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ZOOL240 Insect physiology and ecology

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:Rannveig Margrete Vigdisdatter Jacobsen

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:Lectures: 25 hours. Discussion groups, laboratory work, supervision of species identification, feedback on written texts and oral presentation: 25 hours. Exams: 4 hours. Independent work (reading and discussing syllabus, writing, collection and identification): 200 hours.

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in Autumn parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in Autumn parallel, .

About this course

Main topics in this cours are insect ecology, anatomy, physiology, sensory systems, reproduction, life history strategies, and evolution. Other topis are the importance of insects to humans in a global perspective, and what we know about the status of the world's insect fauna. You will learn how to identify species of a selected taxonomic group, and practice written and oral presentation of course topics with feedback from both the teacher and other students. The teaching is varied and consists of lectures, laboratory studies and discussion groups. The students will get to know some potential work places with entomological focus.

Learning outcome

A student who has completed and passed the course shall have acquired the following:

Knowledge: The student will have knowledge on insect anatomy, physiology, sensory systems, reproduction, development, evolution, importance of insects to humans, threats to the diversity of insects, species identification and handling of specimens.

Skills: The student can recognize internal and external insect anatomical structures. The student can apply their knowledge about the main course topics to teaching, research, nature management and public debate. The student can present knowledge within the main topics of the course both in writing and through oral presentation. The student can use keys to identify a selected insect group to species, and use entomological terminology in Norwegian and English.

General competence: The student gains experience with written and oral presentation of scientific knowledge. The student can improve a text based on feedback, and can give constructive feedback to others.

  • Learning activities
    Lectures, lab exercises, discussions, self-study, collection of selected insects, written and oral presentation of a topic.
  • Teaching support
    The students will receive feedback from the teacher to their written and oral presentation of a course-relevant topic. The main teacher is available for questions through physical attendance or email. Other teachers are available through email.
  • Prerequisites
    ZOOL220
  • Recommended prerequisites
    ECOL100/ECOL200
  • Assessment method

    Combined assessment.

    Mid-term exam (many short questions), 1-2 hrs, counts 40% of the grade. Final written exam, 3 hours, counts 60% of the grade. The student must pass both exams to pass the entire course.



    Written exam Grading: Letter grades Permitted aids: A1 No calculator, no other aids Midterm exam Grading: Letter grades
  • Examiner scheme
    The external examiner approves the questions given in the final exam and evaluates all answers from all students. The mid-term exam is evaluated by the main teacher alone.
  • Mandatory activity
    Laboratory exercises and discussion seminars. Collecting of insects for species identification. Writing, and get approved, a text about a course-relevant topic and presenting this orally. Giving feedback on the texts of other students. Students who take the course for the second time do not need to repeat specific compulsory activities already done.
  • Teaching hours
    Lectures: 25 hours. Laboratory work/ seminars: 25 hours.
  • Admission requirements
    Special requirements in Science