Conclusion:

I have given you quite a bit of information.  Take time to read through it carefully.  It should answer most, if not all, of your questions.  Don’t panic, this project should be both informative and fun.

Do not leave the collection until the last minute.  Fifty different insect/arthropod examples are not hard to find if you take the time to find them, but might be next to impossible if you leave them to the last possible day.  Remember, the photos MUST be clear enough that I can ID the insects when I grade your project.  This may require you to take numerous photographs of an individual insect before you get one/s clear enough to submit.

The highest marks will be awarded to collections with high variety.  Try and collect as many insects in as many different orders as possible.  If you only submit photos of beetles, you will not do as well as another student who has submitted photos of a variety of insect species from six or seven orders.

For the summer, focus on getting good photographs.  Identifying the insects can be done during the class semester.  If you key out 5-10 insects a week (think of it as lab time) you’ll have your collection ready to be submitted by the due date.