01/01/1980 53980

FOREST INSECT PEST AIDE 1

DEFINITION: This is unskilled manual labor work at a forest pest laboratory.

An employee in this class performs a variety of unskilled manual laboratory and/or field duties associated with insect rearing and evaluation. Laboratory work involves preparing and dispensing insect diets, dehairing, surface-sterilizing, and incubating insect eggs; placing newly emerged host insects on diet; harvesting host insects at the appropriate stage; exposing host insects to parasites and diseases; collecting emerging parasitic insects; storing and maintaining parasites; packaging parasites for release; cleaning equipment and work areas; and operating and maintaining laboratory equipment, such as a psychrometer, electronic balance, autoclave, dishwasher, blender, and water still. Field work involves collecting egg masses; collecting various stages of insects for evaluation; setting Malaise traps; maintaining records; and collecting data from established field plots. Work is assigned in the form of oral and written instructions and reviewed in progress by a technical or professional supervisor for quality and completeness.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Prepares, mixes and dispenses diet into containers to be used in feeding insects.

Dehairs, surface-sterilizers and incubates egg masses.

Separates insects by size or development stage as instructed and places counted insects in cups.

Carries trays with cups of diet and insects to the host and parasite rearing areas of the laboratory.

Identifies sexes of insects by physical features and places in a container of cage as instructed, for purposes of mating or parasitizing.

Exposes host insects to parasites and diseases.

Replenishes food supplies of insects in containers.

Drives motor vehicle to field collection areas to collect insects or egg masses or to set traps.

Collects insects from tree leaves, bark or soil and places in containers.

Sets up Malaise traps to collect insects.

Maintains records of insects.

Assists in the recording of data on topographic maps, constructing of charts and displays, and mounting of insects.

Places field-collected insects in the quarantine area of the laboratory.

Assists in the recording of field data on tree species, tree sizes and other information from established plots.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions pertaining to insect rearing.

Ability to learn routine and proceduralized manual laboratory duties.

Ability to count and read and write English at the GED 3 level.

Ability to learn to operate simple laboratory machines, such as an autoclave, dishwasher, blender and water still.

Ability to learn to clean and sterilize laboratory equipment.

Ability to learn the use of laboratory equipment, such as a psychrometer and electronic scale.

Ability to work outdoors and perform unskilled manual labor.

Ability to operate a motor vehicle to drive to insect collection areas.

Ability to learn to identify insects by size, color, and body features.

Ability to learn to identify tree species.

Manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination sufficient to work with insects.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Any combination of experience and/or training which afforded the applicant the above listed required abilities.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license.