2011-2012 Academic Catalog

Apr 19, 2024

2011-2012 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

BIOL 224 - Ecology of Disease Vectors

Type of Course: Lecture, Laboratory

This course provides a field-intensive, project-oriented exposure to the biology of arthropods that transmit disease, with particular emphasis on ecology of mosquitoes. Methods include quantitative sampling techniques, species identification based on morphology and DNA, detection of medically important viruses, and experimental approaches to understanding interactions among species. The primary aim for the group will be to track the course of mosquito invasions. We will process samples obtained from school groups throughout the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic States to track the progress of a mosquito introduced from Asia. We will examine in detail two invasions that are presently under way in Bermuda and conduct experiments on egg-laying behavior during a week-long field trip to Bermuda. Field trips will also include trips to wetlands and forests in New England. $1700 fee required for travel to Bermuda.

Prerequisites: BIOL 101, and either BIOL 102 or BIOL 103.