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Meetings 2022-23 In-person meetings are suspended for the time being due to covid. We normally meet on the fourth Saturday every month, from September to November and from January to April. One of the meetings is the Quimby F. Hess Annual Lecture -- read more here. For a map of the meeting locations and a description of subway access and parking facilities, click here.
Saturday, September 17, 2022. 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm. By Zoom. See video of the meeting. Speakers and topics, with the start times for each: Peter Hall, European Common Blue (2:45); Bruce Bolin, Rearing Pipevine Swallowtails (17:50); Karen Yukich, 2022 insects first-seen or rarely-seen (23:50); Alan Macnaughton, moths of trips to Owen Sound and Essex County (41:35); Clement Kent, Project Swallowtail in 2022 (48:40); Antonia Guidotti, insect photos from travels this summer (55:40); and Don Davis, monarch tagging and tag recoveries this year (01:04:20).
Saturday, October 22, 2022. 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm. By Zoom. See video of the meeting. Patricia is a 4th year PhD student working in a plant ecology and entomology lab at the University of Windsor. She is currently exploring the ecology of the black soldier fly and its application in municipal waste management. Globally, about 1 in 9 people suffer from food insecurity, yet a third of all foods produced globally are wasted. Approximately 3.7 million tonnes of organic food waste in Ontario is generated yearly. More than 55% of this waste is generated by the residential and municipal sectors, and most of it is transported to landfills for composting each year. The use of landfills as a method of waste management is not sustainable. It strains the environment by releasing harmful greenhouse gases and demands landfill space. It is projected that based on the current trends in economic growth, more than 16 landfills will be required by 2050 in Ontario if more progress is not made to reduce the use of landfills for organic waste disposal. Currently, the protocols set by the Ontario government include education tools to support waste prevention strategies, safety guidelines to support the safe donation of excess food, and a province-wide ban on organic waste sent to disposal sites. While all these are strong protocols, there is a need to address methods that support recovery and converting food waste into valuable end products that could contribute to economic benefits (i.e., a circular economy). The black soldier fly is currently being investigated as a waste management alternative in several European countries and the United States. My research aims to broaden our understanding of the black soldier fly's biology and its role in the concept of a circular economy.
Saturday, November 19, 2022. 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm. By Zoom. See video of the meeting. Climate change has led to widespread shifts in the timing of key life history events between interacting species with cascading negative impacts on species fitness (phenological mismatch). Yet, it remains difficult to discriminate between systems where phenological mismatches are likely to occur or not. We are evaluating where and when we expect mismatch with climate change. Understanding the factors that determine species’ range limits is key for accurately predicting how species will shift their ranges in response to changing climates. Despite this, we still do not understand how climate constrains species’ range limits. Through a combination of lab and field experiments, and ecological modeling on different Lepidoptera species, my lab is testing hypotheses to better understand the relative importance of various climatic constraints on species geographic limits.
Saturday, January 28, 2023. 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm. By Zoom. See video of the meeting. Canada is home to over 1000 species of leafhoppers. They are one of the most abundant groups of insects in many habitats, where they feed on a wide range of host plants. However, only a handful of economically important species are well-known. I will discuss some of what we know about the distribution and natural history of Canadian leafhoppers, and discuss how ongoing research, including citizen science, can lead us to a better understanding of this important and fascinating group.
Saturday, February 25, 2023. 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm. By Zoom. See video of the meeting. Dr. Bouchard will explore the production and impact of a recent book of his (The Book of Beetles, University of Chicago Press). He will also discuss whether printed books still have a place in an era characterized by electronic communications and short attention spans. He is also the author of a second book to be published next spring. Beetles of the World from Princeton University Press Saturday, March 25, 2023. 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. By Zoom. Ten undergraduate and graduate students at Ontario universities present about Monarch butterfly enthusiasts will be particularly interested in the presentation about which milkweed species is best for getting the fall generation to Mexico (last talk in the list below). Read the abstracts. Each talk can be viewed separately: Saturday, April 22, 2023. 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm. By Zoom. See video of the meeting. The caterpillars of many lepidopteran groups possess distinct eye-like markings. In fact, caterpillars with eyespots can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Intuition and conventional wisdom tells us that eyespots protect caterpillars by scaring away predators. What is our evidence that this is really the case? Do eyespots really confer protection? Do insect-eating birds perceive these markings as eyes? What other traits or behaviours might be involved in the ruse? Why do eyespots evolve in some species but not in others? Using a combination of approaches we have tried to answer these questions to gain a better understanding of this captivating antipredator strategy. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Meetings of past years 2021-2022 Saturday, September 25, 2021 Saturday, November 27, 2021 Saturday, January 22, 2022 Saturday, February 26, 2022 Saturday, March 26, 2022 Saturday, April 23, 2022 Land use and climate change changes pose extraordinary risks for many species, including many insects, leading to debate over an impending “insect apocalypse”. There should be no debate, however, that extinction rates have risen to levels last seen at the end of the age of the dinosaurs. While the processes and mechanisms that govern how some threats contribute to extinction risk are clear, the "how" and "why" of climate-driven risks remain uncertain. As climate changes, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have risen, but could such events affect species' extinction risks? We have developed a new technique to measure those effects, called "thermal position index", drawing on fundamental theories in ecology and evolutionary biology. With rising prevalence of extreme weather, we have found evidence that species' extinction risks have risen, such as among bumblebee species in Europe and North America. By identifying mechanisms that contribute to extinction risk, we might be able to manage risks more effectively. This work has now been validated in analyses of population trends among vertebrates globally. In a warming world, understanding how to mitigate risks for species conservation, including especially insects that commonly have shorter life cycles, could help slow extinction rates. Saturday, May 28, 2022
2020-2021 The regular meetings for September to November were cancelled due to COVID-19. Saturday, January 23, 2021 Saturday, February 27, 2021 Saturday, March 27, 2021. 1 pm - 3:15 pm. By Zoom. Saturday, April 24, 2021
2019-2020 Saturday, September 22, 2019 Saturday, November 23, 2019 Saturday, January 25, 2020 Saturday, February 29, 2020. The regular meetings for March and April were cancelled due to COVID-19. Saturday, November 23, 2019. 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm. Ninth Annual Quimby F. Hess Lecture. Royal Ontario Museum Theatre. This event is free but you must pre-register on the ROM website. Under "Buy Tickets," choose "Public (RSVP Only): Free” (unless you have a ROM membership). A reception for TEA members and the Hess family will follow the lecture. Enter through the President's Choice School Entrance (group entrance), which is at the back of the ROM along Queen's Park. Please note that registering for this lecture does not grant you entry into museum galleries. Discover the world of ticks with entomologist Nicholas Ogden, as he discusses their importance as blood-sucking parasites. Explore how environmental changes may affect the global distributions of these enigmatic creatures and the diseases they spread, and what this means for public health in Canada. Dr. Nick Ogden is a UK-trained veterinarian (University of Liverpool, 1983). After 10 years of mixed clinical practice, he then completed a doctorate in Lyme disease ecology at the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford in 1996. During the six years he spent as a lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, he continued his research of tick-borne diseases of public health importance in Europe and those of importance to livestock production in Africa. In 2002 Dr. Ogden moved to Canada, where he continues his research on Lyme disease at the Public Health Agency of Canada. Quimby F. Hess was a TEA president and a member of the TEA for over 40 years. This lecture is sponsored in his memory by his children Jane and Robert Hess and their respective spouses Laura and John. The public are invited. 2018-2019 Saturday, September 22, 2018 Saturday, December 1, 2018 Saturday, January 26, 2019 Saturday, February 23, 2019 Saturday, March 23, 2019 Saturday, April 13, 2019
2017-2018 Saturday, September 23, 2017 Saturday, November 25, 2017 Saturday, December 2, 2017 Saturday, January 27, 2018 Saturday, February 24, 2018 Saturday, March 24, 2018 Sunday, April 21, 2018 2016-2017 Saturday, September 24, 2016 Saturday, November 19, 2016 Saturday, January 21, 2017 Saturday, February 25, 2017 Saturday, March 25, 2017 Sunday, April 23, 2017
2015-2016 Saturday, September 24, 2016 Saturday, November 21, 2015 Saturday, January 23, 2016 Saturday, February 27, 2016 Saturday, March 19, 2016 Saturday, April 16, 2016 2014-15 Saturday, September 27, 2014 Saturday, October 25, 2014 Saturday, November 22, 2014 Saturday, January 24, 2015 Saturday, February 28, 2015 Saturday, March 28, 2015 Saturday, April 25, 2015
2013-14 Saturday, September 28, 2013 Saturday, October 19, 2013 Saturday, November 16, 2013 Saturday, January 18, 2014 Saturday, February 22, 2014 Saturday, March 22, 2014 Saturday, April 26, 2014
2012-13 Saturday, September 22, 2012 Saturday, October 20, 2012 Saturday, November 17, 2012 Saturday, January 26, 2013 Saturday, February 23, 2013 Saturday, March 23, 2013 Saturday, April 27, 2013
2011-12 Saturday, September 24, 2011 Saturday, October 29, 2011 Saturday, November 19, 2011 Saturday, January 28, 2012 Saturday, February 25, 2012 Saturday, March 24, 2012 Saturday, April 28, 2012 2010-11 Saturday, September 25, 2010 Saturday, October 23, 2010 Saturday, November 27, 2010 Saturday, January 22, 2011 Saturday February 26, 2011 Saturday, March 26, 2011 2009-10 Saturday, September 26, 2009 Saturday, October 24, 2009 Saturday, November 28, 2009 Saturday, January 23, 2010 Saturday, February 27, 2010 Saturday, March 27, 2010 Saturday, April 24, 2010
2008-09 Saturday September 27, 2008 Saturday, October 25, 2008 Saturday, November 22, 2008 Saturday, January 24, 2009 Saturday February 28, 2009 Saturday March 28, 2009 Saturday, April 25, 2009
2007-08 Saturday, September 22, 2007 Saturday, October 25, 2007 Saturday, November 24, 2007 Saturday, January 26, 2008 Saturday, February 23, 2008 Saturday, March 29, 2008 Saturday April 26, 2008 2006-07 Saturday, September 23, 2006 Saturday, October 21, 2006 Saturday, November 25, 2006 Saturday, January 27, 2007 Saturday February 24, 2007 Saturday, March 24, 2007 Saturday, April 28, 2007
2005-06 Saturday, September 24, 2005 1 PM Saturday, October 22, 2005 Saturday, November 26, 2005 Saturday, January 28, 2006 Saturday, February 25, 2006 Saturday, March 25, 2006 Saturday, April 22, 2006
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