Meeting 1193 minutes

Minutes from the 1193rd Meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club

President Avalon Owens called the 1193rd meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club to order at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, January 8th 2019 in MCZ 101. Approx. 22 members and guests were in attendance.

New business:
Jay Shetterly is hosting approx. 80 volumes of the Club’s Journal, Psyche, in his attic in Cambridge. Additional handwritten materials are housed at the Mayr library.
Rachel Bonoan was nominated for membership.

Old business:

Treasurer Shayla Saltzman encourages members to pay their dues and also consider running for treasurer because she will be relocating.
Scott Smyers updated the club on field trips for the coming year.
Fresh Pond Reservation is seeking volunteers to lead insect related activities.
Maria Aliberti Lubertazzi presented insect-themed projects created by her students at RISD.

Our speaker was Kerry Shaw of Cornell University and her topic was “Behavioral evolution in the Hawaiian crickets”. Professor Shaw discussed several studies that her lab has conducted that reveal the importance of behavioral evolution in the origin of species in Hawaiian crickets. Some crickets, including those in the genus Laupala, Prof. Shaw’s study subject, are best distinguished by courtship behavior and songs. The males sing, attract females, and a particular set of behaviors ensues, including antennal contact and transfer of a series of microspermatophores, followed by a macrospermatophore. Only the macrospermatophore contains sperm, the microspermatophores appear to be nutritional. Prof. Shaw is also investigating whether singing behaviors have a genetic component by crossing males with irregular songs with females. No conclusions as yet, the work is ongoing.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 pm for discussion and refreshments.

Respectfully submitted, Andrea Golden, CEC Secretary