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Hail the Mighty Insects! (Fall Course)
October 4, 2023 @ 6:30 pm - November 8, 2023 @ 8:00 pm
WAGNER FREE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE – FALL 2023 COURSE: ZOOLOGY SERIES
Hail the Mighty Insects! with Professor Greg Cowper
6 Wednesdays from October 4 – November 8, 6:30 – 8:00pm
Location: at the Parkway Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street (between 19th and 20th streets), Philadelphia. This course meets in the Science and Wellness department (room 202).
This course requires pre-registration. Separate registration is required for each student. Sign up here or call 215-763-6529 x14 for assistance.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to general Entomology, the study of insects. Insects are the most successful organisms on Earth. Their triumph will set the stage for discussion of life on Earth, evolution, morphology, development, behavior and classification. Twenty-seven insect orders will be considered and a remarkable insect group will be highlighted each class. An appreciation of the diversity of insects and their importance in our lives is the underlying theme of the course.
Course Schedule
1. Wednesday, October 4, 2023 – Life on Earth, Introduction to Insects and Their Ways, Morphology, Metamorphosis and Classification. Groups predating the development of wings – the noninsect hexapods and the insect orders Archaeognatha (bristletails) and Zygentoma (silverfish & firebrats).
2. Wednesday, October 11, 2023 – Insect Orders continued. Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), Dermaptera (earwigs), Zoraptera (angel insects), and Plecoptera (stoneflies).
3. Wednesday, October 18, 2023 – Insect Orders continued. Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets & katydids), Blattodea (cockroaches & termites), Mantodea (mantids), Phasmatodea (stick insects), Notoptera (grylloblattids – the ice crawlers & mantophasmids – the heel walkers).
4. Wednesday, October 25, 2023 – Insect Orders continued. Embioptera (webspinners), Psocodea (barklice, booklice & true lice), Hemiptera (true bugs), Thysanoptera (thrips), Raphidioptera (snakeflies).
5. Wednesday, November 1, 2023 – Insect Orders continued. Megaloptera (alderflies, fishflies and dobsonflies), Neuroptera (lacewings, antlions and mantidflies), Coleoptera (beetles), Strepsiptera (stylops) and Mecoptera (scorpionflies).
6. Wednesday, November 8, 2023 – Insect Orders continued. How to Collect, Identify and Record. Siphonaptera (fleas), Diptera (flies), Trichoptera (caddisflies), Lepidoptera (butterflies & moths), Hymenoptera (bees, wasps & ants). Collecting insects plus the communities for recording observations and identifying insects.
Suggested Reading
McGavin, George C., L-R Davranoglou & R. Lewington. 2023. Essential Entomology, 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, 336 pps.
Abbott, J. C. & K. K. Abbott. 2023. Insects of North America (Princeton Field Guides, 157), Princeton University Press, 585 pps.
Frank, Kenneth D. 2015. Ecology of Center City, Philadelphia, (print edition for sale or a free download at www.fitlersquarepress.com)
About the Professor
Greg Cowper is an Entomologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and joined the Wagner’s Faculty in 2014. His interests include Biodiversity, Evolution, Urban Entomology, and the Intersection of Art & Science. He is presently working on the acoustics of singing insects and continues to update Specimen, a natural history artist installation at Eastern State Penitentiary.
FAQs
What is the cost?
Wagner courses are free; donations are encouraged!
Are there minimum age requirements to enter the course?
The adult lecture courses are offered on an introductory college level. They are open to anyone seeking an introduction to various areas of the sciences as well as those familiar with the subjects who wish to broaden and update their knowledge. The courses also provide an excellent opportunity for motivated junior high and high school students to supplement their current science courses and to help prepare them for further study in these fields at a college level. The courses are appropriate as well for teachers seeking to expand their knowledge.
What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the course?
The Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central Branch is located between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway. It is close to many SEPTA lines, including buses, Regional Rail, and the Broad Street Line Race/Vine station. Most parking near the library is metered street parking. There is also a Philadelphia Parking Authority lot behind the library on Callowhill Street between 19th and 20th Streets.
Is the building wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The Wood Street entrance (at the back of the building) is wheelchair accessible and there are elevators in the building. Enter Wood Street by going south on 19th Street and drive west towards 20th Street. If the gate is down press the buzzer and security will open the gate. There are handicapped parking places right next to the building.
How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Click the “Contact the Organizer” link, email communications@wagnerfreeinstitute.org, or call 215-763-6529 x14.