Syllabus
1. Introduction Short survey of history, association with other disciplines. Evolutionary-phylogenetical approach. Homology, homocracy and evo-devo
2. Classification and phylogeny of insects
3. Comparative and functional morphology Morphology, and its kinds; anatomy. Morpho-anatomical terminology. Life forms.
4. Exoskeleton and endoskeleton. Epidermis and cuticle structure, oenocytes. Macrotrichia and other similar structures. General structure of sensillum. Coloration of insects and its function.
5. Basic architecture of insect body Segmentation, parasegmentation, myosegmentation, tagmatization, and their evo-devo causality. Composition of generalized segmented limb and its evo-devo.
6. Fore part of insect body Head, antennae, gnathal organs, and their modifications, cervix.
7. Thorax Thorax in primarily apterous insects and in Pterygota. Legs, prolegs, and locomotion using limbs. Wings, their articulation, and ontogeny and phylogeny. Mechanism of flight. Secondary aptery and pterygopolymorphism.
8. Abdomen Abdomen. Male and female terminalia, primary and secondary copulatory organs of males, ovipositor in females. Problems with homology of terminalia.
9. Internal organs I Digestive tube and its modification. Excretory organs and excretion. Osmoregulatory organs and osmoregulation. Respiratory organs and respiration in terrestrial and water insects. Body cavity, fat body, vascular system and haemocytes, haemolymph circulation. Bioluminiscence organs.
10. Internal organs II Nervous and neuroendocrine systems. Sense organs - structure and function, compound and simple eyes, vision. Stridulatory organs and sound production. Ectodermal glands and their function.
11. Reproductive organs, insect reproduction and sexuality Male and female gonads and gonoducts. Sperm and egg. Transmission of sperm, insemination. Parthenogenesis and other aberrant modes of reproduction. Sex determination .
12. Embryogenesis and postembryonic development. Descriptive and causal embryology. Regulation and interpretation of metamorphosis. Moulting, pharate instars. Types of larvae. Heterochrony.
Annotation
Please note, the lectures are given in Czech language. English version of the course can be requested in advance if there are at least 3 students.
This course is concerned with basic principles of entomology. It summarizes the general knowledge of external and internal organization of insect body on different levels, macroscopical, microscopical and ultrastructural.
It provides understanding to functions of insect body, its reproduction, and embryonic and postembryonic development. Comparative and phylogenetic assessments are stressed.