Current Projects: Revision of world species of Yelicones. (North American species are almost completed Oriental species are next.) Mike Fitton, David Notton and I are now nearing completion of a mega-analysis of ichneumonid relationships including lots of new internal characters.
"What's New at Silwood? Following my move to Silwood Park (part of Imperial College) under the NERC's Initiative in Taxonomy last October, there have been a number of new developments on the research front. Of course, ovipositor, sperm, venom gland and alpha-taxonomic work still feature high but work is also now under way on a number of molecular projects including the relationships between ichneumonoid subfamilies and between the genera of various braconid subfamilies. Work on the increasingly large genus Yelicones is progressing though slower than hoped, as are revisions of Indo-Australian Physaraia, Trigastrotheca and Cosmophorus (with C. van Achterberg). Other members of the group have also been busy. Professor You Lanshao from Hunan, China, has been visiting for six months trying to get to grips with the genera of Braconinae and also describing a few new Chinese species. Jamil Chishti is nearing completion of his Ph.D. and the revision of Indo-Australian Stenobracon. Whilst new Ph.D. students, Md Ismail Miah and Azidah Abdul Aziz are coming to terms with various ichneumonids.
My Ph.D. student from Turkey, Hasan Basibuyuk who is working in the Entomology Department of the Natural History Museum, London, is now trying to integrate his studies of antennal and antenna cleaner morphology with grooming behaviour and he would be particularly interested in hearing from anyone who might be able to help him obtain living material of any of the following hymenopterans: Pamphiliidae, Siricidae, Stephanidae, Orussidae, Trigonalyidae, Aulacidae, Pelecinidae, Ibaliidae and Vanhorniidae. He can be contacted by phone (071 938 9148) or e-mail c/o d.quick@ic.ac.uk. Postage and packing costs would be reimbursed of course.
The Ichenumonoid Research Group (IRG) is an informal group in the NHM's Department of Entomology, within the framework of the museum's science programme/research group system. The group comprises 14 people co-led by Mike Fitton, Donald Quicke and Ian Gauld and includes four graduate students. Research projects are centred around hymenopteran and especially ichneumonoid taxonomy. Most of the members work at the Natural History Museum, but a few are based at Silwood Park, the out-of-town half of the Imperial College Biology Department. The research group meets approximately every month for research talks or seminars on such topics as wing venation, cladistics and preparing illustrations for publication."
Other items of interest: ARTY WASPS AND WASPERS? "As a bit of fun I'm trying to compile a list of works of art in museums that include parasitic wasps. I know there are not many but my experience of walking around galleries has shown that a surprising number of Old Master still-lifes have a parasitoid posed on some fruit or suchlike. The postures of the beasties illustrated are also informative, some were almost certainly seen alive but others have that characteristic window ledge look!"