Where can homeschoolers go for FREE arthropod materials? 

The University of Florida's Entomology and Nematology department has a Florida Bug Club Web site that offers information on all aspects of insects and other arthropods: including interactive screens showing arthropod habitats, collection advice, hundreds of photographs, and access to many free lesson plans from the University of Florida and other universities or educational agencies across the country.  The site also includes an Outreach page where groups or schools can schedule visits and tours of the department, or our arthropod "petting zoo" can come to you. Some restrictions apply, such as distance and conflicts with university finals or semester breaks.

Please visit the site at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/bug_club/

In addition, our Featured Creatures Web site is used by students, homeschoolers, teachers, librarians and scientists as a major resource on many creepy crawlies. Written in plain text, with explanations of terms not  found in dictionaries, the site has hundreds of full color images on most life stages of  many species or groups, with new articles added all the time. Sections on distribution, economic importance, hosts and damage are included were necessary. This popular site records over 5.5 million page views a year.

Please visit http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/

Our departmental site provides access to hundreds of FREE online publications, as well as Web sites developed on many different topics, such as ornanmental pests and beneficials, singing insects, insect records (biggest, fastest, heaviest, shortest lived, etc.) and more.  Information on numerous college tracks (professional, pest control, eco-tourism, etc.)  as well as distance education courses is offered.

Please visit http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/

Looking for information on ticks, spiders, mosquitoes, and other biting and stinging arthropods, and any diseases they may vector? See the online copy of the USDA's Public-Health Pesticide Applicator Training manual at

http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/vector/

and print off the HTML copies  or download the PDF copies of each chapter.

Each chapter also has links to various U.S. government or university sites that provide still more information.

The manual was developed with assistance from four major U.S. government agencies and sixteen state universities.