*This registration item is for ZOOM. You may not attend this course in the building. DO NOT also register for the Hybrid section of this course.*

Extended Description:

Insects are the most diverse group of animals in the history of life on earth. They play essential roles in almost all terrestrial ecosystems but are also major agricultural pests and disease vectors. In this course, we will discuss the diversity and evolution of insects, ecosystem services they provide for humans and other organisms, and the ongoing “insect apocalypse.” We’ll also consider several special topics, including social insects, defense, flight, heritable endosymbionts, selfish genetic elements, and enjoying bugs with your grandkids.  

In addition, two outside guest speakers will join us to discuss their areas of expertise. Robert Minckley is a Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester who has discovered the most diverse community of solitary bees in the world (~500 species). He is a co-author of the 2019 book, The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation (Princeton University Press) and is currently writing a book, intended for the general public, on solitary bees for University of Chicago Press.

David Grimaldi is Curator of Invertebrate Zoology and Professor in Comparative Biology at the American Museum of Natural History. He has written several books, including the encyclopedic Evolution of the Insects with Michael Engel (2005, Cambridge University Press), Amber: Window to the Past (2003, American Museum of Natural History), and The Complete Insect: Anatomy, Physiology, Evolution, and Ecology (2023, Princeton University Press). Although David will be speaking to0 us via Zoom, he is planning to send some amber and fossil specimens for us to examine during his presentation.