Entomology -- April 2, 2025  ZOOM link

Entomology - Unit 13 in your textbook. Complete the (optional) quiz.

Molly Keck, Integrated Pest Management Program Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Read Molly's BIO

1. Look over Unit 13 in your textbook. Complete the optional quiz HERE

2. Watch these informative videos

Predators and Parasitoids (85:00)

A Bee Short (14:51), presented by Carol Clark, BPTMN class of 2010

3. Prepare a 5-minute presentation on your assigned topic, to be presented to your pod. We will use the breakout session for your presentations. NOTE: the 5-minute time limit will be firm, to make sure everyone has time to present.

• Start by reading this guide to preparing your Five-Minute Presentation. 

• We are flexible in how granular you make your presentation: a broad Order description, a specific Family of species, a particular Species profile, or a combination. Just remember that your presentation should be packed with info and condensed to 5 min.

• You can use slides, but limit them to 3-5 at the most.  Or you may only need one! 

• With your time so limited, consider carefully the 3 or 4 important points you want your audience to take away from your presentation. 

• Be sure you have had a TIMED practice before class!

• After everyone has shared in your pod, there may be a few extra minutes for a short Q&A. That's when you are able to offer some of the interesting facts you learned that didn’t fit into your presentation during you allotted time.

4. Capture an insect from your environment. Place it in your petri dish (the one you received in your supply bag) and carefully examine all sides of your insect.  (You might find it helpful to place the insect and petri dish in the refrigerator for a half-hour.) Think about what you see. Photograph the dorsal and ventral sides. Use this Pictorial Dichotomous Key  to determine what Order you think your insect belongs to. Enter the pictures into iNaturalist, and see what kind of identification you get. Were you correct?

Optional Activities

If you have children handy, recruit them for an Insect Scavenger Hunt . Or if you want a real challenge, try this Advanced Insect Scavenger Hunt.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see some gnarly photomicrography of ants and read the article.

Logging Hours

Log last week's class attendance in VMS

(If you missed class, contact your pod guides to schedule a make-up.) 

Opportunity: Init Training-Class 08   

Date: March 26, 2025      

Hours: 3.0 

Description: Meteorology with Dr. David Baker

If you attend any of the Field Trips to the Chalk Hill Farm, Connemara Meadow, or Hagerman NWR, enter it in VMS. 
     Opportunity: IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST FIELD TRIP, LOG IT AS:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A)

IF IT IS YOUR SECOND FIELD TRIP, LOG IT AS:  Initial Training: Field Trip (B)

IF IT IS YOUR THIRD FIELD TRIP, LOG IT AS:  Initial Training: Field Trip (C)

Date: date you attended
Hours: 2.5
Description: Class Field Trip to enter name of location

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED YOUR THREE FIELD TRIPS, Log as Advanced Training

Opportunity: AT: BPTMN Other Pre-approved training  

Date: date you attended

Hours: 2.5     

Description: ADDITIONAL Class Field Trip to enter name of location

See how to log Ren's Opossum Deep Dive HERE

Volunteers (VH) Opportunities

• Heard Natural Science Museum – animal care, contact Laura Ragan at lragan@heard.org

• Holifield Science Learning Center – animal care, contact Brett Taylor at brett.taylor@pisd.edu

• iNaturalist insect surveys

• Monarch View Park – April 4th or 11th workdays, 9am-noon

• Pollinator Garden in JM Caldwell Sr. Park – April 19th, 9-11am

• Mothing iNat event at Grand Park, Frisco - April 26th,  7:30pm

Advanced Training (AT) Opportunities

• Chapter Meeting - The Joy of Flies with Laura Kimberly- April 8th, 7pm

• Backyard Bug Hunt Webinar Series with Wizzie Brown – April 18th is Native Bee ID, 10-11am

• 2025 Monarch Conservation Webinar Series “Getting Youth Involved with Monarchs” – April 22nd, 1-2pm

• NSPOT – North Texas Pollinators – May 6th, 7-8:30pm

• Butterfly Garden Walk at Hagerman NWR – May 10th & 11th, 10am-noon

• Wolbachia Insect Handbook 

• Bugguide.net - for expert help in insect ID

• Common Insects of Texas and Surrounding States - Abbott and Abbott (2020)

• Field Guide to Insects of North America - Kaufman

• Texas Crawdads - book by Sterling K Johnson, et al (2008). This book is out of print, but you might find it in the used book markets.

• List of Reference Books 

• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation - website

• Dragonflies of Texas: A Field Guide - John C. Abbott (2015)

• Damselflies of Texas: A Field Guide - John C. Abbott (2011)

Ant photos from wildlife photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas

Here's an article discussing them with links to more of his photomicrography.

WEEK NINE CLASS UPDATE

How appropriate that we had such a mix of weather conditions before our meteorology class. I've added links to all of Dr. Baker's mind-blowing maps and his presentation onto the Resources page of the class website. Just scroll down to "Week Eight extras". 

Week Nine: Mar 27-Apr 2

Next week will be another ZOOM class. Here's the meeting link. Make sure to complete your pre-work prior to class. If you haven't gotten a jump on Molly's long video, you'll want to start early in the week and spread it out over several days.

Insect Presentations (NOT optional):

As part of your pre-work this week, you will research an assigned insect Order and create a 5-minute presentation to share with your pod members during the Entomology class. Remember to focus on the sticky facts that spark interest and practice your timing. The pod Guides have been instructed to hold firm to our 5-minute maximum. Please put effort into your presentation. Your other pod members are counting on you! The link to the list of assigned topics is in your pre-work.

End-of-Class Presentations and Projects (optional):

If you haven't signed up for a EOC presentation or project, please consider doing so. Your pod Guides and the other training committee members would be happy to answer any questions you may have. We will also help you through the process in any way we can.

Upcoming Field Trips:

Friday, March 28th

Chalk Hill Farm

9-11:30am

Meet at house

Saturday, March 29th

Bonus Connemara Meadow

9:30-noon

Drive through gate to the left of 7800 Roberta Dr.

Email Bob to sign-up at rmione@aol.com

Sunday, March 30th

Hagerman NWR

1-3:30pm

Meet at visitor center

For all 3 field trips, use the SUG attachments for directions and info. Dress for walking/hiking outside and wear your nametag. Take binoculars and water bottle. Make sure to plan for the weather because we will go rain or shine. The event will only be canceled in the event of severe weather (lightning, hail, damaging winds).

If your plans change, make sure to update the SUG. Need help? Use these instructions.

See you next week,

Nancy

Nancy Casillas, Training Director

Texas Master Naturalist, Blackland Prairie Chapter

nancyc@bptmn.org

214-725-2309