Science News article adapted from the USDA highlighting the role of Bt crops in an age of overwhelming non-target damage evidence from pesticides. The conclusion is that Bt is by far the least harmful to non-target organisms.

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A thoroughly produced primer on toxicology of invertebrates. The author has attempted to update the traditional "canary in the coalmine" analogy to "smoke-detectors" for an audience not familiar with 19th century mining practice. An experiment is outlined, further ideas for future experiments give, description of various invertebrates along with their habits, a glossary, and references are supplied. It only lacks illustrations, but more than makes up for it with logical layout, and explanation.

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A good set of 84 PowerPoint slides detailing the structure of an insect from B.K. Mitchell and J.S. Scott. There are four sections, the insect head, thorax and abdomen, mouthparts and cockroach dissection. The individual slides have good graphics and narration explaining the structure discussed. This is a good resource for instructors putting together lectures on insect structure and morphology and students trying to understand insect structure.

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Discussion of molecular barcoding methods for determining species. While in early phases results have been mixed, this page provides a positive example in insects. Other menu choices provide some of the basic principles, and a general statement of the purpose.

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Major Brain centers, dissectable brains, and full color schematic representations of the fly brain are some of the features of this site. Much of the content is from cell tissue research.

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This is a chemistry course site with a thorough discussion of cantharidin, it's historical uses, insects producing it, and chemical structure. Also a nice discussion of the rather complex life history of meloids is covered. The site includes a nice assortment of references.

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A series of nine video clips from a cockroach dissection, showing structures of the digestive system (crop, gastric caeca, midgut, Malpighian tubules, hindgut), circulatory system (heart, aorta) and repiratory system (spiracles, tracheae, tracheoles). Ease of use: Text and video are extremely easy to use, although video 1 ("Dissection of a Cockroach Take 2", the title video) is unnecessary, particularly considering loading time. Also, due to differences in browsers and video dimensions, the background image can make it difficult to read the text in a screen that is not resized perfectly, making the site perhaps less user friendly/accessible to, for example, people with visual difficulties. Background necessary: Little if any necessary, although perhaps some additional information in text (e.g., duration of anaesthetization of the cockroach on ice) and pointers (e.g., arrows; such would aid in the circulatory system video, especially) during the videos via some post-video production editing would aid folks that are unfamiliar with the organs (specifically, lower division undergraduates). This should be minimally required though following a single run through by a lab instructor before a lab/video is demonstrated to students; should not be required at all for comparative morphologists. Regarding "core insect principles" below - I have included economic value and environmental services particularly due to the role that bacterial symbionts play in food digestion (as demosntrated in the video), while use of insects in inquiries is checked as cockroaches are excellent models for comparative physiology (e.g., tracheal & open circulatory system vs vertebrate cardiopulmonary system, and MTs vs kidneys). One last additional point is that the author "throws away" the fat body, discounting its very important role in insect biology - comparison at least to the kidney is warranted, particularly in light of its overwhelming presence inside the cockroach when dissected open (surely one student, at least, will ask why there's so much of it yet it's not discussed?).

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This is a National Science Teachers Association PDF file located on Cornell University's website. The lesson plan is devoted to collecting and assessing stream macroinvertebrates for the purpose of stream water quality study. The last few pages feature some nice drawings of various grouips; stoneflies, beetle larvae, caddisflies, etc, with key determination characters, and an idea of their tolerance to pollution.

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An argument for using insects to discover new useful compounds using "High Throughput Screening" techniques of molecules. The article opens with a basic introduction to the richness of the insect class, and the practical hopes of expecting to locate useful molecules for immunological and other purposes. Traditionally plants and microbes have been used for this product development.

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Award winning database of Drosophila molecular study. A gene/genome search by image of organ systems, life-cycle stages, tagma, or germ layer is possible.

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A discussion of the surprising number of heat-shock proteins active in hibernating insects that help aid their survival in extreme conditions. The possibility of removing genes responsible for coding these proteins may help in controlling some persistent pest species that overwinter.

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A discussion of how genes code for segmentation in insects (Drosophila)as well as other animals (vertebrates). Transcription factor cascades and feedback mechanisms are described at length. This is a well illustrated and fairly advanced non-journal article requiring a good knowledge of genetic jargon.

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Human genome sequencing center at Baylor College of medicine has completed the honey bee genome (2006). It is available for download by chromosome. It can also be searched using NCBI megablast. Other links include the Nature press release and PDFs of several other related articles.

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A thorough NSF funded research site dedicated to insect parasite fauna, especially the gregarines. This page is a work in progress as research develops. Some gregarine keys are included online, as well as survey results, and some systematics.

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This Flash animation is part of a lecture series on insect physiology and biochemistry by Dr. Larry Keeley, Professor Emeritus of Entomology at Texas A&M University. Topics covered include prevention of water loss, tanning, and the role of wax. Although unenthusiastic, the voiceover is clear and animation is used well to highlight areas being discussed. Requires Flash. The full version costs $10 to download, but a watermarked demo version can be viewed for free.

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A 2001 Natural History article detailing the finding that the London Underground harbored a variety of the above ground, daytime inhabiting Culex pipiens dubbed 'molestus'. Along with the obvious differences in behavior (Culex pipiens is generally a bird biter, but without underground birds the molestus variety has been voraciously biting people) geneticists have been able to use molecular techniques to differentiate, and suggest novel evolution for the two groups.

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A short well illustrated page detailing four major insect hormones and their pathways, and effects. Prothoracicotropic, Ecdysone, and Juvenile hormone are treated here.

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This Flash animation is part of a lecture series on insect physiology and biochemistry by Dr. Larry Keeley, Professor Emeritus of Entomology at Texas A&M University. The major aspects of insect morphology are covered. Subjects include external body plan, fat body, flight muscles, and the respiratory, nervous, endocrine, circulatory, digestive and reproductive systems. Although unenthusiastic, the voiceover is clear and animation is used well to highlight areas being discussed. Requires Flash. The full version costs $10 to download, but a watermarked demo version can be viewed for free.

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A series of 28 lecture notes comprehensively covering the physiology of insects by Sean Putnam and David Stanley from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This course is aimed at undergraduate college students but is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to read up on any aspect of insect physiology. There are links to good sketches and photographs to illustrate points and morphology made in the text. The laboratory link leads to a number of laboratories with a good introduction to each experiment and concise procedures.

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A large database dedicated to research articles about various topics of insect physiology. Topics range from excretion to diapause to temperature and water regulation. There are also extensive listings of resources (academic units, funding, journals) and course data on insect physiology.

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Organophosphate insecticide effects and resistance are explained at the molecular and population levels. Part of a longer animation on neurotoxic insecticides. Requires Flash. Demo version is full-length but has watermark.

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A short article discussing the various ways in which insecticides operate to kill insects. Groups covered include IGRs, cuticle production inhibitors, nervous system poisoners, water balance disrupters, and more. Included is a table of common insecticides with their modes of action.

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A flash demonstration with narration of the dissection of an American cockroach. The demonstration features heart, muslces, salivary glands, proventriculus, midgut, hindgut, and more.

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Images of mutant cockroaches, provided by the Genetic Stock Center for the German Cockroach at Virginia Tech. Useful as a visual aid for explaining the effects of mutation. A linkage map is also available.

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A general audience discussion of common fruit fly mutations. The site includes simplified illustrations, and a discussion of fruit fly chromosomes. Presented by Exploratorium at the museum of science art and human perception at the Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco.

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Information about the parasitic wasp genus Nasonia. Everything from rearing, hosts, behavior, ecology, and genetic research being conducted on the group. This is a great reference for basic biology, as well as teaching about research with insects.

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Entomogenous nematodes are covered here on a short general page that includes several links, one of which is to a PDF with more extensive bio-control with nematodes information. Nine families of nematodes are mentioned which include species that sterilize, alter behavior, or simply kill the insect host.

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How common insecticides create their toxic effects. The parts of the nervous system involved in neurotoxicity are explained. Requires Flash. Demo version is of one scene (Imidacloprid action).

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A database of chemicals isolated from sex pheromone glands of female Lepidoptera along with other chemical attractants of male moths. This site should prove valuable to all those working with Lepidopteran pheromones. Maintained by Peter Witzgall, Tobias Lindblom, Marie Bengtsson, and Miklos Tóth, compounds are searchable by species common and Latin names, and also by compound. The source and author of compounds are also included. Pheronet also produces a number of chemical lures which is also listed, along with distributors for Europe and Brazil.

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These are for purchase animations meant for download to insert into a teaching curriculum. Topics covered include: Insect structure and function, muscle structure and contraction, insect cuticle structure, insect vision, and more. Previews of the animations are available and are narrated by Dr. Larry Keeley.

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Exoskeleton cell arrangement acts like liquid crystal to reflect particular wavelengths of light, according to recent research findings reported on World-Science net. Such findings may become important to car manufacturers improving light and reflective details.

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A short general introductory page about some pathogens of insects including Rickettsia, Bacillus thuringiensis, Wolbachia, and a smattering of other bio-pesticides. Many organisms are highlighted leading to linked pages from CDC and other sources for more information.

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A database of of chemicals identified from sex pheromone glands of lepidopteran insects, as well as other attractants for male moths. The site is largely dedicated to a search engine allowing the user to find a species of moth or butterfly (then pictured) and see what sex pheromones have been isolated (with references).

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A high school level genetics project housed on the Tree of Life web project site using Drosophila to predict genetic crosses. The site includes instructions, worksheets, and extensive explanations as well as many images and example results.

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A multi-university collaborative resource for genomic information from several vector arthropods: Anopheles (A.) gambiae, Aedes (A. (sic)) aegypti, Ixodes scapularis, Pedicularis (P.) humanus. Links are also available for organism photos, external links about the organism, and more. University of Notre Dame, e!Ensembl, IMBB, Harvard, Imperial College London are collaborators.

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A genetics toolbase with a dozen species of Drosophila aligned and presented in phylogenetic clade format and sequence downloads. There are also a series of vertebrates available. Requires a recent version of Java. This is a large collaborative effort from several research facilities including: UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UC Davis.

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A short Flash-illustrated discussion of how lampyrids produce their famous light. The discussion includes a bit about the genomics of the process, as well as what the light is for behaviorally.

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A page detailing the various strategies insects use to survive the cold discussions include hibernation, migration, and anti-freeze compounds produced by the overwintering insect.

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A search enabled and expanding NSF database about the insect bacterial pathogen Wolbachia. The site includes information about molecular as well as taxonomic studies. The introduction page probably has the most general information of use to non-researchers using the site for educational purposes.

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