Posts tagged Coleoptera

When a new species or genus is described, authors (nowadays) usually provide an etymology for the name, essentially explaining why they named it the way they did.

The genus Parkerola was just described yesterday by Shûhei Nomura and Richard A. B. Leschen in The Coleopterist’s Bulletin to provide a new generic home for a previously described species, Parkerola gigantea (Broun), pictured above. Check out the etymology section for the new genus:

Etymology. This new genus is dedicated to the authors’ friends, Heidi and Joseph Parker, on theoccasion of their marriage and honoring Joe’s workon pselaphine inquilines. In early 2015, Joe and Heidi became parents of Jonah Wallace Parker (7 lbs. 10 oz.).

Heidi & Joe are great people and friends of mine (Heidi is a brilliant evolutionary biologist and one of my co-hosts on Breaking Bio, while Joe is an evo-devo biologist/beetle taxonomist), and that they were recognized with such a touching patronym warms my heart.

Taxonomists are sometimes portrayed as pedantic curmudgeons who don’t interact well with other researchers or the public, but in reality they are some of the most passionate, loving, and supporting people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. On this #TaxonomyDay, I think this is a perfect example of how close-knit the taxonomic community truly is.

So thank you Shûhei & Richard for helping society better understand pselaphine rove beetles, and for infusing your work with a touching piece of personality.

Leptinotarsa decemlineata, the Colorado Potato Beetle, is one of those insects which no one really likes seeing, especially if you grow potatoes or tomatoes! Native to the US, this species took a liking to potatoes when they were introduced to the Southwest USA and spread like crazy, despite our best efforts. The Colorado Potato Beetle is infamous for its ability to develop resistances to pesticides, making its control all the more difficult.

Learn more about Leptinotarsa decemlineata at the Encyclopedia of Life.

The first of what I hope will be a series of Vines highlighting some of the cool, weird and wonderfully diverse insects housed in the University of Guelph Insect Collection! 

Learn more about Cicindela sexguttata, the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, at the Encyclopedia of Life