Insects: Creatures that Run the World

(SCI 30)

Insects are the small things that run the world, shaping the diversity of organisms found in many locations, argues E.O. Wilson. We will explore the amazing diversity of insect lifestyles. What adaptations allow them to inhabit otherwise inhospitable environments? What causes immense insect outbreaks? What are some of their unique and peculiar modes of reproduction? How do they “run the world”? Whether you have a fascination with insects, or your view is “know thy enemy,” the course will give you a better understanding of these organisms that comprise more than half of the identified species on earth, and perhaps an appreciation for their unexpected beauty.

This course will also include an optional field trip to Jasper Ridge, weather permitting.

Carol Boggs, Professor (Teaching), Biology & Bing Director, Program in Human Biology

Carol Boggs received a PhD in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin. She was formerly Director of Stanford’s Center for Conservation Biology. Her fieldwork sites have included the far north, the tropics, the Colorado mountains, and California. Except for a year studying birds, her work has focused on butterflies as an insect model system. Her broader teaching and research interests are in ecology and evolution, including conservation and invasion biology.