The Scientific Method in Action

Today I want to focus on the scientific method in action! Below are links to 4 short video clips of life as a field biologist hunting caterpillars.

View Ms. Turner's two short video clips about how we conducted our field work. Look for me in the white baseball hat! :) Video under Thursday's entry "Field Work".

Her blog is: www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/Turner

View Mr. Nieveen's video clip about fighting our way into the forest. View under Wednesday's entry "Life as a Field Biologist".

His blog is: http://www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/Nieveen/

Lastly, view Mrs. Moore's video clip about using deductive reasoning to figure out the identification of a caterpillar. View under Monday's entry "Identifying a Caterpillar".

Her blog is: www.earthwatch2.org/LFF/Moore

After viewing the video clips, please post your comments about what you think would be the most interesting part of being a field biologist. What do you think would be the most challenging part of the job? Does a career as a scientist interest you? Why or why not?

I really look forward to reading your comments. I have a completely new perspective of scientific research that I look forward to sharing with you when I return (I have lots of other pics and video clips to show you). Until then, be good! Miss you!

More interesting pics just for fun...

Pic 1: Wonder who's living in there...

Pic 2: Ibis (wading bird)

Pic 3: Jumbo shrimp, Forest!

Pic 4: Golden Orbb Weaver

Pic 5: Cute Squirrel

Pic 6: Lubber Grasshopper (huge!)

Pic 7: Fire Ants (ouch!)

Pic 8:

New funky diseases for Pathology

Two new crazy diseases for you to try to diagnosis...both diseases involve an insect who has been infected with some type of pathogen. Please try to ID the different pathogens. Top picture is specimen A, bottom picture is specimen B. If you remember Planet Earth, you may have seen one of these before!

ALLIGATOR!

Today I saw my first alligator!!! It was about 4 ft long.

Biology students - your assignment is to figure out what species of alligator I most likely saw. Good Luck! :)

Caterpillar Diversity

I wanted to share a few pictures of the caterpillars we have collected thus far on our expedition. In order, they are:

1. Gulf Fritillary - intense black spikes, only eats passion vine, and turns into a reddish-orange butterfly with black markings

2. Bean Leaf Roller Skipper - eats beans and peas, turns into a greenish-blue moth with long bottom wings

3. Io Moth - stinging! (feels like a nettle sting but lasts longer), turns into a yellow and red "furry" moth, eats many things (called a generalist - eats birch, cherry, clover, oak, grasses, etc.)

4. Fall Webworm - another generalist (eats over 400 species of plants), called the "parasitoid hotel" because it is the host for over 50 species of parasitic flies and wasps, turns into a white moth

5. Saddleback Slug Caterpillar - stinging! most potent sting of all North American caterpillars, has spines like a porcupine, very large in size, another generalist (eats apples, corn, grass, maple, oak, blueberries, etc), turns into a brown and tan fat "hairy" moth

Biology students, do you think the caterpillars in the Berkshires are more or less diverse than in Louisiana? How about in Ecuador?

TOP: Our team before heading out to the field.

BOTTOM: Our diverse collection of caterpillars in our lab's rearing "zoo".

Pathology Question #2 - What is the difference between a parasite and a parasitoid?

Does this caterpillar have parasites or parasitoids?

Before we get into lots of detail about the caterpillar research we are doing in LA, I want to make sure you know the difference between a parasite and a parasitoid. Come up with as many similarities and differences as you can. Perhaps you may choose to pool your research and send in one class answer. Either way, the differences between the two are really important to understand so start researching and brainstorming!

Pathology Question #1 - What disease might Ms. U have when she returns to MA?

What is this object? Why was I told to immediately wash my hands after picking up this object in the forest?