Insect Collection

A part of the second year curriculum at Olds College is to create an insect collection. This is an extensive project that involved collecting insects throughout the summer. Once collected, the insects must be stored carefully until pinned. During the first semester of the year we were able to take those insects and identify them. This project complemented our entomology lectures. Our instructor, Ken Fry, taught our class the key pests that we will encounter in Canada. Along with this we focused on integrated pest management and effective strategies for managing pest problems on the golf course.

The majority of my insects were collected in Saskatoon, SK. They were caught either at home, at  Greenbryre Golf & Country Club where I was employed, or at the University of Saskatchewan. One insect, the hornworm, was caught in Calgary by Daniel Davis. This project gave us a better understanding of those insects in our environment. Not all insects are pests, in fact very few are. It is important to remember that the whole ecosystem is connected. This collection demonstrates the diversity found in our very own back yards. The following picture is the completed collection and after there is a list of each bug with common and family names.

Phylum Odonata
1. Common Skimmer - Libellulidae
2. Darner - Aeshnidae
3. Darner - Aeshnidae
4. Narrow-Winged Damsalfly - Coenagrionidae

Phylum Orthoptera
1. Shorthorned Grasshopper - Acrididae
2. Shorthorned Grasshopper - Acrididae

Phylum Hemiptera
1. Assassin Bug - Reduviidae
2. Leafhopper - Cicadellidae
3. Leafhopper - Cicadellidae
4. Lacebug - Tingidae
5. Spittlebug - Cercopidae
6. Stinkbug - Pentatomidae

Phylum  Neuroptera
1. Green Lacewing - Chrysopidae

Phylum Coleoptera
1. Leaf Beetle - Chrysomelidae
2. Leaf Beetle - Chrysomelidae
3. Predaceous Diving Beetle - Dytiscidae
4. Sap-Feeding Beetle - Nitidulidae

Phylum Diptera
1. Blow Fly - Calliphoridae
2. Blow Fly - Calliphoridae
3. Flower Fly - Syrphidae
4. Marsh Fly - Sciomyzidae

Phylum Lepidoptera
1. Brush Footed Butterfly - Nymphalidae
2. Hornworm - Sphingidae

Phylum Hymenoptera
1. Honey Bee - Apidae
2. Ant - Formicidae
3. Ant - Formicidae
4. Braconid Wasp - Braconidae
5. Honey Bee - Apidae
6. Leafcutting Bee - Megachilidae
7. True Wasp - Vespidae