*****South American Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum)****** DO THIS INVASIVE SPECIES
Science Communication Activity
Core Concept SciComm Assignment on an invasive species (~250-300 word essay):
In this assignment you will select an invasive species to learn about and then critically critique what fact sheets are currently available for your selected INVASIVE insect species. For the purposes of this course, we use the following definitions:
1. Invasive species = a non-native species that invades a habitat and causes significant ecological, environmental or economic damage
2. Introduced (non-native) species = a species introduced from somewhere else
For this assignment, please locate at least three fact sheets on the same invasive INSECT species. Review these fact sheets and think about what makes a successful (i.e., effective) invader fact sheet. All writing must be your own and without the use of any generative AI tools. Spell check and grammar check are fine. The goal here is to see what you find to be the dos and donts in making an effective invasive species fact sheet. I have included (only one is an insect though) and you CANNOT use this fact sheet as one of your three. You will need to submit your invasive species name ahead of time so we can avoid overlap in species selections. Please check that your species is not already selected () and then if it is still available, please submit your invasive insect’s name here:
This assignment will be graded in two parts: pre-writing (3 pts): identify the name of your invasive species (it must be an insect and it must be invasive using the definition above), link to at least one Research Grade observation of the species in iNaturalist (please paste in the url), and provide a link to at least one fact sheet. Deadline is Friday Feb 27.
The second part is the fact sheet assessment (7 pts). In ~250-300 words, please identify the invasive species and where it is invasive (i.e., what is its introduced range). Briefly describe what you think are the most important aspects that make one of your selected fact sheets successful in communicating their ecology, their impact, and their importance (e.g., the dos) and what factors should be avoided in a fact sheet (e.g., the donts; what did you find confusing or unhelpful or missing?). [Note: you will need to identify which fact sheets you found successful and which ones you found unsuccessful.] Make sure to use APA format for any outside references and fact sheets used. Deadline is March 13th.
*** We are interested in learning what YOU find successful and what YOU find missing or less successful about the fact sheets. This short one paragraph essay must be your own work. Generative AI tools are not permitted. **
What constitutes a fact sheet?
An invasive species fact sheet is usually at least 1-2 (printed) pages and is a document intended to educate either the public or stakeholders; a web-based version might be a bit longer. A fact sheet at minimum must include basic information about the species, their description, distribution, habitat, behavior, diet or ecology and their negative impacts. Additional information as to what we can do (how to report, how to help prevent spread of the invader, how to mitigate the impacts of the invader, etc) may also be included. For this assignment, you will want to make sure you are referencing fact sheets produced by a reliable source, such as a government agency, a university, or relevant institution (e.g., Nature Conservancy, the Global Invasive Species Database through the IUCN, Smithsonian Institute, etc). If you have any concerns that your source might not be reliable or any questions about the assignment, please ask at office hours or send me an email!
For part 2 (the fact sheet assessment), you will be graded on the following criteria:
Met Not met Criteria description
Appropriate invasive species fact sheets (minimum of 3) were selected. Make sure these are from a reputable source as noted above (e.g., a government agency, university, extension, etc.)
The submission discriminates between what you found to be successful and less successful (or unsuccessful) fact sheets. Each fact sheet is classified as successful or not.
Submission correctly identifies at least two factors that you found to contribute towards a fact sheets success (i.e., identifies what works for that fact sheet)
Submission correctly identifies at least two factors that you think should be avoided when making a fact sheet (i.e., identifies mistakes or things that make a fact sheet unsuccessful)
Submission includes a bibliography of all references and fact sheets used. Please use APA format (. See additional guidelines below.
Words are spelled and used correctly. The summary is free of major grammatical errors, logical inconsistencies or false statements
Submission is submitted on time and follows all submission guidelines as described in the activity description above.
Some helpful resources for finding an invasive insect species of interest. Need some help finding an invasive insect? Please reach out to or come to my or Molly’s office hours!
Global Invasive Species Database
Invasive Species of California
Invasive and Exotic Species of North America
Natural area pests in California
Agricultural pests by crop in California
Some west coast invaders (Washington State)
APA GUIDELINES
APA format for factsheets follows the general pattern:
Authors. (Year published or last updated) Title of fact sheet. Available: url. Date accessed: Month/Day/Year that you looked at it.
Example with an agency or organization author:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2023). Delivering service in school-based settings: A comprehensive guide to Medicaid services and administrative claiming [Fact sheet]. . Date accessed: 2/11/2026
USDA National Invasive Species Information Center (2024). Red Imported Fire Ant. [Fact sheet]. . Date accessed: 2/11/2026
Example with individual authors:
Vogt, J.T. 2021. Asian needle ant. Science Update SRS-SU-143 [Fact sheet]. Avbl: . Date accessed: 2/11/2026
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