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LSC-30070 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 21 December 2024

LSC-30070 - Insect Ecology and Pest Management
Coordinator: Toby Bruce Tel: +44 1782 7 34072
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 734414

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

Insects are fascinating because of their enormous diversity of forms and lifestyles. There are more species of insect than of all other animals and plants put together. As a result of this combination of diversity and abundance, they affect us in many ways. For example, honeybees pollinate our crops and produce honey, silkworms produce silk, mosquitoes spread malaria and kill millions of people, much of our crop production is destroyed by insects, and outbreaks of locusts destroy entire crops and can cause starvation. A knowledge of insect ecology has applied uses in many fields, e.g. agriculture, horticulture, forensics, veterinary science, medicine, parasitology, environmental management and conservation. In this module you will cover: insect diversity, flight, mate finding, sex pheromones, migration, parasitoids, herbivores, fluid feeders, disease vectors, pollinators and management of insect pests. You will be taught with a combination of lectures, lecture discussions and tutorials, and be expected to study independently and read widely.

Aims
To provide the ecological knowledge, understanding and skills needed by an entomologist in the field of pest management.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Discuss the principles and application of insect ecology: 1,2
Evaluate the methods used to manage insect pests: 2
Evaluate the biology, ecology and pest status of a species of pest insect: 2
Identify an adult insect to the level of order and specify appropriate keys for identification to the level of family and species: 2

Study hours

18 hours live lectures
07 hours live tutorials
01 hour assessment workshop
05 hours directed asynchronous study
84 hours independent study
15 hours review preparation
20 hours report preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Literature Review weighted 40%
Literature review - 1500 words


2: Report weighted 60%
Insect report - 2500 words


The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 21 December 2024