Current Courses
I privately tutor and provide homeschool support to students virtually and in person in grades k-12 in: math, the sciences, English, and fine art. If you are interested in private tutoring for one or more child at a time please contact me for rates, curriculum info, and availability.
Past Course Offerings
I teach a variety of courses in aquatic ecosystems as they relate to vector biology through the Office of Continuing Professional Education at Rutgers University. New Jersey serves as a unique locale for learning mosquito taxonomy and ecology because its varied physiography and geology has created wide array of habitats supporting a diversity of species from Anopheles bradleyi found within the coastal plains of the southeastern USA to Aedes communis found along the high elevation snow pools of the Adirondack mountains. The state’s extensive highway system and proximity to major ports also makes it a prime target for introduction of invasive species. These factors have made NJ the most mosquito species diverse state in the northeast with 63 endemic and invasive overwintering species, plus Aedes aegypti which has been found in NJ, but not known to overwinter in the state, bringing the total to 64 mosquito species.
Mosquito control professionals who wish to become certified by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station in Mosquito Identification, Biology, and Habitat Recognition will need to satisfactorily complete all three of the subject area courses listed below and pass a certification examination with a grade of 90% or higher. This exam certifies individuals to identify adult mosquitoes for light trap and vector surveillance analysis and to identify larvae for mosquito surveillance, while confirming a broad knowledge of mosquito biology, control, and ecology. After fulfilling all certification requirements your name will be added to the list of Certified Mosquito Identification and Habitat Recognition Specialists.
Mosquito Biology and Control – A classroom-based active learning experience which begins with an introduction to the basics of mosquito structure and function. The course will then cover in depth life histories of each Northeast mosquito species from larva to adult including: vector biology, invasive status, habitat preference and related morphological adaptations, seasonal and regional distribution, egg physiology, and species sympatric in the larval habitat. Students are then immersed in learning methods of mosquito surveillance and control, insecticide resistance management, and state and federal statutes governing mosquito control. The course builds on itself culminating in interactive case study scenarios which give students the opportunity to practice their skills as mosquito control professionals and scientists.
Mosquito Habitat Recognition – A field-based course where students receive hands on experience conducting mosquito surveillance and classifying different habits throughout NJ’s five physiographic provinces. Students apply the knowledge gained from the Mosquito Biology and Control course to mosquitoes in a field setting, including how to associate different mosquito species with each other, as well as with specific geology, physiography, and land use patterns. Because most NJ counties reside within one physiographic province this is an opportunity for mosquito control professionals to learn about the complex species composition and habitats of NJ and how each county fits into the larger picture of mosquito control in NJ and the Northeast in general. Students also learn and receive practice in techniques of mosquito collection, cursory field identifications, lab sorting of specimens, rearing of larvae to adult mosquitoes for pinning, preservation, and curation. Concurrently students collect specimens of their own on these field trips to build their own reference collection of larval and adult mosquito species.
Mosquito Identification – A laboratory-based course which begins with an introduction to the basics of microscopy, dichotomous keys, and insect morphology; and then immerses students in larval and adult mosquito identification. Students test their skills each class in an active learning environment while identifying unknown specimens. Students also have the opportunity to ask questions as they practice their skills and work with the teacher to learn how to interpret couplets of the dichotomous keys, and how to position specimens and manipulate light sources to visualize key characters of different species. Students learn how to identify all 64 different mosquito species present in NJ, which account for over 85% of the mosquito species found in the Northeast.
At the end of all three courses, students will be able to predict mosquito species likely to occur in a given habitat, make cursory field identifications of specimens, confirm the identify of specimens in the lab, and differentiate nuisance and disease vectoring species from harmless or beneficial species. Correct identification will in turn improve effective mosquito control decisions that conserve both human and environmental health.
Integrated Mosquito Management – Courses in integrated mosquito management, a conservation-based approach to mosquito control, are offered at various times for private and public applicators needing continuing education to maintain their NJDEP Pesticide Applicator Licenses. Courses are designed with input from county health departments to address training needs and emerging concerns in mosquito control.
Diana Carle, PhD 