temperate insects

Stefan Cover

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

7:30 PM

Reviving the Endangered Art of Faunistics: Revising the Ants of North America

MCZ 101, 26 Oxford Street, Harvard University

ant workerStefan Cover, Harvard University

Many disciplines claim to be foundational to the rest of biology: systematics and genetics are two obvious examples.  A good case can be made, however, that faunistics (the study of faunas), and its botanical equivalent (floristics), are basal to all other biological disciplines.  Unfortunately, faunistics is a dying art. Good faunistic studies are uncommon and training in the field is not available.  Faunistics combines alpha-taxonomy, biogeography, life-history studies, and natural history to produce a comprehensive, practical, useful portrait of a fauna.  Come and see how these various elements are being used to assemble a new, more comprehensive monograph of the ants of North America.

The talk is free and open to the public. The meeting is readily accessible via public transportation. Parking is available in the Oxford Street Garage with advance arrangement, as described here, or (usually but not always) at spaces on nearby streets. Everyone is also welcome to join us for dinner before the talk (beginning at 6 PM) at the Cambridge Common restaurant.

CEC meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month from October through May. The evening schedule typically includes an informal dinner (6:15 to 7:15 PM) followed by our formal meeting (7:30 – 9:00 PM). The latter begins with club business and is followed by a 50 minute entomology related presentation. Membership is open to amateur and professional entomologists

Patrick Gorring

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

07:30 PM

Backyard bugs: the life and times of local insects

MCZ 101, 26 Oxford Street, Harvard University

 

Patrick Gorring, CEC President and Harvard University

Over 4000 insect species were recorded from one 2 acre yard in Maryland. Other studies reveal great species diversity in small land area. Your backyard or local park has a constant stream of insects emerging and passing through, and the life histories of these insects can be as amazing as in the tropics. This talk will present methods of getting a snapshot of your local diversity and how to contribute this information to entomological research. You will also learn how to have fun with some of the insects you encounter.

The talk is free and open to the public. The meeting is readily accessible via public transportation. Parking is available in the Oxford Street Garage with advance arrangement, as described here, or (usually but not always) at spaces on nearby streets. Everyone is also welcome to join us for dinner before the talk (beginning at 6:00 PM) at the Cambridge Commons restaurant.

CEC meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month from October through May. The evening schedule typically includes an informal dinner (6:00 to 7:15 PM) followed by our formal meeting (7:30 – 9:00 PM). The latter begins with club business and is followed by a 50 minute entomology related presentation. Membership is open to amateur and professional entomologists.