AGLL 2703 - Horticultural Entomology: Landscape Plants

In AGLL 2703 (Horticultural Entomology: Landscape Plants) the focus is on insects and mites associated with shade trees, shrubs, turfgrass and other ornamental landscape plants. For all key pest groups students will learn to identify the insects and their associated injury so they can assess damage potential in field situations. Students will understand best management practices for these pests and learn how to locate available resources that can assist in handling specific pest problems. This will be done through a combination of activities that include online lectures with associated discussion, development of student projects, and shared resources.

The focus of this course is on insects and mites associated with shade trees, shrubs, turfgrass and other ornamental landscape plants. For all key pest groups students will learn to identify the insects and their associated injury so they can assess damage potential in field situations. Students will understand best management practices for these pests and learn how to locate available resources that can assist in handling specific pest problems. This will be done through a combination of activities that include online lectures with associated discussion, development of student projects, and shared resources.

This is a four-week asynchronous course. There is no official meeting time and during the week students are able to set their own schedule of class participation. All lectures, quizzes, recommended readings, and weekly project assignments will be released at the beginning of this course. Due dates of assignments will be staggered with all to be completed by the end of this course.

Topics to be presented in five main sections:

• Section One: Insects that chew on leaves of trees, shrubs and ornamental plants (caterpillars, beetles, sawflies)
• Section Two: Leafminers, insects in tips/terminals, bark beetles
• Section Three: Bark beetles, wood borers, gall makers
• Section Four: Sucking insects and mites (aphids, scale insects, plant bugs, spider mites)
• Section Five: Turfgrass insects

Additional courses in this series are AGLL 2701 (Horticultural Entomology Introduction) and AGLL 2702 (Horticultural Entomology: Food Crops), which are offered sequentially. AGLL 2701 or an instructor override, is required to enroll in either AGLL 2702 and/or AGLL 2703.