ENT 304: Industrial Entomology
Credit Hours: 2 (1+1)
Full Marks: 50 (Theory: 25, Practical: 25)
Course Objectives
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Understand beneficial insects including honey bees, silkworms, lac insects, biocontrol agents, and crop pollinators.
- Comprehend commercialization, rearing, management, and industrial applications of beneficial insects.
- Appreciate the role of insects in food, medicine, aesthetics, and as eco-environmental indicators.
I. Syllabus Overview
- Beneficial insects for food, medicine, aesthetics, and environmental monitoring.
- Apiculture (honey bees), sericulture (silkworms), lac culture.
- Biological control agents, crop pollinators, scavengers, and eco-environmental indicators.
II. Course Outline
A. Lecture (15 Lectures)
| S.N. | Topic | No. of Lectures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction: significance, history, scope | 1 |
| 2 | Beneficial insects: role in food, medicine, aesthetics, environmental indicators | 1 |
| 3 | Apiculture: definition, history, scope, prospects | 1 |
| 4 | Major honey bee species: exotic and indigenous | 1 |
| 5 | Morphological specialties: mouthparts, legs, etc. | 1 |
| 6 | Honey bee castes, biology, and behavior | 1 |
| 7 | Beekeeping technology: artificial feeding, queen management | 1 |
| 8 | Honey bee problems: pests, diseases, pesticide poisoning | 1 |
| 9 | Sericulture: definition, history, scope, prospects | 1 |
| 10 | Silkworm rearing technology, harvesting, processing | 1 |
| 11 | Silkworm diseases and management | 1 |
| 12 | Industrial aspects of lac insects | 1 |
| 13 | Prospects of biological control agents | 1 |
| 14 | Industrial aspects of crop pollinators | 1 |
| 15 | Prospects on scavengers and environmental indicators | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
B. Practical (15 Practicals)
| S.N. | Topic | No. of Practicals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Study of insect products | 1 |
| 2 | Study of life cycles of honey bees | 1 |
| 3 | Bee hives and tools/equipment used in beekeeping | 1 |
| 4 | Preparation of artificial feeds for different seasons | 1 |
| 5 | Queen preparation, dequeening and requeening techniques | 1 |
| 6 | Bee colony transfer and live hive transportation | 1 |
| 7 | Identification of bee flora: nectar, pollen, propolis sources | 1 |
| 8 | Honey harvesting, processing, and storage | 1 |
| 9 | Beekeeping records and inventory | 1 |
| 10 | Silkworm life stages and feeding | 1 |
| 11 | Humidity, temperature, and disease management in silkworm rearing | 1 |
| 12 | Laboratory rearing of bio-control agents: parasitoids | 1 |
| 13 | Collection and identification of major pollinators | 1 |
| 14 | Practical learning in scavengers | 1 |
| 15 | Practical learning in environmental indicators | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
References
- Dhaliwal, G.S. & Singh, B. (2000). Pesticides and Environment. Commonwealth Publishers, New Delhi, India.
- Gautam, R.D. (2008). Biological Pest Suppression. Westville Publishing House, New Delhi, India.
- Naim, M. (1993). Beekeeping: Pleasure and Profit. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, India.
- Pratap, U. (1997). Bee Flora of Hindu Kush Himalayas: Inventory and Management. ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Shukla, A.N. (2000). Beekeeping Trainers Resource Book (in Nepali). ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal.
