Event Title
Insect Biodiversity of the Colby College Campus
Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
30-4-2015 11:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2015 1:55 PM
Project Type
Poster
Description
Understanding insect diversity informs us of the type and health of the environment at Colby College. To begin a preliminary study of the insect diversity of the Colby campus, we surveyed representative sample sites on campus, including the main quad, Runnals Hill, portions of Perkins Arboretum and Johnson Pond from September, 2014, through the May, 2015. Our collection methods included hand collecting, net sweeping, Berlese funnel extractions, aspirators and baited traps. Our survey culminated in a collection consisting of insects representing at least eleven orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Mantodea, Odonata, Orthoptera, and Trichoptera) within which we identified over forty families. These families contain species that are both specific to local microenvironments as well as generalists occurring throughout the campus. Overall, by surveying the insect biodiversity of the Colby College Campus, we learned about the process of insect collecting and identification as well as how insects reflect the type and health of the environment. Future research includes sampling more sites on campus with differing ecological features and sampling during the summer to include orders and families that may only be found during that time of year.
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Geology Dept.
CLAS Field of Study
Natural Sciences
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
1465
Insect Biodiversity of the Colby College Campus
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Understanding insect diversity informs us of the type and health of the environment at Colby College. To begin a preliminary study of the insect diversity of the Colby campus, we surveyed representative sample sites on campus, including the main quad, Runnals Hill, portions of Perkins Arboretum and Johnson Pond from September, 2014, through the May, 2015. Our collection methods included hand collecting, net sweeping, Berlese funnel extractions, aspirators and baited traps. Our survey culminated in a collection consisting of insects representing at least eleven orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Mantodea, Odonata, Orthoptera, and Trichoptera) within which we identified over forty families. These families contain species that are both specific to local microenvironments as well as generalists occurring throughout the campus. Overall, by surveying the insect biodiversity of the Colby College Campus, we learned about the process of insect collecting and identification as well as how insects reflect the type and health of the environment. Future research includes sampling more sites on campus with differing ecological features and sampling during the summer to include orders and families that may only be found during that time of year.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/37