Our lab recently took a trip up to Ottawa, Canada, in order to visit the Canadian National Collection (CNC) of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes. There, we met Lubomír Masner, a man who has devoted his life to the study of Hymenoptera and has described several genera of parasitoid wasps.
At the CNC, we were able to study one of the largest pinned collections of Ceraphronoidea in the world. While Kyle worked on the Dendrocerus, I took a look at the Conostigmus and unsorted megaspilid specimens. This opportunity was incredibly valuable for us. Along with helping us to refine our species concepts, we each made new discoveries. Kyle was able to locate several more specimens of Dendrocerus mexicali, expanding the known range of the species, and I found what could be a new species of Dendrocerus that embodies some characters of Conostigmus!
Lubo also shared with us his own specialized sampling techniques, which he has developed over decades of collecting. He designed his very own sweep net to keep leaves and large debris out of his sample. We accompanied him on a field outing to Petrie Island Park, where he showed us the proper places to sample in order to collect Ceraphronoidea.
Then, back in the lab, Lubo demonstrated how to sort the sample so that we can pick out targeted insects in as little time as possible. Thanks to our time spent with Lubo, we now have the skills and know-how to grow our own collection of Ceraphronoidea. With parasitoid populations reaching their peak in the next few weeks, it’s going to be a busy fall!