use of taxonomic keys: dichotomous vs multi-access keys and how to interpret coupletsGuides practical use of dichotomous and multi-access keys for insect identification. Explains reading couplets, handling ambiguous characters, avoiding common errors, and integrating illustrations, glossaries, and reference specimens during keying.
Structure and logic of dichotomous keysHow to interpret and follow coupletsUsing multi-access and digital keysDealing with damaged or odd specimensRecording determinations and confidenceLesson 6Life cycles and development modes: holometabolous vs hemimetabolous vs ametabolousCompares ametabolous, hemimetabolous, and holometabolous development. Describes egg, larval, nymphal, pupal, and adult stages, linking life cycles to habitat use, sampling strategies, and interpretation of immature versus adult morphology.
Ametabolous development and primitive groupsHemimetabolous nymphs and habitat shiftsHolometabolous larvae and pupal stagesMorphology of immature versus adult formsLife cycle timing and sampling strategiesLesson 7Mouthparts and feeding types: chewing, piercing-sucking, siphoning, sponging — diagnostic significanceExamines major insect mouthpart types and their mechanics, including chewing, piercing-sucking, siphoning, and sponging. Links structure to feeding ecology, plant and host use, and highlights diagnostic traits important for family-level identification.
Basic mouthpart components and homologiesChewing mouthparts and mandibular variationPiercing-sucking mouthparts in HemipteraSiphoning and sponging mouthparts in DipteraMouthpart characters in diagnostic keysLesson 8Photographic documentation for identification: equipment, views (dorsal, lateral, ventral), focus stacking basicsDetails methods for photographing insects for identification and publication. Covers camera and lens choices, lighting, specimen positioning, standard views, scale bars, and basic focus stacking to capture fine morphological characters clearly.
Choosing cameras, lenses, and accessoriesLighting setups and background selectionStandard dorsal, lateral, and ventral viewsUsing scales and color standardsFocus stacking workflow and artifacts
