Introduction to Medical Entomology Hanover College, Health Sciences Summer Academy June 12, 2018 Agenda
Introductions Learn about entomology
Explore medical entomology Learn how biologists trap and identify disease vectors
What is Entomology? Relative species diversity How many species of vertebrates are
there on Earth? How many species of mammal are there on Earth?
How many species of insects are there on Earth? Beetles: >350,000 species Moths, butterflies: 180,000
species Flies: >150,000 species Wasps, bees, ants: >130,000 In the Brazilian
Amazon rain forest, the dry weight of all the ants is approximately four times that of all the land vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, and
Are any insects beneficial or useful to humans? Apis mellifera, the honeybee
Bombyx mori, the silkworm Kerria lacca, the Shellac Bug Coccus cacti
Lucilia sericata, the green bottle fly The Egyptia
n scarab How many insects are harmful to humans? Medical Entomology Todays medically important
arthropods Ticks Mites
Fleas Lice
True Bugs Flies
Arthropods: Arachnids vs. insects Todays medically important arthropods Tick
Common Indiana ticks American dog tick Lonestar tick Deer tick
La Chupacabra! Mites: Scabies mites Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis
Mites: Chiggers Trombicula alfreddugesi Demodex mites Fleas
Pulex irritans The Plague or Black Death 75-200 million deaths Human body louse
Pediculus humanus humanus Got crabs? Pthirus pubis Louse evolution True bugs
Triatoma, Kissing bug Cimex lectularius, Bed bug Flies
Mouthparts Labellum closeup Pseudotracheae A different modification
Mosquitoes 3200 species Worldwide 174 species in North America
59 in Indiana o 12-15 are medically significant Culex pipiens Mosquitoes suck! Mosquitoes are vectors
of disease Malaria Plasmodium Dengue Virus
Yellow fever Virus Chikungunya Virus
West Nile Virus Virus Zika Virus Virus
Myiasis Bot fly Elephantiasis Filariasis worm
Diseases documented in Indiana Chikungunya (Aedes)
Dengue fever (Aedes aegypti, major; Ae. albopictus, minor) West Nile Virus
(Culex pipiens) Zika Virus (Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus)
What courses should you take? Introductory Biology
Genetics Cell Biology
Immunology Ecology
Molecular Biology Entomology
Chemistry Environmental Science
Evolutionary Biology o Introductory Chemistry o Organic Chemistry o Biochemistry
Related careers Epidemiologist
Medical Entomologist o United States Army o United States Air Force o United States Navy Entomologist (Private Sector)
Entomologist (Academia) Lab Technician/Research Scientist
Molecular Biologist Pest Management and Control
Questions?
