University of Florida/IFAS
Entomology and Nematology News Release


Florida Bug Club Web Site

Are you students or children interested in creepy, crawly things? The UF/IFAS Entomology and and Nematology Department Outreach Committee has a new Florida Bug Club Web site at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/bug_club/.

The site offers a vast assortment of resources for teachers and students. Some of the major sections include ID Keys; photographic Insect Locator Maps; Insect Curricula for teachers; 4-H Resources; downloadable games; 100 Common Florida Insects; online Quizzes, Puzzles and Games; resources at other institutions; and far too much more to list here. We hope that this will become one of the major entomological resources for 4-H leaders and members, as well as for elementary and middle school students and teachers in Florida, if not the U.S.A.

One of the major sections deals with the department's outreach activities, including school visits and tours. This is where 4-H groups, school teachers and home-schoolers can plan departmental educational assistance and then request that assistance.

Two exciting sections deal with nationally recognized 4-H resources: the ABCs of Entomology and Project Butterfly Wings. The latter is an online site developed in cooperation with the Florida Museum of Natural History, National 4-H, our department and the National Science Foundation. Participating 4-H youth are "citizen scientists" who collect data on butterflies to help professional scientists determine 1) the presence or absence of specific butterfly species, and 2) the abundance of butterfly species by state and county throughout the country. The information helps butterfly scientists better understand and conserve butterfly populations.

The ABCs of Entomology was initially developed to meet the Florida FCAT standards and is therefore a valuable resource for Florida's teachers. The CD-ROM is available through the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore for only $15.

Other sections cover not only how to prepare an insect collection, but how to submit the collection through your local county 4-H chapter to the state 4-H Congress held at the University of Florida every year. Winners from every county competition will be judged at the state Congress to pick the state winners. Prizes will be awarded.