FRS 002O — Sec. 001 — (2 unit) — CRN 55915 — M 7:10-9:00pm — 2320 Storer
Butterflies Demystified

Instructor: Arthur Shapiro, Department of Evolution & Ecology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Description: Butterflies are the most charismatic of insects, figuring prominently in art and mythology. Most people romanticize them, but few know much about them. In this course we will find out what scientists have learned about the biology of butterflies, with an emphasis on the Northern California fauna. Students will get hands-on experience and have a chance to observe live butterflies in their natural environments. Every participant will research a topic, write a paper and give an oral presentation. Copies of the paper will be provided to all participants.

Format: We will have an organizational meeting, skip a week while people do some preliminary reading, and then have 8 2-hour meetings each of which will include some lecture, a student presentation, and discussion. There is no textbook, but readings will be provided or suggested, and they will include selections from a book the Instructor is writing. There will be 3 1-day field trips on weekends; participation in at least one is mandatory. They will be to the Coast Range, the American River Parkway, and/or the West and East slopes of the Sierra Nevada, depending on the weather of the year. (Students will carpool in their own vehicles). Grading: Grading criteria will be: Oral presentation: 1/3; Paper: 1/3; and Class participation: 1/3.

About the Instructor: Professor Arthur M. Shapiro has been at UCD for 33 years. He is the author of some 275 scientific publications on butterfly ecology, evolution, behavior, genetics and biogeography and works in the Andes and Patagonia as well as in California. He has taught a similar course for U.C. Extension and is currently writing a book on California butterflies for U.C. Press.