I am fascinated by the amazing insect biodiversity on our planet and how much is still unknown about the life around us. Even in local, well-sampled areas, scientists frequently find new interactions, distribution changes, and even undiscovered species completely new to science. I particularly love the order Hymenoptera, which is the insect group that contains our environmentally essential bees, hyper-diverse wasps, and industrious ants.

My dissertation work was in parasitoid wasp taxonomy and systematics, where I worked on revising the lovely Braconid genus Cremnops. During my undergraduate and postdoctoral appointments I studied wild bee ecology, diversity, and taxonomy. My current research continues to examine Hymenoptera biodiversity through the exploration of parasitoid wasps and wild bees. Whenever possible, I strive to incorporate the largely untapped wealth of specimen data found in historical museum collections. Museum collections are some of the world’s most amazing resources, which are often undervalued, overlooked, and underutilized. In parallel with the vast amount of undiscovered insect diversity in the wild, museum collections contain an untold wealth of undiscovered historical insect diversity. Often for locations and ecosystems that no longer exist.

To help share my love of insects and nature with non-scientists, I recently started the blog Bug News. Currently I am the only writer for the blog. I research and write the stories, my dog Sunday supervises and helps me find topics, and Robert Northover provides technical assistance when needed.

For research results, please see my Publications Page.

For research results, please see my Projects Page.