Learning objectives
Understand the complexity of the chemical interactions for the intra and interspecific communication and between the different trophic levels that make up the agroecosystem with the aim of understanding their importance for the sustainable pest management; acquire the ability to design, set up and conduct an olfactometer bioassay.
Prerequisites
Entomology
Course unit content
The number of credits for each activity in the program may vary depending on the students' learning pace and is structured as follows:
Selection of the Host Plant (0.5 ECTS, 4 hours)
Mechanisms of search and orientation towards host plants, visual and chemical signals, olfactory responses to host plants, and detection of host plant odor. Chemistry of the plant for host plant selection, primary plant metabolites, secondary plant metabolites, inhibition of feeding and oviposition, and host marking.
Herbivores Responding to Host Plant Signals (0.5 ECTS, 4 hours)
Effects of plants on insects and effects of herbivores on plants, aboveground and belowground plant-insect interactions, herbivore-induced plant volatiles, species interactions, phenotypic plasticity, top-down and bottom-up effects.
Chemical Communication in Insects (0.25 ECTS, 2 hours)
Allelochemicals, kairomones, synomones, pheromones, sexual pheromones, sexual pheromones in non-social insects, aggregation pheromones, alarm pheromones, trail pheromones, hydrocarbons in insects.
Foraging Behavior Based on Kairomones in Natural Enemies (0.5 ECTS, 4 hours)
Chemical interactions in tri-trophic systems, role of herbivore-induced plant volatiles in long-range host plant location, host location, role of plant-emitted kairomones in prey location and acceptance, use of kairomones in biological control strategies, use of pheromones for attraction and retention of natural enemies in the field, attraction and reward technique, olfactory associative learning to enhance foraging efficiency in natural enemies.
Chemical Ecology of Parasitoid and Hyperparasitoid Insects (0.5 ECTS, 4 hours)
Volatiles emitted by plants and parasitoids, foraging strategy in a complex chemical environment, parasitoids, hyperparasitoids and host cues, parasitoid pheromones, and chemical ecology to improve parasitoid effectiveness in the biological control of phytophagous insects.
Behavioral Investigations with Y-tube Olfactometer and/or Behavioral Analysis Software (Laboratory activity, 1 ECTS, 8 hours)
Formulation of scientific questions and hypotheses on topics covered by the course, bibliographic research and development of a scientific protocol, conducting an experimental trial with olfactometer and/or behavioral analysis software, data collection and analysis.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Didactic material taken from the lessons.
Books for further information:
Bell, W.J., Cardé, R.T. (Eds.), 1984. Chemical Ecology of Insects. Springer US, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3368-3
Wajnberg, E., Colazza, S., 2013. Chemical ecology of insect parasitoids. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Price, P.W., Denno, R.F., Eubanks, M.D., Finke, D.L., Kaplan, I., 2011. Insect Ecology: Behavior, Populations and Communities, 1st ed. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511975387
Schoonhoven, L.M., Loon, J.J.A. van, Dicke, M., 2005. Insect-plant biology, 2nd ed. ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford; New York.
Teaching methods
Lectures (2 CFU): 16 hours of lectures
Practical part in presence (1 CFU): 8 hours which include laboratory activities with olfactometer bioassay.
The course is delivered in English. Attendance is not compulsory, but strongly recommended. The course will be delivered at the Reggio Emilia headquarters, at Pad. Besta.
Assessment methods and criteria
The course will include
a) Exposition and discussion of the results of the experiment conducted in the laboratory; b) final oral exam of about 30 minutes with three questions on the topics covered in the lessons.
Phase a) allows to verify the ability to deepen, research and understand scientific texts and articles related to the theme of the course, to verify the critical analysis and the elaboration of innovative solutions, the appropriate use of scientific terminology, the ability to carry out experiment, elaborate the data and expose the results.
Phase b) allows you to ascertain the knowledge acquired during the course, the understanding of the topics covered and the ability to integrate them with each other.
The exams take place in presence during the teaching calendar.
Test evaluation indicators: Ability to use knowledge (25%); Ability to connect knowledge (25%); Capacity to use technical language (15%); Ability to discuss topics (20%); Ability to deepen the topics (15%).
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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