Veterinary Entomology: It’s all Fun and Games Until Someone gets Lyme Disease is an overview of how insects affect animals across the world. The text is designed to give students new to entomology and those with extensive entomological experience an overview of the basics of entomology, and then detailed information on those insects and closely related arthropods that affect animals. The book includes the basics of insect anatomy and physiology, specific adaptations of insect pests, and an overview of vector borne disease epidemiology. It then gives a surface-level introduction to taxonomy and a brief overview of the extant insect orders. The last half of the book focuses on those insects and other arthropods that significantly affect animals through direct damage or vectoring of diseases.
The text relies on case studies and real-world examples to help students understand the distinct impact that insects have on animals. It is designed to cater to those students that will be working closely with animals in their future careers, including future vets, vet techs, animal care specialists, farmers and ranchers, animal production managers, and future researchers. The insects included are a result of a multi-year survey of animal care professionals and what insects they either encounter on a regular basis, or those insects and concepts they wished they had known before embarking on their schooling and careers. The text’s digital format allows for frequent updates as new information arises, including sections on new invasive species or new vector borne diseases as they are discovered.
Dr. Adrienne Brundage is an entomologist and board-certified forensic entomologist and expert witness in forensic entomology. She teaches entomology and forensics at Texas A&M University, University of Florida, and Florida State University, and consults with law enforcement and lawyers across North America. She is currently serving as the Assistant Director of the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program at TAMU and the President of the North American Forensic Entomology Association (NAFEA).
In addition to teaching traditional courses at universities and community colleges, Dr. Brundage trains law enforcement, lawyers, and crime scene investigators through continuing education workshops and online courses. She also serves on national committees that develop forensic science standards for the U.S. Her training to become a forensic entomologist included a broad background in the general forensic sciences, and this text is a direct result of the lack of appropriate and broadly based forensics books on the market during that training.
As an entomologist, Dr. Brundage works with animals and the insects that affect those animals, and works with vets and other animal care specialists on a regular basis. She has a robust undergraduate research program that helps students develop and carry out their own research projects in entomology. Her own research revolves around blowflies, the effect nutrition has on their physiological development, and the use of blowfly larvae as medical maggots. She currently teaches over 800 students per semester across seven different courses.
Adrienne was interviewed for the podcast, Can I Get a Retake? Listen below!
Chapter 1: Introduction to Entomology
Chapter 2: External and Internal Insect Anatomy
Chapter 3: Metamorphosis and Development
Chapter 4: Insect Systematics
Chapter 5: Arthropod Related Problems
Chapter 6: Morphological Adaptations of Veterinary Pests
Chapter 7: Vector-Borne Disease Epidemiology
Chapter 8: Phthiraptera (Lice)
Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Diptera (Flies) General Introduction
Chapter 11: Culicidae (Mosquitoes)
Chapter 12: Calliphoridae
Chapter 13: Muscidae and Sarcophagidae
Chapter 14: Oestridae
Chapter 15: Myiasis
Chapter 16: Hippoboscidae
Chapter 17: Tabanidae
Chapter 18: Glossinidae
Chapter 19: Hemiptera (True Bugs)
Chapter 20: Ticks
Chapter 21: Mites
Chapter 22: Other Arthropods of Veterinary Importance
Chapter 23: Wildlife Forensic Entomology