The importance of social networks for university teaching in entomology

Abstract

The number of insects cataloged in Brazil has increased in recent decades, and they are stored in university laboratories as didactic collections. However, the removal of these insects from their natural habitat is much discussed, as it violates the principle of balance and preservation. In this regard, the need to register these samples and store the information on an online platform arose, making this data available to interested parties through the development of a Virtual Insectary. The project aimed to create a Virtual Insectary, through photographs of insects taken by students of the Agronomy Course at the State University of Rio Grande do Sul. To this end, in 2021, students from the UERGS agronomy course photographed insects in their natural environment and created pages on Facebook and Instagram called: Virtual Insetário, where all images of insects were inserted and used as a collection by the Entomology Laboratory of the university. In addition to the photos, information about the insects was shared, helping to spread knowledge, demystifying and exploring the most common species that occur in the municipality, region, and country and their relationship with the environment, to guide on the preservation of local diversity, in addition to postings of a variety of information sites related to insects.