Sciences and Teaching of Natural Systems

Expected learning outcomes Acquiring skills on general and applied entomology, including modern molecular and cladistic approaches to insect systematics. To allow students to recognize the main taxa of Hexapods. To allow students to know and apply the main collecting methods aimed to sample insect populations in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, in a perspective of environmental monitoring. Acquiring skills on the use of insects and other terrestrial arthropods in Conservation Biology and in biological control of alien and invasive insect species. Acquiring skills and standard scientific knowledge allowing the preparation of scientific articles on insect taxonomy, morphology, and molecular phylogenetics. Dublin Descriptors Dublin Descriptor 1: knowledge of the basic elements of the Arthropods and Insects evolution, as well on their species richness at Italian, European, and World scale. Knowledge of the main phylogenetic relationships inside insect orders, and of their main diagnostic morphological features; knowledge of the main different metamorphosis models during development, as well as of the main insect trophic and physiological adaptations. Dublin Descriptor 2: Skills in combining, integrating and applying knowledge of the main entomological principles in Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Zoological systematics, and Conservation Biology. Ability to recognize the Insect orders (up to the level of the main families) of the European and Italian fauna. Ability to approach qualitative samplings and critical use of identification manuals (guides, local faunas, traditional and virtual keys to identification, etc.). Knowledge and ability to approach applied research, using indicator species and indices of environmental quality, managing problems related to the introduction of alien species, and problems related to insect conservation biology. Standard scientific knowledge allowing the preparation of scientific articles on insect taxonomy, morphology, and molecular phylogenetics. Dublin Descriptor 3: skills in better and more critically understanding entomological items through the experiences accumulated during fieldwork, lessons, and discussions with teachers. The examinations, including a written (although not mandatory) report aimed to summarize a recent scientific article, should also allow students to better verify their own preparation and ability to understand and summarize complex entomological items. Dublin Descriptor 4: skills in better communicating the results of personal entomological training, through the experiences accumulated by each student during field work, lessons, discussions with the teacher and with other students, and examinations. Dublin Descriptor 5: skills in better transferring the experiences accumulated during this specialized entomological course in autonomous studies addressed to a taxonomic specialization in entomology, as well as in other fields such as applied zoology, zoogeography and Conservation Biology; this improved autonomy being based, e.g., on the acquired ability to read, understand and summarize a recent scientific article or textbook, and in easily using traditional and interactive keys to identification.