Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Neotropical Dipterology

Posted by ChrisR on 04-12-2009 13:55
#15

bbrown wrote:
it would be great have more people working on tachinids. Monty has a fantastic amount of knowledge of the group, and did an excellent chapter for the second volume of the Manual of Central American Diptera, but he needs help! Are you going to the Diptera Congress in Costa Rica next year? Perusing the collection at INBio would be a great way to learn a lot about neotropical tachinids quickly.

Hi Brian,

I'd absolutely *love* to visit the IDC (Jim O'Hara recently asked me the same question) but I haven't found anyone willing to sponsor my trip - it works out quite expensive so it isn't very 'amateur-friendly' ;) But I recognize that it would be a superb chance to meet all the relevant experts and immerse myself in neotropical dipterology for a week or two. I visited Costa Rica many years ago before I was interested in Diptera so it would be wonderful to go back and see some of the forest and browse through the collections :)

I had a look through the NHM collection last weekend and was very pleased to spot some familiar taxa, which gave me some names for a few specimens. I hope to go back in February to look through the other 250+ drawers ;) See my blog here.

I also had a quick chat with Chris Thompson and it was fascinating to me to see how different the entomological worlds are on both sides of the Atlantic. Over there amateurs are in a very severe minority (and absent in many families) when compared to the very active networks we have in Europe, and particularly the UK. There are many people in Europe who would like to study neotropical material but we would have a much better chance if simple things like type descriptions were available online and it would be very useful if we could be mentored by some of the seasoned experts over in the US :)

Of course we are all eagerly awaiting MCAD vol-2 to have a go with Monty's new key. He suggested that it wouldn't be more than 40% applicable to the French Guianan fauna but it's a superb piece of work and I am sure it will give anyone working on neotropical tachinids a huge boost. :)

Best wishes,
Chris R.

Edited by ChrisR on 04-12-2009 13:59