Applied Entomology and Plant Pathology

Module Entomology and Agricultural Parasitology

1) Knowledge and understanding: The course aims to provide the students with basic knowledge on the morphology, biology and physiology of insects and other harmful animal organisms, with specific reference to the systematic groups of pre-eminent applied interest, as well as elements for the evaluation of harmfulness to cultivated plants and their products and for the application of modern control methods of their infestations.

2) Applying knowledge and understanding: Through the acquisition of knowledge on the biology and physiology of insects and other harmful animal organisms, as well as on the relationships between them and plants, students will acquire the ability to plan modern strategies for sustainable control of insects harmful to agricultural and food production.

3) Making judgements: With the help of lectures, laboratory exercises and field visits, students will acquire full autonomy in the analysis of infestations by insects and other animal organisms on agricultural crops, developing autonomy of judgment for the choice of the most suitable and modern control measures.

4) Communication skills: Students will develop correct technical-scientific terminology in the field of applied entomology and, more generally, of phytosanitary disciplines, also improving their skills to communicate in groups.

5) Learning skills: The course will contribute to the development of skills and autonomy of analysis, useful to students for the development of professional skills especially in the field of diagnosis of the main groups of animal organisms infesting agricultural and food crops and of the basic choice of control strategies that can be adopted in relation to the specific agro-environmental context.

The course is carried out through 28 hours of lectures and 28 hours of exercises (where possible also in the field).

If teaching is given in a hybrid formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported syllabus.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contact of CInAP (Centre for Active and Participatory Inclusion - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs).

Basic knowledge of animal biology and zoological systematics are important in order to understand the contents of the course.

Not compulsory but recommended because it helps the learning path and the evaluation of merit of the student.

Morphology, anatomy and physiology of insects

1.     General characteristics of insects and their applied interest.

2.     External morphology: head, thorax, abdomen and their appendages.

3.     Elements of anatomy and physiology of insects: tegumental system; nervous system; sensory system; digestive system; respiratory system; circulatory system; excretory system; secretory system; reproductive system; postembryonic development; physiology of metamorphosis.

Biological behavior and relations with the environment (insect ecology).

1.     Specific and collective manifestations: dimorphism and polymorphism; aggregation and society; biological cycles; biotic potential and environment; epidemiology of populations; biological balance; spread of species.

2.     Damage to insects: direct and indirect damage; pathogens transmission; damage thresholds.

Means and methods of control of insects

1.     Agronomic or cultural means.

2.     Physical and mechanical means.

3.     Biological control: entomophagous and entomopathogenic; classical biological control techniques; microbiological control; biotechnologies.

4.     Chemical control: insecticides and their mode of action; commercial formulations and active ingredients; secondary effects of antiparasitic treatments.

5.     Principles of supervised and integrated control.

Notions of entomological systematics and knowledge of the main orders of Insects

1.     Collembola

2.     Thysanura

3.     Odonata

4.     Blattodea

5.     Dermaptera

6.     Orthoptera

7.     Thysanoptera

8.     Hemiptera

9.     Hymenoptera

10.  Coleoptera

11.  Diptera

12.  Lepidoptera

Overview of other groups of animal organisms harmful to plants

1.     Nematodes: systematic classification, morphology, anatomy and biology; damage and economic importance; control methods.

2.     Mites: systematic classification, morphology, anatomy and biology; damage and economic importance; control methods.

3.     Rodents: systematic classification, morphology, anatomy and biology; damage and economic importance; control methods.

1. BACCETTI B., BARBAGALLO S., SÜSS L. & TREMBLAY E., 2000. Manuale di Zoologia Agraria. Delfino Editore, Roma.

2. MINELLI A., BOLOGNA M.A. (editors), 2023. Sistematica ed evoluzione degli esapodi. Entomologia – Collana dell’Accademia Nazionale Italiana di Entomologia, Liguori Editore, Napoli.

3. TREMBLAY E., 1985-2000. Entomologia applicata, voll. 1-7. Liguori Editore, Napoli.

All the slides projected in class, as well as additional didactic notes and eventual bibliographic material for further information will be provided by the teacher through the "Studium" web platform.

During the course, some intermediate tests (both in written and oral form) will allow to verify the activity carried out both by individual students and by the course as a whole. A final oral interview will complete the assessment of the individual students, allowing to verify their degree of learning.

As a summary of the above activities, the assessment of the preparation of individual students will take place on the basis of the following criteria: learning ability and level of depth of the topics covered, properties of synthesis and presentation, reasoning skills. The marks attributed will follow the following scheme:

Unsuitable

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Important shortcomings. Significant inaccuracies.

Ability to analyze and synthesize: Irrelevant. Frequent generalizations. Inability to synthesize.

Use of references: Completely inappropriate.

18-20

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: At the threshold level. Obvious imperfections.

Analysis and synthesis skills: Just enough skills.

Use of references: As appropriate.

21-23

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Routine knowledge.

Analysis and synthesis skills: Correct analysis and synthesis, with logical and coherent argumentation skills.

Use of references: Use of standard references.

24-26

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Good.

Ability to analyze and synthesize: Good, with arguments expressed consistently.

Use of references: Use of standard references.

27-29

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: More than good.

Ability to analyze and synthesize: Remarkable.

Use of references: In-depth.

30-30L

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Excellent.

Ability to analyze and synthesize: Remarkable.

Use of references: Important insights.

- Systematic classification of Insects and relationships with other groups of Arthropods.

- Briefly describe the head of the Insects and its appendages (antennae and mouth appendages, the latter with reference to the chewing apparatus).

- Briefly describe the thorax of Insects and its appendages.

- Briefly describe the abdomen of insects and its appendages (gonapophysis).

- Exoskeleton and integument of Insects: structure and functions.

- Locomotor organs (wings and legs) of Insects: shape, structure and functional modifications.

- Briefly describe, even with the possible help of a drawing, the chewing mouthparts (external and internal) of the Insects.

- Briefly describe, even with the possible help of a drawing, the asymmetrical sucking pungent mouthparts of the Thysanoptera.

- Briefly describe, even with the possible help of a drawing, the pungent sucking mouthparts of the Hemiptera.

- Briefly describe, even with the possible help of a drawing, the mouthparts of Lepidoptera (larvae and adults).

- Briefly describe, even with the possible help of a drawing, the sucking mouthparts of the Muscid Diptera.

- Briefly describe, even with the possible help of a drawing, the biting sucking mouthparts of the Culicidae Diptera.

- The nervous system of insects: anatomy and physiology (with specific mention to the mechanisms of transmission of nerve impulses).

- The digestive system of insects: anatomy and physiology.

- The circulatory system of insects: anatomy and physiology.

- The respiratory system of insects: anatomy and physiology.

- The excretory system of insects: anatomy and physiology.

- The secretory system of insects: anatomy and physiology (with particular reference to endocrine secretion and the hormones involved in post-embryonic development).

- The reproductive system of insects: anatomy and physiology.

- Complete and incomplete metamorphosis in insects: meaning and examples.

- Post-embryonic development of insects: physiology and hormones involved.

- Types of post-embryonic development in Insects: ametabolic, heterometabolic, neometabolic, holometabolic and catametabolic.

- The moulting of insects and its mechanisms.

- The larvae of holometabolous insects and their classification.

- The pupae of holometabolous insects and their classification.

- Vector insects and pathogen transmission mechanisms.

- Entomopathogenic viruses: biological characteristics, categories and possibilities of use for the control of harmful insects.

- Entomopathogenic fungi: biological characteristics, categories and possibilities of use for the control of harmful insects.

- Entomopathogenic bacteria: biological characteristics, categories and possibilities of use for the control of harmful insects.

- Entomophagous insects: behaviors and application possibilities for the control of harmful insects.

- The use of pheromones for the biotechnical control of harmful insects: practical applications of aggregation, dispersion and sexual pheromones.

- Genetic methods for the control of harmful insects: the autocidal control (with particular reference to the Sterile Insect Technique).

- Physical and mechanical means of controlling harmful insects.

- Commercial formulations of insecticides and their composition.

- Organic insecticides of plant origin: categories and main characteristics.

- Organic insecticides of mineral origin: categories and main characteristics.

- Organic insecticides derived from microorganisms: characteristics and possibilities of use.

- Synthetic organic insecticides: main chemical families and their characteristics.

- Cuticle inhibitors and growth regulator in the control of harmful insects.

- Synthetic hormones and hormone antagonists in the control of harmful insects.

- Side effects of insecticides and methods to contain them.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Collembola and Odonata.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Thysanura and Blattodea.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Mantodea and Isoptera.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Dermaptera and Orthoptera.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Thysanoptera.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Hemiptera, with specific reference to Heteroptera and Homoptera Aucenorrhyncha.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Hemiptera, with specific reference to Homoptera Sternorrhyncha Psylooidea and Aleyrodoidea.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Hemiptera, with specific reference to Homoptera Sternorrhyncha Aphidoidea.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Hemiptera, with specific reference to the Homoptera Sternorrhyncha Coccoidea.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Hymenoptera.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Coleoptera.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Diptera.

- Morpho-biological characteristics and systematic classification of Lepidoptera.