Planet Earth Arthropod Workshop-  9/11/01

The bell rings and there are a small number of students in the room.  More students file in from the classroom next door.  This is an in- school field trip so a few more file in shortly after the bell rings.  In all there are about 15 students in the room.  They are seated in clusters around tables.

Fennell:  "Need to get everything into a classroom period about arthropod workshops. You need to sign up for an after school field workshop.  Put your name on these." (He was handing out Xeroxed packets that include the procedures for collecting, preserving, and identifying arthropods).  "These are important documents."

Student asked, "Do we need to buy a book?"

Fennell: "No, we supply one per group but you can buy one if you want."

Student: "Do we need to buy a net?"

Fennell: "No, we'll go over what we'll provide.  The first thing I want you to do is look over it [procedure]."

While students are looking over their procedure handouts, Fennell takes attendance.

Fennell resumes announcements: "Permission slip for McKinney Falls/Shoal Creek is 5 points."

Student: "Can I turn it in now?"

Fennell collects forms and then returns to the packets he handed out at the beginning of class. "All this is yours to keep. I would write things down to help you remember."  Fennell starts going through the packet.

"Purpose - The first step is to do a site description like the LBJ preserve exercise.  Use aerial photo, topographic map, and physical characteristics of the site to determine a question."

Fennell pulls out a final poster from a previous semester.  "This group found elevation changed at Bull Creek Preserve.  They defined greater than 213 meters as high elevation and less than 213 meters as low elevation and then compares high versus low elevation.

Each person must do three transects.  That's the first step due 9/27.  We should have aerial photos and topographical maps by this weekend."

"Techniques for quantifying arthropods in your study area." (Fennell points to a page with illustrations of equipment required) Equipment - most of what you see we provide.  If your group has 2 members, you get 1 net, 4 members gets 2 nets.  If your group has 3 members, it depends on how many nets we have left."

"Killing jars - you need wide-mouthed jars with straight sides and no lips because lips make it hard to get insects in and out." (Fennell shows the students a jar with a lip and one without a lip).  "Put plaster of Paris in the bottom.  This is best but you don't have to do it.  All you need to make a killing jar is cotton balls and fingernail polish remover with ethyl acetate.  The ethyl acetate knocks the insects out.  You need to look at the label to be sure it's the right type of fingernail polish remover.  Don't saturate the cotton ball or the insects will stick.  Taping the cotton ball to the top works well.  You should write this down.  Use duck tape not cellophane because cellophane tape adhesive dissolves in the presence of ethyl acetate."

"Storage boxes and insect pins are supplied by us." Fennell holds up a storage box and a bag with vials and other things in it. "Each group will get an initial bag with vials for soft-bodied arthropods, several sizes of pins (you will want to use the right size for the right insect), and a vial of points (we have a point punch and I will demonstrate this later)."

"Tweezers can catch insects in addition to the net.  You can also use tweezers to nudge insects into the jar.  But, don't do this with wasps."

Fennell holds up a pinning board.  "We supply pinning boards. We have an ant problem so only store your insects on a cart with Vaseline at the bottom."

"You will collect along a 50 meter transect line.  If you want to do an optional night collection, we have UV lights (black lights).  You can't compare night data with day data because you will use different procedures."

"Methods - You could for example take high and low elevation." Fennell drew the following diagram on the board.

You want to take data in similar types of habitat.  You want equal numbers of transects in each habitat.  For example, you want 1 transect in grassland at low elevation and 1 transect in grassland at high elevation; 2 transects in woodlands at low elevation and 2 transects in woodlands at high elevation."

"It is hard to control variables so take data on the same day.  For example, 1 low and 1 high elevation on one day, not 2 low elevation on one day and 2 high elevation on another day."

" What does collecting entail?" Mr. Fennell holds up a transect tape and begins to demonstrate.  "Stretch out 50 meters." (He stretches out some tape but not 50 meters worth).  At the 0 meter mark for the next 5 minutes I walk along the first 10 meters and catch insects.  Wait 5 minutes after laying out transect before taking data because laying the transect disturbs the insects and may affect your data.  The first time through, walk and sweep." (Fennell demonstrates walking and sweeping action with an insect net along the transect). "Keep the net moving so the insects do not fly out. You will need more than 1 killing jar per 10 meters.  Then go through with tweezers.  Don't walk away from the transect line.  Once you find a time length that works for your area, use it throughout the project.  Try it out before you begin.  Lay out 10 meters and see what you get in 5 minutes.  Don't go over 10 minutes because if you're not catching insects in 10 minutes, than it is not a rich habitat.  One group laid their transect on a parking lot and only got 2 insects.  Don't do this.  It should only take you 25 minutes to collect your data."

The students began asking questions about the 6 transects so Mr. Fennell clarified.

"Each person collects three transects.  Shay will have 3 in his notebook, Clay will have 3 different transects in his notebook, John will have 3 different transects in his notebook, Sara will have 3 different transects in her notebook."  "Let me clarify 'on your own." It is good to have two people present for trouble shooting, but only 1 collects data.  Can have both partners collect but each partner would have to collect for the entire time." 

Fennell demonstrates how to transfer insects from net to jar.  "Hold the net up with tweezers so that wasps don't sting you.  Turn the jar upside down and insects will climb to the top.  Then quickly put the lid on.  Some insects are tougher than others and will start eating the dead ones.  If you have an extra jar, you can move the live insects with tweezers into the second jar.  Make sure everything is labeled because record-keeping is very important." 

Fennell holds up a collection and points to the mothballs pinned in the box.  "Moth balls are insect repellant to keep insects out of your collection.  This doesn't work for ants.  Pin the mothballs in the corner of the box or crush and put in an envelope.  This works better.  But, definitely pin the balls if you don't crush them."

Student: "How do you keep the insects for so long?"

Fennell: "They dry out."

"Keep track of your transects.  At least 1 group member needs to have an aerial photo with transects clearly labeled."  Fennell repeats, "Keep track of your transects.  At least 1 group member needs to have an aerial photo with transects clearly labeled."

"Ant mounds Ð don't try to collect all the ants in a mound.  Make a visual estimate of the number and collect a few samples.  You can also measure the diameter of mounds."

"As we are collecting data, don't damage the net, vegetation or study area.  If you turn a log over, put them back.  Study, don't destroy."

Student: "I don't get the sweep method."

Fennell demonstrates how to sweep with a net.  "Don't drag the net on the ground.

"Collecting is easy. This is the time-consuming part - identifying things to order and morphospecies.  You're at home or here on a project day and have 10-15 jars per transect.  How do you identify the insects you've collected?  The afternoon workshops on Thursday and Monday are on this.  Be sure to bring your [dichotomous] key with you.  It's a dichotomous key.  Following a series of steps you will classify to order.  Use a pie tin or box to dump all your insects in."

Student: "Dump one jar at a time?"

Fennell: "Yes."  Fennell puts on an overhead with a picture of insects in the order hymenoptera. "Group them to species based on physical characteristics.  How many species are there on the overhead?"

Students: "4"

Fennell: "Yes"  Fennell puts on another overhead with group data.  "The first time you find it, make a type specimen.  The person who finds it makes a description in their notebook."

An announcement about the World Trade Center disaster interrupts class.  The announcement states that there has been an accident and teachers may want to turn on their televisions for news.

Fennell: "Bad news, but we must go on.  The second time that you find a species, you don't need to pin it, but record the number found.  At the end of the project, you will have a reference collection and bags of insects labeled with transect and section.  NEVER throw insects away.  You can keep in the freezer here."

The students had several questions about morphospecies.  Students do not have to identify the species by Latin name, just class the insects themselves once they've determined the order.

Fennell: "This is what the data looks like when it is written up."  Fennell refers to the overhead. "If you find something your partner has, you write 'see partner's notebook.'" He points to the following text on the overhead:

1MSB: See partner's notebook

MSB stands for morphospecies B so this data means they found 1 morphospecies B insect on that section of the transect.

Fennell: "If it's blank, you've already described it in your notebook.  Each order starts with morphospecies A.  There is a two-part reference system: Order and morphospecies.

The bell rings and Fennell Turns on the TV for students to watch between classes.