Behavioral videotapes of polistine wasps form the basis of a student project to explore data observation and analysis, using the scientific method. This is a learning exercise based on real-world data concerning the social structure of insects. A very interesting website with many teaching applications.

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This is the best online textbook teaching IPM for various audiences. The chapters were contributed by internationally recognized experts. The goal for the online textbook is to "eventually have hundreds of chapters relating to integrated pest management in the broad sense (not just insect pest management)."

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An introduction to integrated pest management and biological control concepts, organisms, and practices. Information on specific natural enemies. The guide provides accurate information on a range of natural enemies. While not completely comprehensive, the organisms which are treated are comprehensively described. Each organism is treated on a sperate webpage with information on lifecycle, host range, etc. No special needs are required to use this resource.

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This web site provides a compilation of more than 240 proverbs that mention insects, arachnids, centipedes, and crustaceans. Roughly 60% mention Diptera and Hymenoptera. The proverbs are listed under 15 taxa, including Arachnida, Chilopoda, Crustacea, and 11 orders of insects. The geographic origin of each proverb and a list of references also are provided.

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Closeup of a honey bee, Apis mellifera, stinging a person's arm. The sting and poison sack are clearly visible, including the poison sack contractions.

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Shows a Painted Lady,Vanessa cardui, caterpillar eating its way out of its egg.

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Facts and Theories on the Insect Head, Part 1. Audio recording accompanied by illustrated transcripts of lecture given in 1960 by seminal insect morphologist Robert E. Snodgrass. This lecture series covers the morphology and evolution of the insect head in two parts. Part I discusses the structures of the head and mouthparts, and begins to address the evolution of segmentation (continued in Part II). The web page is clear and easy to follow. The transcribed text makes it possible to follow along with the entire lecture even though parts of the audio file are difficult to hear. The text is clearly annotated to tell the reader when Snodgrass is using a figure, and those figures are labeled accurately and placed properly throughout the text. This is an excellent supplemental resource for anyone taking or teaching an insect morphology class. The lecture was moderated by William Bickley and transcribed by Jeffrey W. Shultz, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland.

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Facts and Theories on the Insect Head, Part 2. Audio recording accompanied by illustrated transcripts of lecture given in 1960 by seminal insect morphologist Robert E. Snodgrass. This lecture series covers the morphology and evolution of the insect head in two parts. Part I discusses the structures of the head and mouthparts, and begins to address the evolution of segmentation (continued in Part II). The web page is clear and easy to follow. The transcribed text makes it possible to follow along with the entire lecture even though parts of the audio file are difficult to hear. The text is clearly annotated to tell the reader when Snodgrass is using a figure, and those figures are labeled accurately and placed properly throughout the text. This is an excellent supplemental resource for anyone taking or teaching an insect morphology class. The lecture was moderated by William Bickley and transcribed by Jeffrey W. Shultz, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland.

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Evolution of the Arthropods. Audio recording accompanied by illustrated transcripts of lecture given in 1960 by seminal insect morphologist Robert E. Snodgrass. In this 3rd lecture of the series Dr. Snodgrass discusses the evolution of the arthropod body plan from a phylogenetic perspective. The lecture also covers the phylogeny of Hexapoda and the diversity and evolution of insect appendages compared to those of ancestral arthropods. The web page is clear and easy to follow. The transcribed text makes it possible to follow along with the entire lecture even though parts of the audio file are difficult to hear. The text is clearly annotated to tell the reader when Snodgrass is using a figure, and those figures are labeled accurately and placed properly throughout the text. This is an excellent supplemental resource for anyone taking or teaching an insect morphology class. The lecture was moderated by William Bickley and transcribed by Jeffrey W. Shultz, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland.

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This website centers around the popular, age-old question of why so few insects live in the oceans; only about 250-350 species are routinely exposed to seawater. Marine insects and their special adaptations are discussed and the life histories of several species are treated in detail. The authors formulate and discuss six hypotheses as to why there are so few insects in the ocean. They then weigh in on their choice of the most likely explanation. Teaching notes are included that discuss the utility of marine insects in formulating and evaluating scientific questions and in exploring evolutionary aspects of life. The site is easy to navigate, requires only about 30 minutes to view, and is full of solid information that is presented in a light-hearted manner. No special requirements are needed to use this resource.

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The information provided includes information concerning the morphology, distribution, hosts, damage, and life cycles of the Hessian Fly. Also includes a listing of Hessian fly research labs and a bibliography in regard to pest management. The work is succinct. It gives a good overview on the Hessian fly. Internet is needed to access the information.

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How forensic entomology helps solve crimes, specifically focusing on maggots and adult flies. This is a 23 min video that provides an interesting lecture by Martin Hall that includes a slide show presentation that was recorded in front of an audience. It includes a question and answer session with the audience. Windows Media Player or Quicktime is needed to view video, but there are links to download each software program available through the site. There is also a link on the same page that provides a PDF download that gives a written introduction to forensic entomology.

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Closeup video of a carpenter (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) ant using its antennae to sense as it feeds.

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Closeup video of a honey bee (Apis mellifera) feeding on honey and water. Lapping behavior is shown with the mouthparts clearly visible.

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Closeup video of a honey bee feeding on honey and water. Lapping behavior is shown with the mouthparts and honeybee "tongue" clearly visible.

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Demonstrates the suddenness with which a dragonfly nymph grabs prey using its specialized mouthparts. In this case, the nymph attacks an earthworm.

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Shows a praying mantid as it eats a cricket.

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Good quality close up video Showing a mosquito pupa swimming. Respiratory siphons are clearly visible. The video demonstrates that insect pupal stages need not be stationary.

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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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Shows grooming behavior in a cockroach.

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Three-dimensional rendering of an ant. This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the orginal models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D image of a stage beetle (Family Lucanidae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a German Cockroach (Family Blattidae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a mosquito (Family Culicidae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a grasshopper (Family Acrididae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a water strider (Family Gerridae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a flea (Order Siphonaptera). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a mantis (Family Mantidae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a termite (Order Isoptera). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a yellowjacket wasp (Family Vespidae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a blow fly (Family Calliphoridae). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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3D virtual image of a honey bee (Family Apidae *spelled Apiidae in the image caption*). This movie is also available as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model. The VRML models are more interactive than the QuickTime versions, but special software may need to be downloaded to open them (read the “Help” page for details). Those people using public computers may be limited from fully accessing the resource. Mozilla Firefox users can view the VRML files directly in their browsers by downloading the Cortona extension (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/download/netscape/). This website is an excellent educational resource for all ages. The Virtual Insects home page (http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/3dinsect.html) has a basic explanation of how virtual reality works, including the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The "Virtual Images" link takes you to a list of insects that can be viewed as 3D digital reconstructions. The image files would make excellent additions to teaching lectures for introductory classes. Visit the "How to Build Virtual Insects" page to read about how the images were created and how the original models were made more biologically accurate. Also be sure to read the page on how to view the cyber-insects inside a virtual reality "cave".

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Close-up side view of carpenter ant feeding on artificial diet. Videoclip is very short and shows the antennae and mandibles of the ant as it examines the diet.

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Video shows an adult female Asian longhorn beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) with characteristic antennae waving. Video also shows the beetle spreading its elytra and flying.

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This public service announcement featuring John Walsh of America's Most Wanted is designed to raise awareness of the Asian Longhorned Beetle. The sound quality and lighting are good. The compression of the video makes the visuals less useable for some purposes.

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This is a 3D virtual reality image of the "Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle," or Allomyrina dichotoma (family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Dynastinae). Menu tools can be used to rotate and/or zoom in on the image. The clarity of the image is excellent, but gets slightly blurry when fully zoomed. This is a high quality resource for teaching, especially for topics involving insect morphology. The Cornell University "Beetle Science" home page (http://www.explore.cornell.edu/scene.cfm?scene=Beetle%20Science) has many more excellent resources for teachers and students. QuickTime 5.0 is required to view it, which possibly could limit users with older or public computers.

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This is a 3D virtual reality image of the shiny green beetle Chrysophora chrysochlora (family Scarabaeidae). Menu tools can be used to rotate and/or zoom in on the image. The clarity of the image is excellent, but gets slightly blurry when fully zoomed. This is a high quality resource for teaching, especially for topics involving insect morphology. The Cornell University "Beetle Science" home page (http://www.explore.cornell.edu/scene.cfm?scene=Beetle%20Science) has many more excellent resources for teachers and students. QuickTime 5.0 is required to view the image, which possibly could limit users with older or public computers.

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Interactive illustration with different organisms sized based on relative number of species. Especially interesting is the relative size of the arachnids and insects. Requires Flash 5 or higher.

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The Orthoptera Species File (Version 2.0/3.1) is a taxonomic database of the world's Orthoptera. It contains full synonymic and taxonomic information for more than 25,000 valid species and more than 39,000 taxonomic names, and has more than 140,000 citations to references Users can also access images and sound recordings for many species. The "Education Exercises" link has tools (in both English and Spanish) to learn about synonymic lists, the taxonomic history of a generic and specific name, type specimens, and valid names. There also are interactive keys for identifying and diagnosing species of Orthoptera and teaching users about the Linnaean hierarchy. Another useful resource on the home page is the list of experts and their contact information. The OSF is useful for professionals, students, educators and users with a general interest in Orthoptera. It stands out as excellent because it is well-documented, has many "help" features to guide users, and is associated with a well-respected group, the Orthopterists' Society. If you are not sure where to start looking, or if you are interested in how the database is constructed, use the home page links listed under "Other Places to Start".

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The Phasmida Species File (PSF) is a taxonomic database of the world's Phasmida (stick and leaf insects, known as walking sticks and walking leaves in the U.S.). It provides useful and accessible information for professional taxonomists and systematists, such as full synonymic and taxonomic information for over 2,700 valid species and 3,900 taxonomic names (all ranks, valid and not valid), and over 11,000 citations to references. The PSF home page also lists phasmid specialists by geographic location, so users can email them with questions. What makes the PSF stand out as excellent is the substantial amount of documentation and "help" features to guide users. This makes the site easily-accessible to professionals as well as students and educators with more general interests (e.g., rearing records and photographs). If you are not sure where to start looking, or if you are interested in how the database is constructed, use the home page links listed under "Other Places to Start". For information and statistics about the current status of the database (as of October 2006), click on the "About this website and the underlying database" link on the home page.

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Targeted to homeowners, although it is a great introduction for all students and educators wanting to learn more about integrated pest management. Objectively written. The links to extension offices all go to Georgia Extension.

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Information needed to help identify and control invasive species. Specifically, each species listed has an accompanying photo, information concerning identification, biology, control and management resources. This is an outstanding resource.

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Shows several different views of harvester ants, a major food source of the Texas horned lizard. The video is large and a highspeed connection is recommended. The video shows ants entering their nest and moving on pathways that have been cleared of debris. The nest entrance has guards that are checking each of the returning ants.

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Medium view of carpenter ant engaged in cleaning behavior of its antennae. Video size is fairly large.

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Fire ants mark their trail with a substance from the Dufour's gland. The trail used by a group of fire ants is shown. Several examples of groups of ants following each other are shown. File size is large and a highspeed connection is recommended.

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Demonstrates opportunistic pavement ant nesting location between stacked boards.

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Beetle walks across the frame, demonstrating order of leg movement.

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This is a clear, well composed video clip of bagworm bags on cypress and of bagworm feeding behavior. There is no audio, leaving narration up to the end user.

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The caterpillar of the beet armyworm is shown in full body view as well as closeup footage of the caterpillar eating. Since there is no sound track, narration is left up to the instructor.

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Ten examples of cases in which evidence from forensic entomology were used. Includes the species used. A good story-based introduction to how forensic entomology is used. However, specific descriptions of the methods employed to derive PMI estimates for each case study are not included. This is an general introduction to using insects in criminal investigations.

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This article, succinctly written by the late Charles Hogue, was taken, with permission, from the 1987 Annual Review of Entomology. It provides an excellent explanation of cultural entomology, along with examples of the influence insects have had on art, folklore, history, literature and language, the performing arts, philosophy, religion, and other areas of culture from around the world. To delve more deeply into cultural entomology, the original 1987 article should be consulted for a listing of many specific references to the subject.

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Demonstrates fire ant invasion of the southern United States and two biological control approaches: decapitating flies and disease. Upbeat music and corny graphics may make it similar to DDT videos of yesteryear, but it is valuable to quickly demonstrate the problem to students. The video appears to overstate the potential impact of these biological control agents but is a good, and fairly entertaining, introduction to the topic of biocontrol for the RIA. It will be importantant to use this video in the propoer context.

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Excellent summary of how the decapitating fly works as a biological control measure against fire ants. Unhurried pace with great supporting video. Good choice for introducing students to the idea of biological control. Video quality is extremely high and the depiction of the complete lifecycle of the fly is valuable.

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Excellent summary of how Thelohania fire ant disease works as a biological control measure against fire ants. Unhurried pace with great supporting video and graphics. Good choice for introducing students to the idea of biological control. Video quality is excellent. This video should probably be used in conjunction with the other two fire ant biocontrol videos produced by the same workers.

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An introduction to looking for insects in various habitats. Jeff Tomberlin of Texas Cooperative Extension takes you to the field and shows you where to look and demonstrates techniques like using a beat sheet or bucket. Filmed in central Texas. The video is an excellent introduction to collecting insects. It is large (16 minutes) and a high speed connection is strongly recommended.

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Time-lapse video documenting the decomposition of a pig carcass over two weeks. Waves of colonization by insects are visible, but specific species or taxa are not clearly viewed. The quality of the video is dependent on the software used to view the video. The Window Media Player version gives the best quality.

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This web page describes current research about insect flight dynamics. It focuses on the work of biologist R. McNeill Alexander of the University of Leeds, whose research team has built large-scale models of insects to test their flight aerodynamics in wind tunnels. At the bottom of the page is a small (160 x 120) QuickTime video of a Morpho butterfly (Order Lepidoptera, Family Nymphalidae) with detailed views of its wing scales. It is an excerpt from the Alien Empire miniseries of the Public Broadcasting Service's Nature series. The video requires QuickTime and may not be accessible to those with older or slow computers. The link to the "enhanced multimedia video clip" did not work at the time of this review.

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A succinct but clear introduction to forensic entomology with an emphasis on the role of the forensic investigator. Covers life cycles, protocols, information to collect at the scene. Also provides links to other forensic entomology websites and resources.

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Bibliography of forensic entomology. 382 entries through 2006.

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Martin Hall, of the entomology department at the Natural History Museum in London, lectures on forensic entomology. He covers maggot behavior, the blow fly life cycle, how blow flies find a body and how to collect maggots. Requires QuickTime or Windows Media Player.

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This is a very short and cursory introduction to forensic entomology. It is downloaded as a PDF and is a four-page article about how insects can be used to assess time of death. There is an emphasis on the role of blow flies. There are some color photos of marginal quality included.

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This 1994 article by Victoria Rivers, Professor of Textiles at University of California (Davis), is about the fascinating and exquisite use of beetle parts, especially iridescent beetle wings, in textiles. Many entomologists will not be familiar with this aspect of the use of insects and will find the article delightful. The article explores how beetles have been used in textiles throughout history in India, New Guinea, Thailand, Burma, and Amazonia. The online article is about 6 standard text pages and includes photographs that, when clicked, provide a larger image.

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Video of the larval, pupal and adult stages of the monarch butterfly. Pupation and eclosion are shown clearly. Audio is poor, containing uneccessary sound track. Includes suggestions for a lesson plan although it cannot be immediately used as a stand alone. This resource provides a good example of integrating technology into the study of insects with a middle school or high school class. Video footage of monarch butterflies is of maderate quality.

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Cultural Entomology Digest was published in four issues from 1993 to 1997. All issues are available online. More than 30 short articles on the use of insects in human culture are presented, covering a wide variety of fascinating topics from butterflies in mythology to insects in psychiatry to the use of beetles as religious symbols. The articles are both informative and entertaining, and are written by recognized authorities.

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This website provides a bibliography of about 45 popular classics in entomology, written as early as 1895 to as late as 2002, that emphasize the human side of entomology. The list, compiled by Lou Bjostad (Colorado State University), includes works from 1895 to 2002 and is arranged alphabetically by author. These books will inspire a love for insects and a fascination for the natural history of insects. Included are a wide range of books, from well-known works such as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, to lesser known but, nonetheless, marvelous works such as Hans Zinsser's Rats, Lice, and History. All entomologists, as well as all biologists, should read everyone of these works.

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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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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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The compound eye is explained in this animation with voiceover by Dr. Larry Keeley of Texas A&M University. Topics include lens and photoreceptor formation, function of pigment cells, and the mosaic view of insect eyes with different numbers of ommatidia per unit area. Voiceover is unenthusiastic but accurate, but the animation is used appropriately to highlight the narration. Requires Flash. Demo version is full-length but has watermark. The forward and reverse arrows for the animation did not work when tested on several web browsers for Mac OSX, but all other features functioned properly.

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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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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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Natural selection simulation. Plants and animals (insects) go through generations according to parameters entered by the user. Pesticide and herbicide applications can be made, though resistance is not simulated. New species with characteristics like metabolism rate, density, and chance of procreation can be created. Good for understanding population effects. Requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Simulation is not available for Windows.

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Tutorials on insect predators that feed on insect and mite pests. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers lady beetles, mantids, lacewings, stink bugs, robber flies, assassin bugs, syrphid flies, spiders, ground beetles, big-eyed bugs and wasps. Some illusstrations are most appropriate for the southern U.S. Information is accurate. Requires Windows; program must be downloaded to hard -drive before use, but once loaded is intuitive. $15.

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Tutorials on insect predators that feed on insect and mite pests. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers brown lacewings, ambush bugs, dragonflies, damselflies, paper wasps, earwigs, long-legged flies, predaceous mites, damsel bugs, minute pirate bug, tiger beetles, tachnid flies, parasitic nematodes, entomopathogenic fungi and viruses. Requires Windows. SOme illustrations may be most apporopriate for the southern U.S. A couple of the questions have rather arbitrary answers; in general, the tutorials are well constructed and the information is accurate. Requires Windows operating system; program must be downloaded to the comptuer's hard drive, but once loaded is easy to launch and use. $15. Part number SW 154.

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Tutorials on filth flies and insects which bite humans. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers Asian tiger mosquito, black salt marsh mosquito, stable fly, horse flies, deer flies, sand flies, head louse, public louse, bed bug, bloodsucking conenose, house fly, greenbottle flies, bluebottle flies, secondary screwworm fly, vinegar flies, flesh flies, moth flies, eye gnats, humpbacked flies and soldier flies. Requires Windows, and the tutorials must be installed on the computer's hard drive prior to use. Once installed and launched, the tutorials are intuitive to use. Illustrations incorporated into the questions are of high quality and approporiate to the point being illustrated. Some of the illustrated species are of regional significance (southeastern U.S.) and thus may not apply to other geograhic areas. Program includes a tool for recording student performance. These tutorials will be most useful to those particpating in coursework leading to pest management careers, those in general economic entomology courses, and perhaps to students in medical/veterinary courses. $15. Part number SW 156.

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Tutorials on pest ants and cockroaches. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers acrobat ant, Argentine ant, bigheaded ant, crazy ant, Florida carpenter ant, ghost ant, imported fire ant, little fire ant, native fire ant and Pharaoh ant, American cockroach, Australian cockroach, brown cockroach, brownbanded cockroach, Cuban cockroach, Florida woods cockroaches, German cockroach, oriental cockroach, smokybrown cockroach and Surinam cockroach. Requires Windows. program must be downloaded on to hardrive, but once installed is intuitive. many of the species depicted in these tutorials are restricted to Florida and the extreme southern U.S. $15. Part number SW 157.

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Tutorials on wood-destroying pest insects. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers identification, life cycle, biology, damage and colony structure of the Eastern subterranean termite as well as covering powderpost beetles, old house borer, termites, carpenter ants and carpenter bees. Requires Windows, and the tutorials must first be installed on the computer's hard drive. Once installed and launched, the tutorials are intuitive to use. These tutorials will be most valuable to those studying structural pest management in pest management professional prepratory classes and perhaps in general economic entomology classes. $15. Part number SW 158.

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Tutorials on biting arthropods (fleas and ticks) and stinging insects. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. First tutorial covers adult cat flea, flea eggs and feces, flea larva, flea cocoons, American dog tick, brown dog tick, Gulf coast tick, lone star tick, blacklegged tick, and relapsing fever tick. Second tutorial covers bumble and honey bees, cicada killers, mud daubers and paper wasps, and yellowjackets. Requires Windows. Easy to use once loaded on computer. Some species depicted found only in Deep South. $15. Part number SW 159.

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This tutorial is part of a series of entomological tutorials and covers the general biology and ecology of mosquitoes. The tutorial has 100 questions (50 in each of 2 tutorials); incorrect answers lead to additional information describing the correct answers. Covers all mosquito genera and their habitats, identification, life cycle, biology, and economic importance. Requires Windows. MAC is not supported. The cost for the tutorial CD is $15.

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Tutorials on houshold pests. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers booklice, plaster beetles, centipedes, millipedes, amphipods, earwigs, pillbugs, sowbugs, fungus gnats, springtails, silverfish, scorpions, thrips, crickets and plaster bagworm. Requires Windows. $15. Easy to use once loaded on hard drive. Some of the pests depicted are largely restricted to the Deep South. Part number SW 161.

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Tutorials on pests of ornamentals. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers spider mites, broad mites, thrips, lace bugs, mealybugs, aphids and whiteflies. Requires Windows. $15. Tutorials are easy to use once loaded on the hard drive. Images are of high quality. Part number SW 162.

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Tutorials on insects that are common pests of turfgrass. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers chinch bug, fall armyworm, tropical sod webworm, mole crickets, ground pearls, white grubs, spittle bugs, banks grass mite, Burmudagrass mite and fire ants. Tutorials are easy to use once loaded on the hard drive. Requires Windows. $15. Part number SW 163.

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Tutorial on insects that attack stored grains and tutorial on German cockroaches. Each tutorial has 50 questions; incorrect answers lead to additional information. Covers rice weevil, lesser grain borer, red flour beetle, sawtoothed grain beetle, cigarette beetle, drugstore beetle, cowpea weevil, mealworms, almond moth and Indianmeal moth. Requires Windows. Program must be downloaded to computer but once installed is intuitive and of high quality. There is a broken link to a photo of a female German cockroach with an ootheca in the German cockroach tutorial. $15. Part number SW 165.

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This tutorial is part of a series of entomological tutorials and covers the general biology and ecology of many caterpillar taxa. The tutorial has 100 questions (50 in each of 2 tutorials); incorrect answers lead to additional information describing the correct answers. Requires Windows. MAC is not supported. This tutorial covers saddleback caterpillar, puss caterpillar, io moth caterpillar, hag caterpillar, buck moth caterpillar, spiny oak-slug caterpillar, flannel moth caterpillar, azalea caterpillar, bagworm caterpillar, eastern tent caterpillar, fall webworm caterpillar, oleander caterpillar, cabbage palm caterpillar, palm leafskeletionizer caterpillar, and tussock moth caterpillar. The cost for the tutorial CD is $15.

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A comprehensive bibliography of bees. Over 25,000 references and 8,000 authors are included. Navigation is unclear until one clicks on the Alphabetical Author Reference Index. The ninth edition was reviewed.

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Photographic gallery containing 133 different images, including adults and immatures, of 37 beneficial arthropod species or groups. The format is HTML. For any PC or Mac that has a CD-ROM drive and a Web browser. Photo quality is very high and many of the arthropods depicted are not often found in other sources.

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Photographic gallery containing 60 images of cockroach adults, nymphs, and egg cases. The following species are represented: American, Asian, Australian, brown, brownbanded, cuban, field, Florida woods, German, giant cave, Madagascar hissing, oriental, smokybrown, and Surinam cockroaches. Requires a CD-ROM drive and a web browser. Most pictures are of exceptional quality. The link to the Deathshead cockroach was broken.

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Photographic gallery containing 81 images of pests of stored products, including eggs, larvae and pupae and damage photos. Mites, beetles, moths, and psocids are included. A web browser and CD-ROM drive are required to view the images. Images are of high quality and the accompanying text is generally accurate and informative. The larval lesser mealworm is mis-captioned as an adult. Navigation of the images is easy.

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Photographic gallery containing 63 images of pest beetles that attack vegetables, including adults, pupae, larvae,eggs, and the insect damage. Many illustrate rarely photographed insects; most of are good quality, some are excdeptional. Photos are provided in 3 resolutions and formats; one includes text with photographer's information, etc. Requires a CD-ROM drive and a web browser.

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Photographic gallery containing 96 images of pests that attack vegetables, including adults, pupae, larvae, and eggs; and what the insect damage looks like. Covers mites, true bugs, hoppers, whiteflies, aphids, grasshoppers, crickets, and thrips. Most of the images are of good quality; some are exceptional. Some images depict frequently photographed insects, but several are unique. Images are offered in 3 resolutions and file formats. Requires a CD-ROM drive and a web browser.

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Photographic gallery containing 108 images of lepidopteran pests that attack vegetables, including adults, pupae, larvae, and eggs of most; pictures of damage also accompany many species. Covers caterpillars and moths/butterflies. Most of the photos are of good quality with some of excelletn quality; several species included are rarely photographed, while others are frequently documented and may be found in other sources. Images are offered in three resolutions and formats, including one with text acknowledging the phtographer. The depiction of the neonate tobacco hornworm may be a tomato hornwomr; it is difficult to tell from the picture. Requires a CD-ROM drive and a web browser.

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Information on the distribution, description, life cycle, damage, and biological control of all the mole crickets in the U.S. Includes graphical identification key and four tutorials that teach the concepts of mole cricket control through chemical and biological means. Requires a CD-ROM drive and a web browser. The material is easy to navigate and accurate. This is an outstanding resource.

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Knowledgebase of urban, structure, lawn and landscape pests. Includes sections on pest management theory; biting and stinging insects; pests of food, fabric and wood; occasional invaders; lawn pests; landscape pests, and some vertebrate pests. Includes pest identification keys. This is an excellent resource, although much of the material is specific to Florida. Vertebrate pest management sections are also of high quality and interesting. Requires a CD-ROM drive and a web browser. $25.

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Knowledgebase of pest and beneficial arthropods of woody ornamentals of the southeastern United States. Pests include aphids, borers, chewing insects, galls, lace bugs, leafminers, scales, spider mites, thrips and whiteflies. Other topics include host plant resistance, biologically compatible pesticides, scouting, monitoring and beneficial organisms. Requires a CD-ROM drive and a web browser. $12. This resource is extremely informative and easy to navigate once launched; however, a more intuitive "gateway" would be desireable. The taxa covered by the resource are skewed towards those found in Florida and other parts of the south, but much of the information will be useful in other parts of North America.

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Two tutorials introduce common butterflies of Florida, including the cloudless sulphur, giant swallowtail, Gulf fritillary, longtailed skipper, zebra longwing, black swallowtail, monarch, viceroy, European cabbage butterfly and Florida atala. Covers both caterpillars and adults. Requires Microsoft Windows. $15.

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Honey bee workers communicate distance and direction of a food source to other workers through a dance language. A diagram of the dance as well as general and technical articles (PDF) about the dance language are provided. Site currently has a number of broken links and images at the top of the page. Fix these or make a stand-alone page and re-submit the site for approval.

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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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External anatomy of the cockroach, presented from various angles with body parts clearly labeled on photographs rather than diagrams. The user can navigate their way through different views of the head, thorax and abdomen sections. There are also close-up views of the legs. The user can download each image. The internal anatomy section is under construction.

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Over 170 bibliographic references to the Zoraptera (angel insects). References from 1916 to 2005. What little is known about these tiny insects is available through this bibliography. The bright green background is somewhat distracting, but the list of references is extensive and organized, and would be useful to more advanced students who are beginning research on Zoraptera.

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This is a great site to get photographs, range information, seasonal abundance and checklists of dragonflies and damselflies that occur in Iowa. When you navigate to a particular species you not only find information and photos, but also a flight season calendar. The site also includes a section of Species of Concern. One neat feature is the option to display English or Latin names - this can come in handy to teachers and students learning scientific nomenclature.

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Images of common midwestern insects, arranged by common category (e.g., agricultural crops, stored products) and by insect order. Though the gallery is not complete the quality of the images is high. This gallery is limited in extent, but the images are of uniformly very high quality. The identifications are accurate and several illustrate rarely captured behaviors or stages. Continued development of the gallery is encouraged!

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This site provides a set of about 20 insect illustrations, originally drawn on canvas as a WPA project during the Depression and made available by the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois. The illustrations are primarily overviews of some of the more common insect orders. The size of the original illustrations was ca. 1.0 x 1.5 m, and some of the scanned versions on this site are small and, therefore, lacking in details. Each illustration also has a link to the Tree of Life to provide taxonomic information. The site is of particular value from a historical perspective. Of even more historical value and interest is the associated link to the Department's wonderful lantern slide collection, showing entomologists in profile and in action, along with old pictures of insects and entomological situations in field and laboratory. Those interested in teaching the history of entomology would benefit from the link to the lantern slides.

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Follow the adventures of the Chew family as they go to the Australian bush to study insects and spiders. While their English is not always perfect, there is a vast amount of information on Australian insects including many photographs. Clicking on "More about Insects" leads to examples of behavior, mimicry, reproduction, and evolution. The site is arranged well and the phtographs load quickly.

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Part of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology's Animal Diversity Web, this site gives a general overview of the class Insecta targeted at college students. The site is organized into five tabs: Information, Pictures, Specimens, Sounds and Classification. Resources include images of live insects and pinned specimens, and sound recordings. Some pictures are only labeled with scientific genus and species names, making it difficult for novice users to understand what Order they are looking at, but many also have common names. Photos and sound bytes are good quality and easy to view and download. A very good resource for teachers needing lecture materials.

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Basic introduction to dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera and Zygoptera) anatomy, biology, ecology and behavior from the Minnesota Odonata Survey Project. Concise yet clear and a good place ot start for biological information on these fascinating insects.

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A collection of colored scanning electron microscope images of insects (and a few spiders) by Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc. The images are arranged as FBI-style rap sheets, each one containing the scientific name and facts about that species. There are two different “12 most wanted bugs” pages: Bug Mugs (head shots) and Bug Bodies. Several species appear on both pages. The images are clear and the fact sheets are easy to read (although no references are provided). Also check out the "Zoom In!" link at the top of the page for more insect images.

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Maps, photographs, drawings, songs, keys, and references are available for many species of crickets, katydids, and cicadas from North America. Useful for answering the question "what is making that sound, what does it look like and where does it occur?" Keys for some groups (cicadas) are all textual, while other groups such as katydids have pictures and drawings allowing lower division students to be able to identify these insects.

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Audio files in MP3 format of various cicadas, crickets and some other insects recorded in the forests of Chiang Mai, Thailand. A very useful site for demonstrating the diversity of insect calls. This can be used to develop a discussion of species isolating mechanisms and sexual selection.

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Video clips are mostly of butterflies, but also include other video of insect behavior, such as a parasitic wasp attacking a spider and a damselfly eating a moth. Video is in QuickTime format. Clips are short (quick downloads) and the resolution is generally very good.

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This site provides general information about medical care for bee stings, fleas, mites, chiggers, spider bites, ticks and Lyme disease. Most information centers on the treatment of such insect bites, with some background about individual taxa. There is little discussed about the general biology of the insects mentioned.

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An excellent collection of different kinds of insect sounds: movement and feeding sounds, courtship, defensive stridulation, and insects flying. The sounds are organized by topic and species. The audio files are in .wav format which can be played in nearly all web browsers. Although some links are not working, this is a comprehensive resource to include insect sounds in teaching and learning exercises.

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Japan has a long tradition of appreciating the songs of Orthoptera, and caged orthopterans are often kept as singing pets. This website presents photos of various singing insects (on a grid for sizing), as well as the Japanese common name and scientific name for each species, the time of year when they are found, and their habitat and distribution. The presentation is available in both English and Japanese languages. More than 90 songs are available for various Orthoptera (crickets, katydids, grasshoppers, and mole crickets); several additional songs are available for beetles and assassin bugs. Also available are more than 10 examples of chorusing orthopterans, as well as examples of variations in songs caused by temperature and other factors. Click on the Insect Sound links. Audio files are in MP3 and RealMedia format. Each song plays for roughly 10 to 30 seconds. This is a wonderful website.

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Interactive predictive model uses years of past weather data and a model of the European corn borer's life cycle under different temperatures to calculate the net benefit of planting Bt corn versus non-Bt corn in a certain geographic area. Great data visualization. Requires Flash. This is an excellent tool incorporating a large volume of data. The tool should be quite useful for IPM classes.

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Bibliography of scientific literature on the monarch butterfly. The references have been helpfully organized into topic areas and subtopics.

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Comprehensive database of information on scale insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea), an important pest of greenhouses and fruit trees. Topics include general information, economic importance, life histories, distribution, ecology and classification. Users can query the database for information like valid names, distributions, hosts, references, synonymy, and remarks for a particular taxon. The bibliography goes back to 1758. Last updated December 2006.

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Thirty common natural enemies are presented on summary cards containing identification, host range, life cycle, related species, and other information. Physical cards with the same information on them as this electronic version can be purchased. The information is accurate but typically general in nature- these cards should be most useful in introductory pest management courses, etc.

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Thirty common garden pests are presented on summary cards containing identification, host range, life cycle, related species, and other information. Information is of high quality but of a general nature suitable for introductory courses. Physical cards with the same information on them as this electronic version can be purchased.

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Thirty common landscape pests are presented on summary cards containing identification, host range, life cycle, related species, and other information. Information is sound. Emphasis on biological control and tolerance of pests causing only cosmetic damage is good. Physical cards with the same information on them as this electronic version can be purchased.

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More than 7,000 references to world literature on sweetpotato whitefly and silverleaf whitefly. Bibliography is searchable online or downloadable for Microsoft Word, ProCite, or in plain text. The Word document is over 500 printed pages. An outstanding, comprehensive bibiliography; hopefully, the authors will continue to updat the resource on an annual basis.

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More than 3,700 references to world literature on pink bollworm. Bibliography is searchable online or downloadable for Microsoft Word, ProCite, or in plain text. The Word document is over 200 printed pages. An outstanding, comprehensive bibliography.

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In this investigation, students design experiments to examine intraspecific and interspecific competition using two species of parasitoid wasps. They gather data on the number of offspring produced by females under each of the initial densities of founding females; the resulting data are used to estimate the parameters of the Lotka-Volterra competition model. The predictions of the model are then compared to the outcome of interspecific competition treatments.

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Introduces delusional parasitosis, a relatively common disorder in which the sufferer holds a delusional belief that they are infested with parasites, typically insects. This is an excellent site for a brief overview of delusional parasitosis. The information is accurate, succinct and easily accessible. It provides information on the history, clinical manifestations, diagnostic protocols, treatments and services, among other things. The site also includes a useful list of references for those with additional inquires.

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Definitions of terms commonly used when discussing biological control, a type of insect management. These definitions are tailored to a lay or general audience.

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Focuses on antlions (Mymerleontidae). Includes information on classification, habitat, distribution, behavior, life cycle, and how to capture and observe antlions. Also includes videoclips of various antlion behaviors.

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For each insect, the following information is presented: host plant, photographs, damage information, life cycle, and management recommendations. This is an excellent collection of tree pests, and the species accounts are accurate, well-laid out, informative, and well illustrated. However, in the table of contents, white pine aphid and white pine weevil are mis-placed under "sawflies," and the heading for "Honeylocust Insect Pests" and the link for "Honeylocust Plant Bug" are transposed.

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Noel Troxclair of Texas Cooperative Extension demonstrates the difference between aerial and sweep insect collecting nets and their proper use. Excellent introductory video suitable for undergraduate and graduate students.

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A large set of online videos describe insect collecting techniques. In addition, curation methods are demonstrated and described. A very good set of materials for introducing students to the art of making collections. Some videos are long and require a good internet connection.

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Good quality videos about collecting and preserving insects. These can be used as a stand alone or assigned in parts for students to review.

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A good online resource with video and dialogue for making an insect collection. Videos include different methods of capturing insects and preservation techniques.

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A good collection of videos about finding and catching insects and then preserviving them. Videos include narration.

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Videos showing insect collecting techniques. Includes narration and tips for learners.

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This site includes images, sounds, animation and videos on insects. Great site for undergraduate students learning about the world of insects. Insect images include beneficial insects, common insects, vegetable insects, and agricultural insects. Videos depict insects which include butterflies, ants, grasshoppers, and thrips. Sounds available are for cicadas. An audio section on fire ant sounds and songs about fire ants is entertaining and informative (even if some of ther biological information in the song Freddie Fire Ant, isn't exactly completely accurate). Quality of materials is uniformly accurate. A thrips video link is not working, however.

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This site is an information resource about urban entomology. It provides unbiased information for solving common insect and mite problems around home, business, and landscape using least-toxic methods. There is a great deal of useful information and many links to additional informative, interesting, and entertaining resources. However, the site does include many links to commercial sites and advertisements.

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This is a well-designed website that promotes insect appreciation and demonstrates the intricate relationships of insects and humans. The site is divided into four components: 1) entophiles, which includes photographs and short descriptions of more than 150 insects; 2) cedigest, which includes an impressive set of articles on insects and their roles in our culture; 3) class Insecta, which includes numerous beautiful examples of butterfly wing patterns, with descriptions; and 4) entolinks, which includes about 20 links (with brief reviews) to about 20 other insect-related web sites and resources. This web site affords a nice supplementary tool for entomological instruction, particularly at an introductory level, and should be a delight to students.

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"Insects in Psychiatry" originally was published in the February 1994 issue of Cultural Entomology Digest. The article presents a succinct (roughly 4,000-word) overview of the role of insects in psychiatric disorders. It provides helpful distinctions among insect phobias, delusions of parasitosis, and illusions of parasitosis, along with more than 30 selected references. The article provides an excellent entree into the not-uncommon role of insects in psychiatry. It would be comprehensible and of interest to a wide range of students.

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FORMIS is a composite of several ant literature databases. It contains citations for a large fraction of the world's ant literature (about 38,000 references). FORMIS contains all known ant taxonomic literature (through 1996). It also contains comprehensive bibliographies of leaf-cutting ants, fire ants, and Russian wood ants. FORMIS is also the only database which covers ant literature before the 1970s. For further details please see contributions and credits. This database is designed to allow convenient searches of titles, keywords and abstracts when available (online searches or downloads). Citations from this database can be exported to create specialty databases or personal reprint indexes. FORMIS is only updated every year or two, so it is not a source for the most recent ant literature.

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Good introduction and synopsis of West Nile Virus. Briefly reporting on such topics as geographic distribution, symptoms and treatment, transmission and prevention. The article includes a list of references for further investigation into the West Nile Virus.

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This article is intended for homeowners, although it is a good introduction to ticks for most undergraduate and some graduate students. The article contains information on tick taxonomy, biology and behavior, identification, protection against ticks, along with tick facts and a reference listing. The article has good photos of common species of New York. The Interesting Facts link was not working when this site was reviewed.

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A short Video of a cockroach (Blattaria) feeding. Clip is aa close-up of feeding apparatus in action in 320 x 240 resolution.

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A database detailing the distribution records for Lepidoptera of North America searchable by taxonomic group, region (down to county level) species. Species details include identification, life history, caterpillar hosts, habitat, range and conservation status and more. Although a "work in progress" the site is extensive and has a useful links page for Lepidoptera distribution data around the world. Also included is a good glossary page A valuable resource for Lepidoptera enthusiasts and academics alike.

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This well-produced web site by the USDA's Systematic Entomology Laboratory provides a database of Dr. Asa Fitch's (1809-1879) extensive but previously obscure notes -- 800 hand-written pages -- on 190 aphid taxa in PDF format (which, therefore, requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader). The database is searchable by genus and species, or all aphid pages can be browsed. An introductory page introduces Asa Fitch, the first state-appointed (New York) professional entomologist, and gives explanatory information about his prodigious and detailed notes. Fitch's notes provide not only information about aphids and plants, but also a glimpse into life in the mid-1800s.

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A bibliography of peer-reviewed publications from the USDA on the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. There are links to PDFs of each article with articles cataloged by year.

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A bibliography of publications from the USDA Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology. Cataloged by year and searchable by peer-reviewed journal publications only or all publications. Links to each publication give reference details along with an interpretive summary as well as the technical abstract.

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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 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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This electronic book, edited by Thomas J. Walker, currently contains 40 brief chapters, each chapter covering one insect record, such as longest migration, smallest adults, and largest eggs. The project was initiated by graduate students at the University of Florida, but is now open to anyone maintaining a high-level of scholarship in their contributions. The book of records is a great reference for those looking for fun, yet accurate, information about insects for undergraduate Entomology classes or simply to satisfy one's own curiosity. Chapters are prepared in journal style with an introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references for further study. The site is easy to use and contains more detail than one might expect. Information is searchable by chapter, by contents and by author.

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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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A novel and beautifully done way to identify or learn fly anatomy. Developed by CSIRO Entomology, this atlas uses high resolution digital images of flies to allow users to highlight anatomical parts of a fly to learn the name or click on the part name to identify where it is positioned on the fly. There are four images representing the lower Diptera, lower Brachycera, Acalyptrate and Calyptrate with a dragable lens that allows 1X, 2x and 3X magnification of the regions. Users can click the parts on the image or click on the part name, broken into regions of the fly. The selected part is highlighted in blue to aid easy study. There is a useful help section to guide in the use of this tool. This is an excellent tool for those looking for definitions of Diptera anatomical terms and fly anatomy.

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An insect life table simulation developed by Hein Bijlmakers. The above URL gets you to the introduction of the simulation model where various aspects of an insect population dynamics are explained. The link to the simulation brings you to the model itself with a myriad of variables including population development; egg; larval; pupal and adult mortality by parasitoids and predators amongst others. This is a great tool to investigate various aspects of insect population dynamics allowing one to investigate the impact of a number of variables on a population and may help students understand the function of insect life tables. Up to 40 generations can be iterated.

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Current link unavailable. Unable to review resource. Update link to material and review.

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This web site features an online publication (ca. 40 pages) detailing the history of forest entomology, from 1901 to 1982, in the area from the Northern Rocky Mountains to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Malcolm Furniss provides a concise history, supplemented with fine black-and-white photographs of forestry laboratories, pest outbreaks, and some of the characters who contributed to forest entomology in this area. Several retired employees provide personal reflections on their employment with the forestry laboratories from 1951 to 2005. This is a great resource for educators interested in the history of forest entomology and its local flavor. It is downloadable as a PDF.

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An online publication in PDF form from USDA Forest Service collating all records of mammalian ectoparasites in New Mexico. There is a brief description of the life history, diseases vectored, and control of fleas, sucking and chewing lice. There is a host list with a useful guide to the checklist. Appendix A lists ectoparasite species and their hosts found in New Mexico, listed by host families. Appendix B gives the ectoparasite speices list by county.

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A bibliography, mainly for spiders, and an extensive collection of web resources related to arachnids were put together by the International Society of Arachnology. Also included are news items about the society, publications, meetings, and other arachnid-related information.

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The Tree of Life Project is a classification project based on current taxonomic information for all groups of organisms. This is the INSECTA page, which is a portal to the rest of the pages for all insect groups. It includes images, phylogenetic relationships, and extensive references. This is a great start to learning about a new group of insects, or any other life form.

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A search enabled relational database focusing on pathogens of insects including non-viral, viral, and nematodes, for purposes of insect control. This page does not include information about Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). (shows 2002 as last update)

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This is a page dedicated to three down-loadable (all under 1 mb) ecological simulation programs for integrated pest management in livestock situations. These programs run under DOS (accessible through a Windows shell) and are downloaded directly to your hard drive. LINK IS CURRENTLY BROKEN

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This web site is devoted to cicadas, leafhoppers, planthoppers, spittlebugs, and treehoppers. It is built around the vast literature collection amassed by the late Zeno P. Metcalf and now housed in the North Carolina State University Libraries' Special Collections. A searchable bibliographic database focuses on the world's largest literature collection -- nearly 12,000 references from 1741 to 1955 --for these groups. The searchable database is supplemented with selected references (1956-present) for each of the five insect groups, a biography of Metcalf, overviews of each group, and selected links to additional web sites on these insects.

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BugGuide is devoted to identification and natural history of insects through imagery. The images are uploaded and examined by amateur volunteers, and the site is hosted by Iowa State University. All of the insect orders and several non-insect arthropods are included in the database. There also is an interactive Lucid key available. Attempts are made to follow current taxonomic efforts. The site is easy to navigable through and has some very nice photos. (Not all photos were reviewed for taxonomic accuracy.)

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An interactive connection to a scanning electron microscope viewing insects. Participants are encouraged to arrange a time and send in specimens to be viewed via the internet. Website sections include the science behind microscopy, and classification of insects. Not all sections are complete at time of writing.

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This is a classroom exercise aimed at high school students (grade 9-12) using insects as population models. This lab exercise was developed by high school teachers working with the University of Arizona and Center for Insect Science Education Outreach staff. Thorough step by step instructions are provided for non-scientists to study aphid biology and reproduction as an ecological model for population growth. The exercise could easily be used in the college curriculum or as an example in teacher training.

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A 40 chapter online book devoted to insect "champions" in the manner of a world records list. Subjects include, fastest flier, longest lived adult, fastest runner, largest eggs, loudest, most toxic, and more. The Insect Records represent student research and include citations. This project can serve as the basis for additional student assignments to examine adaptations, ecology, and extreme environments.

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A website devoted to online photographic nature guides including guides to select butterflies, spiders, insects, and many other groups of organisms. Care is given to proper classification. Each species page has a comprehensive description including range, flight, and habitat associations. Links to games, screen savers, and ringtones are also included. The links to photographs of species are good, however the site is not comprehensive. For example, only 36 kinds of beetle are presented.

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An entomological glossary from Cornell University. While it's far from comprehensive, it covers some commonly used language in entomology, and especially biological control. This is a useful glossary; a more extensive definition of some terms, notably Bt, would be desirable. Fungi are no longer considered plants.

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A database portal including dozens of links to relevant entomological sites. These resources include species information, research, insect control, communication, pictures, a comprehensive list of schools, conservation, identification, expertise, cooking and collecting. As of this writing some links are not functioning. Published by Pedagonet.com, a learning resource center.

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A search enabled database of hostplants associated with Lepidoptera. The search page is Boolean and can be accessed with either lepidopteran or plant taxonomic information, or a menu-based search. It is world-wide in scope. The resource can be used for discussions of insect host plant evolution and for economic entomology discussions or lessons.

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A comprehensive listing of all insect orders with general, bibliographic, key, worker, and museum links. This is a very practical tool for any student or teacher looking for information on any of the insect orders.

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The Amateur Entomologists' Society website Key to Adult Insects is a simple dichotomous key (49 couplets) with images of each of the orders. Other links include conservation, biodiversity, and insect fact files. The key is based on the Collins Field Guide to Insects of Britain and Northern Europe by Michael Chinery, as well as the Practical Entomologist by Rick Imes.

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This web site provides an extensive "electronic museum" devoted to the life and works of 19th-century entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre, with examples of his written entomological works, his correspondence (with Darwin and others), and historical context. Listings of his translated works in 15 languages is available, as is a gallery of historical photographs.

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This USDA web site is devoted to the life and work of 19th-century entomologist Charles Valentine Riley, with excerpts from his sketchbooks and other works. The site provides six representative images of historical treasures from the famous "Father of Biological Control", along with information on how to obtain high-quality digital images of the works. A further link is available which includes a more extensive collection of his papers and images.

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William Kirby's text on entomology, first published in 1828, is available in PDF format from Internet Archive. Kirby is often called the "Father of Entomology" and his book is considered the first text on entomology published in English. The PDF files are large.

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This site contains factsheets, chemical information, and IPM resources, as well as tutorials, and modules for applicator licensing.

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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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This web site offers a review of the agricultural devastation and eventual extinction, in about 1902, of the Rocky Mountain Locust, a once phenomenally abundant insect. The site includes bibliographical references. The author (C. R. Bomar) includes nine study questions for discussion on issues of social responsibility, extinction, and conservation. This resource is also available in PDF format.

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This is a website containing an excellent flash animation showing the life cycle of the Plasmodium (falciparum) as it enters the human host, multiplies, and then is picked back up by the mosquito. The animation goes into good detail about each life cycle stage of the plasmodium, making this a great source for understanding detailed facets of malaria. There are also links about Malaria including World Heath Organization tracking reports. It is about 2 minutes long.

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A Colorado State extension fact sheet site dedicated to fleas, the main species and their hosts, and how fleas are important for the transmission of plague. There are control and managemet strategies suggested for fleas, and a discussion of current plague (Yersenia pestis) issues with domestic animals and wildlife. The fact sheet can be downloaded and printed.

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This site deals with the great plague outbreak of 14th-century Europe, its causes, and its consequences for civilization. The site includes an overview of the rat flea (though with the classification showing order following family). Also included are colorful quotations of the time and a simplified transmission diagram.

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Thorough discussion of the Periodical cicada, life cycle, habits, songs (includes audio files), biodiversity, brood range maps, bibliography and more.

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This site is dedicated to all things cicada throughout the world and contains an enormous amount of information on this group of insects. Cicadas are photographed and generally enjoyed on this site, initiated in 1996. The site includes a question and answer section, a gallery, a blog, and brood dates and related information, as well as interviews with cicada researchers and video and sound files. Many items for purchase are included for individuals or classrooms. Because of the large amount of information available on this site, it is not entirely simple to navigate.

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This resource (for and by college students) is meant to be a taxonomic reference for all life. This section of the site focuses on the Insecta. The database is lucid key driven and includes valuable diagnostic and behavioral information about many insect groups as well as bibliographic references. This NSF-sponsored project includes work from the University of Guelph and Animal Diversity Web at the University of Michigan. Much of the site is considered a "skeleton" awaiting further contributions.

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A short lucid key to 8 common household ant species with control strategies. The information presented is accurate and the key easy to use; ancillary pages are also useful. The key may present difficulties if other ant species are encountered or in other parts of the U.S.

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Dedicated to the natural history of fungal strains of fungus that attack invertebrates. Cultures are provided as a service to researchers. Identification services are also provided. A 333 page PDF catalog is available online at this site. The most significant pedagogical use of these materials lies in the catalogs of fungi by host and hosts by fungi. Catalogs are downloaded from links as PDFs and are rather large.

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A guide to stinging and biting invertebrates (prominently featuring insects and other arthropods) of the world. This guide is not meant for public dissemination nor sale, and was created primarily for military use. Types of interactions include envenomation, myiasis, urtication, allergic reactions as well as delusory parasitosis. The guide provides a good synopsis of most of the medically important insects and associated arthropods.

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An online cockroach control manual from Lincoln Nebraska Pesticide Education Resources. Chapters include biology, locating problem areas, insecticide basics, and application. There are also good diagnostics for pest species.

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More than 75 frequently asked questions about cockroaches are here answered expertly by University of Massachusetts Amherst biologist Joseph Kunkel. Everything from how to determine the gender of roaches to why they sometimes die on their backs is authoritatively answered. From this page, one also can link to the cockroach home page, which includes much additional information about cockroaches.

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A well illustrated database featuring the world's cockroach species. Includes phylogeny, distribution, and keys for many of the groups.

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Thoroughly informative database of grasshopper information, with general taxonomy, morphology, and lucid keys to grasshoppers of Western North American interest. IPM strategies are also highlighted.

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Texas A & M University general entomology page that has frequently asked questions and links to fact sheets about fire ants, honeybees, termites, and more. There is also considerable information about vegetable IPM, and management of other pests. Links to extension sites in other states, insect identification resources, and a picture gallery round out the site.

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This web site features astonishing copyrighted photographs of about 180 species of beetles, for aesthetic purposes, but also of value for illustrations when teaching. All illustrations are arranged by Latin binomial, with emphasis on scarabs, buprestids, and longhorned beetles, but also including weevils, click beetles, and a few ground beetles. A moth page is under construction, and two lovely beetle books are for sale.

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This is a commercial site intended as a resource for teachers and students. The site features images of many arthropods, including insects and spiders, and a good number of video clips.

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More than 31,000 photographs of insects of most orders, as well as mites, ticks, spiders, and scorpions, are available at this site, a joint project of the University of Georgia and the USDA Forest Service. The site boasts more than 800 photographers. Many light-microscope images of smaller insects are provided. Some natural history information is provided for many of the images.

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A World Health Organization PDF file detailing modern safe use of DDT for controlling insect vectors, especially of malaria. Document covers historical and current applications.

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This site provides an online article by R. K. D. Peterson, with references, discussing the devastation of Napoleon's Grand Armee by typhus, the causative agent of which is transmitted by human body lice. The article puts to rest the commonly held belief that the Russian Winter drove the largely intact army from Moscow. Instead, Napoleon's troops were devastated by typhus.

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This reference site is navigated by clicking on a disease which takes you to a factsheet that gives all the relevant details of vector organisms, pathogen, reservoir, and distribution. It is an excellent medical entomology primer. Each page has further links for more information, including information-rich tables on diseases and associated vectors

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This site provides a short article, in PDF format, about the legendary American blues artist, Charley Patton, and his famous song about the notorious cotton boll pest, the boll weevil. The article, by R. K. D. Peterson, was scanned from a 2007 issue of the American Entomologist magazine.

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This site offers a brief historical article by D. W. Tschanz about mosquito-borne yellow fever and its role in the mid-19th century Mexican-American War. No references are provided.

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This is a collection of three historical films from the Iowa State University Special Collections on www.youtube.com. This includes several historical pest management 16mm films made just after WWII. This particular address is for part one of the livestock fly management series easily accessed on Youtube or from the Iowa State University special collections youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/ISUSpecialCollection. While these films are more than 60 years old, the strategies are relevant. In the words of Dr. Wes Watson of NCSU "Not much has changed." The films are short and succinct with the first part at 8:14 and the two other volumes at about 7:00.

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C.H. Dietrich's site dedicated to Treehoppers of the world, includes a frequently asked questions link, with species, distribution, and collecting information. Information about phylogenetic relationships could be used for upper division courses.

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C.H. Dietrich's Cicadellidae site dedicated to leafhoppers of the world. The site includes a subfamily by subfamily guide, a key to various groups, a frequently asked questions area, phylogeny,and a bibliography.

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Page is in French. Beautiful images as well as excellent information about behavior, classification, morphology, parasitism, and good Quebec specific lists of expected genera and species.

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Page is in French. Beautiful images as well as excellent information about behavior, classification, morphology, parasitism, and good Quebec specific lists of expected genera and species.

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A page in French dedicated to dragonflies and damselflies of Quebec. With many photographs. Sections devoted to life history, ecology, morphology, and collecting are included.

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The "Sharpshooter leafhoppers of the World" site has general information about leafhoppers, with specific instruction on the sharpshooter group (Hemiptera: Cidadellidae: Cicadellinae). Pages include classification, history, specimen depository, and an interactive key (not completed at time of this writing). A photographic gallery arranged by geographic region is especially useful and very beautifully done. The "Who Described the Species" link gives interesting historical accounts of some of the more prolific leafhopper taxonomists.

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Brochosomes are curious protein excretions produced by leafhoppers and spread on the body after molting. They are thought to aid the insect and avoiding sticking to the feeding substrate among other things. Many photographs of brochosomes as well as insects anointing themselves are included, as well as videos.

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A www.Biodiversityexplorer.org webpage devoted to the newly described order Mantophasmatodea (2002). The page includes description, images, behavior, distribution, and phylogenetic information.

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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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For generations, the main interest in aquatic insects has been firmly at the feet of trout fishermen. This web site provides about 4,000 outstanding photographs of many popular insects used as models for tying flies (fishing lures), as well as information on the natural history of these insects and some basic, elementary information about classification. Also available is an on-line discussion forum about aquatic insects and trout fishing.

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From the Chironomidae Research Group a lucid picture selection toward identification of stream insects. Orders covered are the usual array of aquatic insects: Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Plecoptera, Hemiptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Trichoptera, Leipidoptera, Coleoptera, and of course, Diptera. Picture links take you to family level photographs.

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A page concerned mainly with Hexagenia spp. mayflies, their common name, and "hatching" behavior as it applies to fishing, and concerned human witnesses of the event. Nice discussions of environmental impacts, the many common names, and importance to fishing is included. Most impressive are the series of molt photographs documenting the subimagal molt to adult, Ephemeroptera are the only group that molts after flying!

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Examples of Mullerian vs. Batesian mimicry are discussed, examples of Lepidoptera are provided contrasting palatable mimics of unpalatable models. A link will take you to another page with an interesting example of a beetle species using cooperation to lure mating bees into being phoretic. Another link discusses jumping spiders that mimic prey.

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A well thought-out site full of useful links, information, photographs, and references. Included are links to researchers, high resolution images, keys, and even references in movies.

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A reference heavy resource detailing care of captive colonies of these potently stinging ants. A great deal of behavior and biology is also included.

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This Wikipedia page has the cleanest version of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index I've seen online. Justin O. Schmidt created this index after years of work with Hymenoptera, and relates his vast experience with their venom to a scale that can be understood by all. The page has only a few references, but one of those will take you to Christ Starr's four stage sting pain scale. At the top of the scale are bullet ants, and pepsis wasps, at the bottom are sweat bees and fire ants.

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Excellent photographic resource for identifying immature Lepidoptera of eastern forests of the U.S. and Canada arranged by family. Each photo includes a text description as well as a list of host plants. Other sections include photography tips, and species list.

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A primer on recognizing and controlling so-called "filth flies". Diptera commonly associated with trash, waste, and decay. The article covers common larger flies muscids, calliphorids, sarcophagids, as well as smaller fungus gnats, drain flies, and humpbacked flies (conspicuously missing are the soldier flies). Fly development, and biology are covered. No links, and no bibliography are offered.

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A military manual devoted to the control of nuisance flies in latrine and other conditions. Flies and associated disease problems are discussed, as well as proper latrine construction, surveying techniques, and insect trapping. A bit of historical background is given as well as a very nice list of references.

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A short Canadian article about insurance claim investigation and forensic entomology. Most of the usual crime investigation procedures are clearly described, including maggot collection, weather data logging, and a discussion of post-mortem interval (though, without an actual calculation example). This is a commercial site.

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The page is divided into four sections on: Parasitoids, Predators, Pathogens, and Weed Feeders (herbivores). Each sub page lists a variety of the better known examples, which when clicked on, reveal photographs and details on life history, hosts, development and distribution.

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A US Forest Service datasheet with links to photos, contacts to experts, control methods, natural enemies, distribution, and more.

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A Virginia Tech. page devoted to identification of household insect pest immatures. Eight illustrated categories allow the user to match their pest to a likely species. This is just one of several pages devoted to insect identification.

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About fifty pest and beneficial insects and arthropods are pictured and described on these pages. Most of the images are full color with excellent behavior and control information. Insects are categorized into foliage feeders, root feeders, sucking insects, and beneficial insects.

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A guide to identification of scale insects found primarily on citrus fruit, but also on many other ornamental plants. Names, descriptions, and photographs aid in the identification. Also discussed are control methods and biocontrol at work on the insects.

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A short history of the use and production of shellac as processed from Lac insects in India. It includes a brief timeline history, as well as a discussion of the insects that produce it. Other links include lac production process, and properties of shellac. The site is devoted to the promotion of shellac production and use.

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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 short illustrated article from Biodiversity Explorer from Southern Africa on the use of beetle toxins for creating poison arrows. These poison arrows are used by the San people of Africa.

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Excellent powerpoint presentations of bee genera in two separate files both on this site. Illustrated with full color photographs and morphological details where necessary.

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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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This is a commercial site that sells insect specimens. Usually quite spectacular specimens, for display. However, they have many excellent photographs of spectacular insects online as well as a fair amount of information about species classification, and origin.

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Nicely illustrated history of silk and explanation of silk production. A fine discussion of the moths, life history, and feeding are included, as well as the extensive cultural history of this outstanding insect product.

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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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This is an image rich site devoted to the raising of silk worms. There's a lot of history, some videos, and a great deal of information about working silk at home. A great resource for teaching students about the product and it's origin. Especially fun are the Japanese and Chinese terms often employed for various items, for instance "Kega" is a baby caterpillar. Valuable links are also included,

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Some 39 genera of bees, illustrated with full habitus photos, are included in this online article. Information about nests, behavior, floral relationships, as well as conservation are thoroughly covered. Includes an extensive references section.

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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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FAO AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BULLETIN No. 124 This is an online book published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It deals in depth with products from bees, besides honey, wax, royal jelly, propolis, and venom are covered.

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A bed bug fact sheet detailing biology, life history, typical behavior, and control of the infamous, and on the rise, bed bug. One excellent tip is to be very suspect of "street furniture" usually available at the end of academic years.

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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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This is the tick section of the Discoverlife.org website which includes an excellent insect database as well as databases for many other organisms. These pages are well illustrated, and in the case of the ticks, with many SEMs, as well as a lucid key. Top notch, easily navigated website.

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This PDF created by the Entomological Society of America is a general brochure designed to advise students on where to go and how to prepare for a career in entomology. It highlights some of the major disciplines within entomology including forensics, conservation, and medical veterinary.

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A ten module online entomology course highlighting importance of insects, taxonomy, anatomy, growth and development, internal anatomy and physiology, behavior, ecology, and IPM. Each module includes learning objectives, well illustrated reading material, lab information, review and quiz materials, and audio slide shows. This is probably the finest online entomology course available to date.

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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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An especially useful and entertaining site for debunking some of the most pernicious nonsense people accept as fact about arthropods. For some reason Spiders generate an awful lot of incorrect information. The famous "daddy-long-legs having the strongest venom" story is roundly put to rest here, but don't expect it to go away any time soon. People love that story!

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As of this writing two orders and one suborder of insects are covered: Odonata, Auchenorrhyncha, and Coleoptera. This is largely a photo gallery with some distinctive character descriptions and distribution information.

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Excellent short videos of skipper butterflies(generally the more challenging to identify of the Lepidoptera), with short voice overs describing color patterns and a bit about distribution, and flight period. The skippers are often shown basking, or feeding.

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Many videos of representatives from many families of wasps. These are mostly without narration at the time of this writing, but the author intends to add more information to the images.

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A site dedicated to the Colorado Potato Beetle, including general life history, biology, control efforts, as well as an extensive and searchable database of references. There is also an enjoyable link to memorabilia.

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A thorough review of Primary Screwworm history and eradication in the Southeastern US from the National Agriculture Library. The site contains all the data collected from the project, including correspondence, descriptions of species, proposals, speeches and presentations, and much more.

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An exhaustively researched page on the Ichneumonidae, their biology, classification, life history, and general morphology. Nine subfamilies are covered, and a lengthy references list is provided.

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A guide to the songs produced by Orthoptera and cicadas in North America north of Mexico. Site includes sound files (as well as spectrograms of the sound files) of of some of the species described, keys to the groups, and many images. It is a work in progress and contributions are being solicited. The bibliographic references are quite extensive.

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A short and clever discussion comparing how insects walk to how people walk. Inverted pendulum motion, and dynamic stability as compared with static stability are discussed with excellent line drawings.

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A short, well illustrated article about light producing insects. Includes a discussion about the range and intensity of the light, a little about behavior of lampyrids, and finally ends with some interesting cultural facts.

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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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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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Discussion of the Bombardier beetle's chemical defense, detailing the explosive qualities of the chemicals, where the beetle is found, a bit about distribution, and what the chemicals do to people. There's also a bit about insects in the news detailing the beetle's role in the ongoing religious debate as it pertains to how such an animal might evolve, with an aside about a Richard Dawkin's demonstration.

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A short popular article detailing three major methods of insect mate seeking; visual cues, auditory cues, and pheromones. Embedded links take you to further about.com articles about cicadas, pheromones, and other topics.

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Another of Dr. John Meyer's excellent webpages devoted to teaching general entomology. This page includes five links that take you to "spot ID" characters for insect orders and some families. This page has some excellent photographs detailing the significant characteristics and an interactive phylogenetic tree. A second link takes you to a summary by family of important characteristics. Further links show old tests and quizzes for study reference.

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A page from Dr. John Meyer's General Entomology course at NC State University detailing how insects defend themselves. Topics covered include speed, playing-dead, urticating hairs, chemical defenses, protective coloration and more.

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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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An A-Z listing of a wide variety of entomology based resources. Many university departments, Insect control facilities, and museums are represented here, as well as outlets for gathering collecting and curating gear. Other lings take you to Usenet Newsgroups, and List servers.

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This US Government site is dedicated to classification, and identification of arthropods of medical importance. Several links take you to keys to medically important sand flies, mosquitoes, scorpions, ticks and fleas. It also hosts a discussion forum, and catalogs of mosquitoes and sand flies (as of this writing not yet functioning).

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A very nicely illustrated key to 46 flea beetles regularly found in North Dakota. The key is a lucid style key, and the images are carefully produced. A beautiful photo gallery and list of common flea beetles is also included.

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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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Twenty photographs of insect induced plant growth; galls. Oak, maple, apple, and goldenrod examples are offered as well as others in large photos with the insect culprit.

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Interactive grasshopper anatomy lessons. Mouthparts, legs, abdomen, various sutures are all featured, as well as well as more general discussions about the types of insect antennae,wings, legs, and mouthparts. An excellent flash demonstration of mouthpart modifications is also featured.

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Another of Dr. John Meyer's excellent entomology teaching pages. This one is a narrated slide show dealing with the insect orders. Twenty-six orders of adult insects are covered, and each one is highlighted with the distinctive characteristics for identification.

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Nine high quality insect predator photographs including a mantid, a tiger beetle, a lacewing, ambush bug, and more. Excellent for putting into classroom presentations, or use for teaching insect ecology or behavior.

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Nine high quality photos of various insects important in pollination. Photos include several Hymenoptera, a soldier beetle, a fly, and several Lepidoptera. Photos are useful for demonstration, and for teaching insect identification.

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Nine photographs of well known dipteran, lepidopteran, and hemipteran mimics based on stinging or distasteful models. Photos are of high quality and useful for demonstrations or teaching insect identification.

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Nine high-quality, interactive images showing insects that blend with their surroundings with spectacular success. Once selected, the image can be rolled-over to remove the background showing only the insect in question. Orchid mantid, several Lepidoptera, and a couple of Orthoptera are included.

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Nine high-quality photographs of insects that demonstrate bright yellows and oranges, often in banded patterns, which provide predators information about distaste or poison. Great for demonstrations or insect identification lessons.

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Nine insects in high-quality photos that specialize in wood-feeding, and habitation. In many cases insects are pictured with their damage. Several common wood-boring beetles are included.

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A concise lesson about chemical communication in insects covering both semio and info chemicals. The site includes a short video of grape root borer moths using sex pheromone. Further links on the take the user to visual and auditory communication.

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The best lecture on insect mouthparts currently available on the internet. An audio lecture introduces the subject followed by an interactive selection of insect mouthparts with descriptions and exploded views to demonstrate the evolution and adaptive radiation of these limbs.

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Concise lecture on sound production in insects. Stridulation, forced air through spiracles, wing vibration, and tapping are all discussed with examples. Advantages and disadvantages of sound production are also discussed. The page also links to chemical, and visual communication pages.

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Control of filth flies in field military situations detailing latrine building and health aspects of fly control. This publication covers some history, disease transmission, biology and behavior. Many Musca as well as stable flies, and other blow flies are covered.

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A comprehensive listing of arthropod pests arranged and searchable by commodity type. The listing includes pests of small fruits, ornamental plants, flowers, forests, corn, tobacco, turf, peanuts, cotton, and much more. Pests are listed by common and species name with life history data, images, and control strategies.

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Various caterpillars that create silk tents are covered on this website. Life history, biology and many images of the most common tent making caterpillars. Covered here are the four species of Tent Caterpillars, Fall Webworm, Tiger Moth Caterpillars, and others. A bit of IPM is included with a discussion of Bt.

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Four orders of insects (Hemiptera, Phthiraptera, Diptera, and Siphonaptera) are covered detailing vector species along with their pathogens of human importance. Links to pathogens as well as vectors are highlighted (some of these are CDC, and WHO).

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A summary of insects of medical importance to humans along with the pathogens of interest. The page features good descriptions of plague, malaria, dengue, and others. Medical entomology terms are defined, some historical significance provided along with control measures. This is an excellent introductory resource.

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A World Health Organization page devoted to the control of dengue. Many excellent informative PDF files are available from this page dealing with vector control, as well as recognition of symptoms, and treatment of dengue haemorrhagic fever. Estimated numbers of at risk people are staggering. A powerful resource for teaching the importance of vector borne diseases.

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A Cornell University page including a PDF file of a Power Point lecture dealing with medical entomology. This lecture mainly details the importance of mosquitoes and lice, covering historical and well as current health issues, morphology, and life history. Links to many other to entomology topics are included on the page.

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The homepage of general entomology as taught by Dr. Bryan Danforth. Lecture topics are listed and most have PDF files of handouts or Power Points of the lectures attached for download. The focus of these lectures is on understanding insects, their form and function, life histories, and importance to our lives, health, and economy. A link to other entomology courses at Cornell is also provided.

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Historical and evolutionary basis and discussion of mimicry. The ecological and genetic basis are discussed as well as some details about speciation. These are excellent introductory lecture notes, but are lacking in illustrations.

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Radar tracking used to profile insect migration, mating and flight patterns. Many links to various pages include current workers in radar entomology, historical uses of the technology, and many images.

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A large resource of information about Monarch butterflies, migration, metamorphosis, and conservation. Many photos from various places highlight the information. This is a teaching focused set of pages. Of major interest are their many links, which deal with migration routes, roosting sites, and various other activities of interest.

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A large collection of insect sound files (.wav) ranging from mosquito wings to orthopterous mating calls. Some of the more unusual insect communication files include termite headbanging, and fire ant stridulation.

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This is a commercial website for the sale of a book with accompanying CD collecting the songs of some 76 insects. A few other products are also available on the page. The main resource useful on the page is a "jukebox" of eight common insect songs including several crickets, a couple of katydids, and two cicadas. The recordings are high quality and unmistakable.

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A short video clip of the famous Death Watch Beetle tapping on a substrate. Several other short videos of the beetle are also available. ARKive is a large British site devoted to wildlife images.

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A video site of insects flying. The images are mainly of Lepidoptera, and many of the image sequences can be manipulated to slow the action. There are also many images available as well as the results of several flight experiments. Interestingly the researcher's expertise is engineering and aerospace and emphasis is placed on the mechanics of flight.

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A short, well illustrated article about the research done on gliding insects as a possible evolutionary link toward flight. Initially noticed when ants were dropped from tree branches and swerved back to teh tree trunk, this research now goes on on many primitively wingless insects that can also glide.

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Home page of the gliding ant research of Steve Yanoviak including many videos of ants falling and swerving back to the tree, comparison videos of non-gliding ants are given for comparison. This is a fascinating insect behavior that may be an evolutionary step in insect flight.

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A general audience discussion of the natural history of Glow Worms of Britain. This well illustrated page also provides tips for venturing out and seeing them for yourself. The author is a lifetime naturalist and fellow of the Royal Entomological Society.

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The substrate vibration songs of membracids and cicadellids are the focus of this site. So far just a few species are represented, their vibrations converted into audio (and sounding like humpbacked whales).

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This page deals with research being done on the parasitism of the "blue butterfly" group Maculinea. These species are well known for taking advantage of ants by chemically convincing ants that they are one of their own larvae. This page has some lovely photos, and a nice generalized life history table. Other links deal with aspects of the research including population genetics and communication.

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A less well known 1964 research into the famous waggle dance and other bee communication methods concluding that other bee produced sounds carry more meaning than the actual shape of the dance. A discussion of queen "tooting" and "quacking" is also offered here, followed by a long discussion of how the bees may be producing these sounds.

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Information about the common annoyance pest the Black Fly. The flies life cycle and control strategy are covered. While the information is specific to Los Angeles California, the same strategies are effective elsewhere. Personal protection information is also offered and is universally effective.

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A primer on ticks and tick borne illness in the U.S. Links take you to discussions about Lyme, Babesiosis, and several Rickettsias as well as others. Tick life-cycle, and habits are described. A good summary of tick bite preventative behaviors is also included.

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A chapter from a 1997 World Health Organization publication on medical and veterinary Entomology. The text is extremely thorough and illustrated with line drawings. The vectors of malaria, leishmaniasis, filariasis, onchocerciasis, dengue, yellow fever and other diseases are covered here.

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Chapters 2-4 of a World Heath Organization medical entomology publication from 1997 in PDF. The text is very thorough covering everything from biology, disease transmission, recognition of disease symptoms, and finally, control of the vectors.

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Chapters 5-10 of a World Health Organization PDF on medical pests of importance in PDF format. Chatpers 5,6 cover Cockroaches and House flies respectively, remaining chapters go on to discuss guinea worm, fresh water snails, and proper pesticide application. These are extremely thorough control strategy texts with a great deal of information.

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Many well illustrated examples, with many insects, of various forms of coloration or patterning for Camouflage, mating, communication, mimicry and other purposes. Examples for entomological use include walking sticks, katydids, moths, ambush bugs, and many others.

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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 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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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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A short page about the White Muscadine disease organism. A description of Beauvaria's pathogenesis, and effects, followed by a description of products available and potential pests to treat.

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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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Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt is a widespread toxic bacterium of many groups of insects. Some are more specific than others. This page discusses the varieties and target insects, use, and mode of action.

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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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A Cornell biocontrol page about pathogenic viruses infecting arthropoda. The site includes a very nice table of commercially available virus and it's application/target insect.

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With almost 5000 entries this compendium of common names of Australian insects is one of the most thorough identification tools available online. Most of the pages include images and ranges as well as descriptions of the taxon.

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A source for a variety of electronic newsletters, and list servers to distribute regular information from teachers, experts in the field, and other interested parties about a variety of arthropod topics, including insects, spiders, and museum collections.

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Mississippi State University extension page dealing with the symptoms of fire ant stings. A series of photographs track the initial sting, resulting pustules, and eventual healing common to such an encounter.

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A thorough resource about this annoying biting fly, including distribution, life cycle, damage caused, management, and some selected references. Several images are included, and personal recommendations for avoiding them. There is also a link to general biting fly management.

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A frequently asked question sheet about the often sensationalized Africanized Honey Bee. The FAQ deals in large part with defensive behavior, distribution, and history of the subspecies, as well as bee proofing your home and other likely nesting areas. This document is Fact Sheet ENY-114, a series of the Entomology and Nemotology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Reviewed: March 1995. Revised: September 2005.

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A collection of online publications dealing with pests of honey bees, from Varroa Mite, to Wax moth control, chalkbrood to bears lots of information for the bee-keeper here. HTML and PDF files available.

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Biting mite information in HTML and PDF format, including images of the tiny blood suckers as well as typical bite sign. A section devoted to protection products is included, as well as biology, and habitat information.

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Biology, and management of fleas that annoy humans and pets. Includes images of immatures, and cocoons. A quality section on available control products is also included. This page is also available as a PDF.

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A short HTML (also available as a PDF) page devoted to the so-called "love bug" or March fly, including history, pest issues, and biology.

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A reasonably extensive and well illustrated guide to stinging insects and arthropods of the south east (Florida). The guide contains a list of pesticides for use against these animals as well as information about venoms, action to take if stung, symptoms to expect, as well as simple preventative measures. Available in PDF or HTML.

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Fact sheet in PDF or HTML about the tick vectored bacterial infection known as Lyme disease. The sheet includes symptoms, treatment, prevention, as well as some links and references.

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A fact sheet in PDF or HTML dealing with the importance, and control of ticks. Tables of tick control commodities are included as well as selected references.

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A fact sheet covering the use of diethyltoluamide in PDF or HTML. General use of DEET and a selection of products containing DEET, with some caution about applications with young children.

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An engaging National Wildlife article about insect evolution spotlighting some of the more unusual and bizarre insects from caves to islands isolation pushes speciation and provides hypotheses to difficult questions. Highlighted here are some of the more fantastic of these unusual insects, predatory caterpillars, and blind cave crickets. The article also ponders the destructive potential of invasive species.

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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 short but entertaining article detailing some of the many myths that abound about insects. Including the now famous cockroach-eggs-in-the-mouth story so popular with entomophobes.

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An American Entomologist article in PDF format detailing the prevalence and purpose of insects in various mythology from scarabs to locusts and Native Americans to ancient Egypt. The article includes a bibliography.

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A National Geographic article about a variety of cave dwelling (troglobite) arthropods. The story dwells on eyeless spiders, translucent centipedes, and other arthropod cave-dwellers and speculates about their phylogenetic relations, as well as their endangered future. The site includes a link to a fine interactive map with images of many of the animals discussed.

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A page deliberately arranged to teach a bit about hypothesis testing and evolution, as well as ponder the reasons why insects do not dominate the oceans. Several hypotheses from salinity, to crustacean competition are discussed. A unique password method is used to access the conclusions of the authors, which can be collected only after reading the other hypotheses suggested.

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This page, dedicated to the charismatic and large orthopterous insect known as the "weta" includes links to classification, morphology, a picture gallery and references.

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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 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 descriptive and photographic guide to roughly two dozen stinging caterpillars (urticating hairs). They are arranged by family and include links to good color photos. Also included are several harmless but fierce looking caterpillars. The page also includes a bibliography.

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Details about some common stingers of the order Hymenoptera, some descriptions and behavior assays of several commonly encountered members of this order, and information on what to do if someone sensitive is stung. Links for more information are available.

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National Public Radio audio slideshow about ants and eusociality, as well has Wilson and Holldobler's newest book (as of this writing)mainly about leafcutter ants and their giant colonies. An excerpt of the book is included as well as audio of Dr. Wilson discussing ants.

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A PDF file with a lesson plan, biological information, and instructions for the teacher mainly about using a particular termite behavior to teach scientific method. It is aimed at grade school level students, but the ink-mimicking-pheromone "trick" has been demonstrated at much higher class levels. And the information in the file could easily be adapted for undergraduate use.

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A humorously written, well illustrated article about the lives, origins, ecology, and stings of wasps. The article is several pages long and includes an informative bibliography.

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An unusually thorough British pest identification website loaded with general arthropod information, most of it well illustrated. Sections dedicated to chemicals, and miscellaneous home intruders are especially nice additions. They also include a bit of their work ethic, which contributes nicely to the overall quality.

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Wasp behavior recorded in video format, and discussed at length. Behaviors discussed include, lunging, chewing, egg-laying, and fighting. Other links include information about genetic work being done, and general wasp info.

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A non-journal article about the origin and history of modern bees. Links to discussion of bee fossils, genetic information, distribution of species, and an extensive bibliography are included.

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A variety of impressive videos of a large variety of arthropods from bedbugs to centipedes and more. One drawback is the number of advertisements you must sit through before viewing. Videos are about 1 to 2 minutes long and include narration. Of particular entertainment value is the match between a large centipede and a "grasshopper mouse".

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An interactive site devoted to general entomology and specific information on 12 charismatic insects species including, Monarch butterflies, Morpho butterflies, mandids, Luna moths, and crickets. The site includes insect descriptions, morphology, behavior, as well as games and other interactive insect oriented entertainment. Includes the often sited formula for calculating the temperature from chirping crickets.

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A lesson plan for the introduction to pest damage on crops and genetically modified food crops. Modified corn is grown alongside non-Bt corn and infested with European Corn Borer and feeding damage recorded and compared, a standard exercise in pest control applications with a nice introduction to genetic modification.

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A lesson plan devoted to understanding "capture, mark and release" methods of estimating population densities. The lesson plan is straight forward and mainly requires an appropriate field for grass feeding insect collection. Students will learn about sweep net methods, as well as population estimation, and insect diversity.

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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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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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Traditional evolution of the insects is presented in cladogram form with a neatly organized short article describing the primitive wingless insect radiation into modern insect orders mainly during the Carboniferous period.

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Current, on-going phylogenetics devoted to the representation of the evolution of life through the use of the most current published data. This particular page highlights the evolutionary relationships of the arthropods showing the insects (Hexapoda) sister-grouped with crustaceans, and outside this arrangement the centipedes and millipedes. The groupings are not yet well resolved as the site is an on-going world wide scientific project. Links to all varieties of organisms are included.

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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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Edinburgh University findings that type O blood cells do not easily conform to the usual pattern of malarial manipulation by the parasites. Researchers are hopeful that this resistance capability may prove helpful in saving some of the two million deaths caused by the mosquito borne disease.

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From chocolate covered scorpions to toasted leaf-cutter ants this page lists a variety of insect foods that can be purchased online, many from Amazon.com! Several links are dead unfortunately, but with a little perseverance similar products are probably available.

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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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Narrated Slide show well detailing University of Georgia's physical research on light reflection of beetle exoskeletons. Possible uses for various paints, and reflective surfaces are discussed.

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Informative extension HTML and PDF about bedbugs. How to recognize their signs, search for them, and control. Many excellent photos accompany the clearly written text.

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A sub-page of the extremely informative VectorBase. This is a worldwide listing of malaria vectors divided into 12 geographic regions following the 1957 classic The Epidemiology and Control of Malaria by MacDonald.

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A VectorBase sub-page depicting the world's anopheline filariasis vectors by region as given by Service (1993) Mosquitoes (Culicidae) in: Medical Insects and Arachnids.

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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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Bed bugs and relatives that bite birds and bats are represented here in description and illustration. Life history information, as well as control strategies are provided.

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The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Pesticide Database is your one-stop location for toxicity and regulatory information for pesticides. This is a comprehensive search enabled database of pesticide chemicals and also trade names. An easy to navigate sidebar takes you through toxicity, uses, registration, company, and distributor. Other links take you to less toxic alternatives, and pesticide tutorial and references.

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There are several online glossaries, this one from Berkeley, while not perfect, was the most thorough. Use is quite simple, it is a one page list with a clickable alphabet at the top. It is part of a teacher designed set of pages about insects and teaching entomology.

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The ESA website for professional and amateur entomologists alike. Provides peer reviewed publications, publishes the popular American Entomologist magazine, and handles all the registration for the various regional and national meetings of entomologists across the country. This is a valuable resource for student and professional alike.

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The website of NABS an international scientific community for the better understanding of organisms living on the bottoms of lakes and streams. Home of the journal of the North American Benthological Society. Links to annual meetings, education and outreach, jobs for students and postdocs are also accessible from this page.

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A playful site dedicated to insects in films, with discussions of how the insects were portrayed in fiction as well as in documentaries. The site suffers a bit from having not been updated in the past few years, but there have been many good insect films to include.

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