Entomology This could possibly be the best class ever. It's taught by this man, who just so happens to be a bug genius. It's a small class, and all of the students in it are either seniors or grad students, which is really nice. 20% of our grade is based upon our INSECT COLLECTION! Yes, our insect collection. Throughout the semester we have to catch our own insects, kill them, and pin them. What could be better than a class where you get to go catch bugs? We were all given a big old bug net, a killing jar, this block of wood to spread our butterflies and moths on, an aspirator, and a bug box to pin them in. !!! I really am so excited for this class, now if I only had time to actually go catch bugs.
A killing jar? Yes, a killing jar. Pretty much a jar with plaster of paris and ethyl acetate in the bottom. Right after class on Tuesday, Kory and I found this awesome bug crawling on my windshield, so we pulled over and stuck him in the jar. And we waited, and waited, and waited, and the bug just was not dying! Two days passed, and by my next class he still was not dead. My killing jar was not working! Once I got to class, some of the other girls were in the hallway catching flies with their hands, and they said their killing jars weren't killing either. I was scared to catch more bugs because I figured they would just eat each other up being in the jar all together. But these girls obviously didn't care. They had beetles, moths, flies, and some other bugs all running around in their jars. We talked to my professor, and were informed that the jars didn't have any ethyl acetate in them yet, and that we had to go out and buy some. WELL, that isn't what our TA had told us, but it was pretty funny anyway.
So I had this poor bug in my jar, and I had no clue what he was when I caught him. I looked him up online and found a picture of him, and he is only the larva of a ladybird beetle (ladybug.) I was hoping he would be some exotic insect that no one had discovered yet, but no, he's one of the best known bugs ever. After I found out that my killing jar wasn't working yet, I decided to let him go, but he wouldn't leave! He was stuck on the side of the jar and was not letting go! I just stuck the jar back in my bag, and when I pulled it out the next day there was a surprise. My ladybird larva was now a PUPA! He was becoming an adult beetle in my KILLING JAR! That's the exact opposite of what he was supposed to be doing! So when he emerges, I'm just going to let him go because I feel bad for the little guy.
Oh yes, and the scary aspirator. Pretty much a vial with two tubes coming out of it. You put one tube by the bug, and you use the other tube to suck the bugs into the jar (with your mouth!!) My TA promised that there is no way you can suck the bugs into your mouth, but I just don't know if I can trust her anymore since she lied about our killing jars! And notice on that link that it says, "An in-line air filter which prevents virtually all particles from reaching your mouth." Yeah, except for those hair-thin insect legs!
Since I linked to my entomology teacher's page, I want to link to my cell bio teacher's page, and my organic chemistry teacher's page, because they are geniuses as well. I can't link to my crazy calculus teacher's page, because he doesn't have one! Imagine that.
