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USNM Entomology Research

Research in the Department of Entomology is primarily collection-based and focuses on systematics in the broadest sense, including basic taxonomy, comparative morphology, and life history of insects, as well as evolutionary and population biology, phylogenetics, biogeography, biodiversity, ecology, behavior, and molecular genetic studies.

Field studies are conducted, also, in many parts of the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, the Asia-Pacific region, and, to a lesser extent, in Europe, Africa, and Australia. Smithsonian entomologists currently participate in long-term biodiversity survey projects in Costa Rica (Arthropods of La Selva), Peru, Guyana, Papua New Guinea, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Kenya, among others. Past and present major projects in Sri Lanka, Peru, Madagascar, and Papua New Guinea have yielded millions of specimens for research. A series of canopy-fogging projects in Central and South America, initiated in 1974, has produced nearly 9 million specimens.

Currently, the permanent staff at the National Museum of Natural History includes eight Smithsonian Curators and thirteen USDA Research Entomologists. This breaks down to six lepidopterists, four dipterists, five hymenopterists, three coleopterists, one hemipterist, one homopterist, and one arachnologist. In addition, there are also a number of emeritus researchers, post-doctoral fellows and other entomologists in residence conducting independent research or working in collaboration with those on staff. While USDA scientists generally direct their research toward insect groups of economic importance to American agriculture, Smithsonian scientists tend to direct their interest toward groups of broad ecological and evolutionary significance. Brief descriptions of research specialties of most permanent members of our research community are given below. More information can be found by visiting their staff pages and purusing their publications.

SI Research Entomologists:

Seán Gary Brady, Curator of Hymenoptera.
Research specialties: Phylogenetics, systematics, biogeography, and molecular evolution of ants and bees; social insect evolution; theory and methods of phylogenetic analysis.

John M. Burns, Curator of Lepidoptera.
Research specialties: Evolutionary biology; systematics and population biology of Hesperioidea (skippers) and Papilionoidea.

Jonathan A. Coddington, Senior Curator of Arachnida and Myriapoda. Research specialties: Systematics and behavior of spiders; species richness estimation; theory and design of biological inventories.

Donald R. Davis, Curator of Lepidoptera.
Research specialties: Systematics and phylogeny of the basal families of Lepidoptera including the superfamilies Tineoidea and Gracillarioidea; biology of leaf-mining and cave-dwelling moths.

Terry L. Erwin, Curator of Coleoptera (and Chair of the Department). Research specialties: Evolution, systematics, natural history, and zoogeography of the world's ground beetles (Carabidae); ecologic aspects of Neotropical forest canopy insects and their allies, conservation of tropical forests.

Wayne N. Mathis, Curator of Diptera.
Research specialties: Systematics, biology, and zoogeography of Canacidae, Tethrnidae, and Ephydroidea, with special emphasis on Ephydridae.

Robert K. Robbins, Curator of Lepidoptera.
Research specialties: Systematics of Lycaenidae, evolutionary biology of butterflies, patterns of butterfly diversity.

Ted R. Schultz, Curator of Hymenoptera.
Research specialties: Evolution and systematics of ants, especially the fungus-growing ants (tribe Attini, subfamily Myrmicinae), utilizing both morphological and molecular characters; historical ecology and evolution of the fungus-growing behavior; theory and method of phylogenetic analysis.

USDA/SEL Research Entomologists (NHB):

John W. Brown, Research Entomologist, Lepidoptera.
Research specialties: Systematics and biogeography of the moth family Tortricidae; biogeography of the peninsula of Baja California; conservation biology; and faunal inventories.

Matthew Buffington, Research Entomologist, Hymenoptera.
Research specialties: Systematics of parasitic Hymenoptera, specifically the Cynipoidea, Proctotrupoidea and Platygastroidea; molecular systematics; digital imaging techniques involving small insects.

Michael W. Gates, Research Entomologist, Hymenoptera.
Research specialties: Taxonomy and systematics of Chalcidoid wasps.

Thomas J. Henry, Research Entomologist, Heteroptera
Research specialties: Systematics of Hemiptera, especially Berytidae and Miridae.

Alexander S. Konstantinov, Research Entomologist, Coleoptera
Research specialties: Systematics, comparative morphology, biogeography, and host plants relationships of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) with particular emphasis on flea beetles, worldwide.

Robert Kula, Research Entomologist, Hymenoptera.
Research specialties: Systematics of Ichneumonoidea, particularly parasitoids of cyclorrhaphous flies.

Steven W. Lingafelter, Research Entomologist, Coleoptera
Research specialties: Systematics and taxonomy of Cerambycidae and Curculionidae (longhorned wood boring beetles and weevils); bionomics of Silphidae (carrion beetles).

Stuart H. McKamey, Research Entomologist, Homoptera.
Research specialties: Biosystematics of Auchenorrhyncha, principally Membracoidea (leafhoppers and treehoppers).

Allen L. Norrbom, Adjunct Scientist, Entomology (Research Entomologist, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture). Research specialties: Systematics (taxonomy, nomenclature, identification) and natural history of true fruit flies (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae) and related families.

Michael G. Pogue, Research Entomologist, Lepidoptera.
Research specialties: Sys­tematics, phylogenetics, and biodiversity of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera); special interest in species of agricultural importance, worldwide.

M. Alma Solis, Research Leader and Research Entomologist, Lepidoptera.
Research specialties: Systematics of snout moths (Pyraloidea); Pyraloidea of Neotropical areas, particularly Costa Rica.

F. Christian Thompson, Research Entomologist, Diptera.
Research specialties: Systematics and zoogeography of Syrphidae and related groups; zoological nomenclature; biodiversity informatics.

Norman E. Woodley, Research Entomologist, Diptera.
Research specialties: Taxonomy and phylogeny of flies, especially Brachycera, Orthorrhapa, and Oestroidea.

USDA Research Entomologists (BARC):

Gary Miller, Research Entomologist, Heteroptera.
Research specialties: Systematics and taxonomy of the Aphidoidea.

David A. Nickle, Research Entomologist, Orthoptera.
Research specialties: Biosystematics of Orthoptera, especially Tettigoniidae and Gryllotalpidae (katydids, mole crickets), and Isoptera (termites).

Ronald Ochoa, Research Entomologist, Acarina.
Research specialties: Systematics of Eriophyoidea, Heterostigmata, and Tetranychoidea. Research projects emphasize mite-hostplant relationships and provide basic tools for identifying economically important phytoparasites.

Sonya Scheffer, USDA Research Entomologist, Diptera.
Research specialties: Molecular systematics of plant-feeding insects, particularly agromyzid flies; host-use evolution and speciation.

WRBU Research Affiliates (MSC):

Desmond Foley, National Research Council Fellow, Diptera.
Research specialties: Molecular systematics and biology of mosquitoes.

Yiau-Min Huang, Research Entomologist, Diptera.
Research specialties: Culicidae; biosystematics of African Aedes; Aedes (Stegomyia) of the world.

Pollie M. Rueda, Research Entomologist, Diptera.
Research specialties: Mosquito Biosystematics (Culicidae, Diptera).

Richard C. Wilkerson, Research Entomologist, Diptera.
Research specialties: Mosquito Systematics.

Other Research Affiliates:

David Adamski, USDA Entomologist, Lepidoptera
Research specialties: Systematics of Gelechioidea, especially Blastobasinae, and related Microlepidoptera.

Robert W. Carlson, USDA Service Scientist, Hymenoptera
Research specialties: Parasitic Hymenoptera, principally the family Ichneumonidae, subfamily Campopleginae.

Oliver S. Flint, Jr., SI Research Entomologist, (Emeritus).
Research specialties: Taxonomy and biology of the Trichoptera and Megaloidea of the New World.

David G. Furth, SI Collections Manager.
Research specialties: Systematics and biology of Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae), especially Flea Beetles (Alticinae).

Raymond J. Gagne, USDA Research Associate.
Research specialties: Systematics of gall midges (Cecidomyiidae).

Jason P. Hall, SI Research Entomologist.
Research specialties: Evolution, systematics, phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology and conservation of butterflies, particularly those from the Neotropics and those belonging to the family Riodinidae.

Douglass R. Miller, USDA Emeritus Research Entomologist, Heteroptera.
Research specialties: Coccoidea.

Scott E. Miller, Senior Program Officer, Office of the Under-Secretary for Science, and SI Research Entomologist, Lepidoptera.
Research specialties: Systematics of moths; biogeography of Pacific Basin, New Guinea, and Africa; plant-insect community ecology.

Sueo Nakahara, USDA Emeritus Research Entomologist.
Research specialties: Systematics of Aleyrodidae (Homoptera) and Thysanoptera; Emphasis is on the North American fauna with current focus on the family Thripidae.

Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, SI Research Associate.
Research specialties: Systematics, biogeography and faunistics of West Indian Orthopteroid insects, with emphasis on Caelifera (short antennae) grasshoppers.

David R. Smith, USDA Emeritus Research Entomologist.
Research specialties: Systematics of sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta), and parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea, Trigonalyidae) of the world.

Natalia J. Vandenberg, USDA Research Entomologist, Coleoptera.
Research specialties: Taxonomy of larval and adult Coleoptera, especially systematics and zoogeography of Coccinellidae.

 

 

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