Entomology - MB170P200

• Title: Entomology
• Czech title: Entomologie
• Guaranteed by: Department of Zoology (31-170)
• Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Actual: from 2025
• Semester: summer
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:3/2, C+Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 15
• Min. number of students: 5
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Explanation: nahrazuje MB170P20 If there will be less then 5 students enrolled, the course will be taught in form of regular consultations.
• Note: enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Mgr. Petr Janšta, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Petr Janšta, Ph.D.; doc. RNDr. Jakub Prokop, Ph.D.
• Incompatibility : MB170P20

Annotation

English

The course provide an overview of all insect orders, their evolution, life-histories, biogeography and systematics. It focuses on morphological, ecological and ethological characterization of each group. Special emphasis is given to central European taxa including characters how to indentify them. Hand-on lab sessions are dedicated to topics/taxa covered in the preceding theoretical lectures, again mostly focused on central European fauna. One or two hands-on lab will be dedicated to collecting methods, mounting methods and how to build the collection.
The course is given in English, in case of absence non-native speakers, the course might be taught in Czech. If there will be less then 5 students enrolled, the course will be taught in form of regular consultations.

Last update: Janšta Petr, Mgr., Ph.D. (30.07.2025)

Literature

English

BORROR D. J. TRIPLEHORN C. A. & JOHNSON N. F. 1989: An introduction to the study of Insects. Sixth edition. Philadelphia, Ft. Worth, Chicago, San Francisco, Montreal, Toronto, London, Sydney, Tokyo: Saunders College Publishing, xiv+875 pp.

BUCHAR J., DUCHÁČ V., HŮRKA K. & LELLÁK J. 1995: Klíč k určování bezobratlých [Key to indentification of invertebrates]. Praha: Scientia, 285 pp.

CSIRO (eds): The Insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Second edition. Volume 1 +2. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, 1137 pp.

GRIMALDI D.A. & ENGEL M.S. 2005. Evolution of the insects. Cambridge University Press: xv + 755 pp.

GULAN P. J. & CRANSTON P. S. 1994: The insects: an outline of entomology. 4th edition. London, Weinheim, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne Madras: Chapman & Hall, xiv+491 pp.

HŮRKA K.& ČEPICKÁ A. 1978: Rozmnožování a vývoj hmyzu. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 223 pp.

Last update: Peterková Jindřiška, Ing. (29.04.2025)

Course assessment methods and requirements for successful completion, grading scheme

The requirements:

Credit: active participation in the laboratory practices with 80% attendance

Exam: oral examcomprises two parts:

1) Identification and characterization of taxa covered in hands-on lab sessions (10 randomly selected taxa).

2) general topics (questions based on identified taxa)

Last update: Janšta Petr, Mgr., Ph.D. (30.07.2025)

Syllabus

English

Ontogeny of insects, types of larvae, pupae, introduction to the insect descriptive morphology.

Phylogeny, relationships and higher classification of higher Hexapoda and Insecta taxa.

Hexapoda, Parainsecta (= Ellipura), Protura, Collembola, Diplura (Campodeina, Japygina)

Insecta, Monocondylia, Archaeognatha, Dicondylia, Zygentoma (Thysanura)

Pterygota, Palaeoptera, Hemimetabola, Ephemeroptera, Odonata

Neoptera, Plecoptera, Dermaptera, Zoraptera

Blattopteroidní komplex, Isoptera, Blattoptera, Mantodea

Orthopteroidní komplex, Orthroptera (Caelifera, Ensifera), Phasmatodea, Embioptera, Grylloblattodea, Mantophasmatodea

Paraneoptera (Acercaria), Psocodea, Psocoptera, Phthiraptera, Amblycera, Ischnocera, Anoplura, Rhynchphthirina

Condylognatha, Thysanoptera, Hemipteroidní komplex, Coleorrhyncha, Heteroptera, Archaeorrhyncha, Clypeorrhyncha (Auchenorrhyncha), Sternorrhyncha

Oligoneoptera (= Holometabola)

Neuropteroidní komplex, Neuroptera, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera

Coleoptera

Hymenoptera

Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, Mecoptera, Siphonaptera, Diptera, Strepsiptera

Last update: Peterková Jindřiška, Ing. (29.04.2025)

Czech

Entomology (MB170P200) LS 2025/26, Mgr. Petr Janšta, Ph.D and Doc. Jakub Prokop, Ph.D.

Every Monday: 9:00 am – 11:15 am (lecture), 11:30 am – 1:00 pm (hands-on session). Room B121, Viničná 7, 1st floor. Total of 11 lectures and hands-on sessions.

Feb 16: Morphology and ontogeny. Phylogeny and classification of Hexapoda: Entognatha, Protura, Collembola, Diplura, Insecta s. str., Archaeognatha, Zygentoma (Prokop)

Feb 23: Polyneoptera – Orthopteroid complex: Orthoptera, Grylloblattodea, Phasmatodea, Embioptera, Mantophasmatodea. Paraneoptera: Psocodea, Psocoptera, possibly also Amblycera, Ischnocera, Rhynchophthirina, Anoplura (Janšta)

Mar 2: Larvae and pupae overview; Pterygota, Palaeoptera, Ephemeroptera, Odonata (Prokop)

Mar 9: Pterygota – classification, Neoptera, Polyneoptera (part): Plecoptera, Dermaptera, Zoraptera. Dictyoptera (Blattopteroid complex): Blattodea, Mantodea (Prokop)

Mar 16: Psocodea (continued) – Amblycera, Ischnocera, Rhynchophthirina, Anoplura. Condylognatha: Thysanoptera, Hemipteroid complex, Coleorrhyncha, Heteroptera (Janšta)

Mar 23: Hemipteroid complex (continued) – Auchenorrhyncha, Sternorrhyncha (Janšta)

Mar 30: Holometabola: Hymenoptera, Strepsiptera, Mecoptera (incl. Siphonaptera), Diptera – part (Janšta)

Apr 6: Easter Monday (Public holiday – No lecture)

Apr 13: Neuropteroid complex: Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Raphidioptera. Coleoptera – part (Prokop)

Apr 20: Coleoptera (continued) + insect fossils (Prokop). Insect preparation, collection building and curating (Janšta)

Apr 27: Diptera – part, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera (Janšta)

May 4: Insect preparation, collection building and curating, identification (Janšta)

Last update: Janšta Petr, Mgr., Ph.D. (23.02.2026)

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, the student:

• Identifies types of ontogenesis (hemimetaboly, holometaboly) and determines morphological types of larvae and pupae in specific insect representatives.

• Describes insect body structure based on comparative morphology and explains evolutionary modifications of mouthparts, wings, and legs across various Hexapoda lineages.

• Classifies unknown specimens into orders and higher taxonomic levels (e.g., Polyneoptera, Paraneoptera, Holometabola) based on personal observation of diagnostic characters.

• Characterizes the morphology and biology of all Hexapoda orders (from basal Protura to derived Diptera) and defines their position within the phylogenetic system.

• Distinguishes diagnostic characters within complex groups, such as the Blattopteroid, Orthopteroid (including Caelifera and Ensifera), or Hemipteroid complexes.

• Interprets phylogenetic relationships within Hexapoda and defines key apomorphies for major lineages (e.g., Dicondylia, Pterygota, Neoptera).

• Evaluates the evolutionary and biological significance of specific adaptations, such as the origin of wings, social life in Isoptera, or parasitism in Phthiraptera and Siphonaptera.

• Constructs a phylogenetic scheme of relationships between Holometabola complexes (e.g., Neuropteroid complex, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Panorpida) and defends this arrangement based on morphological data.

Last update: Janšta Petr, Mgr., Ph.D. (30.01.2026)