James Harrison

 
harrison.jpg (27345 bytes)

James Harrison with a drawer
of Scarabaeini from the
Peringuey collection at the
South African Museum.
Photo by Margie Cochrane

  

Scarab beetles are of particular interest to me, especially when they become pests in agricultural systems. Currently, I am working towards a Ph.D. on morphological and molecular approaches to identify plantation whitegrubs (Scarabaeidae) in the Natal Midlands of South Africa.  The South African Forestry Industry incurs considerable financial losses from whitegrub and chafer damage. Field trials were conducted between 1990-1993 in the Natal Midlands to determine factors leading to poor establishment of commercial Acacia mearnsii and Eucalyptus grandis seedlings. Limited taxonomic research and expertise hampered this study because the whitegrubs could not be identified. Species level identification is important as whitegrubs differ in their biologies, pest status, and sensitivity to insecticides. Non-identification thus impacts negatively on efforts to implement an Integrated Pest Management Program against forest whitegrubs. However, three main problems confound obtaining, matching and naming whitegrubs and chafers. These are (i) difficulty in rearing adults from larvae, (ii) problems in distinguishing between morphologically similar larvae, (iii) and complexities of accurate adult identifications.

I am using molecular and morphological approaches to solve these problems. Whitegrubs and chafers have been collected from outbreak areas and preserved for molecular and morphological work. The development of molecular tools to match conspecific larvae to adults and distinguish between morphologically indistinguishable larvae is underway. Standard morphological techniques are also being used to identify or describe the whitegrubs and their adults. Early results indicate that molecular techniques can circumvent some of the above mentioned problems while standard morphological techniques will allow for the subsequent identification or description of whitegrubs. A group of specific interest, the African melolonthine 'subtribe Leucopholina', includes many genera of economic importance, for example, Hypopholis, Asthenopholis, Eulepida (Lepidiota), Pegylidius, Brachylepis and Pegylis. Taxonomic re-evaluation of the southern African Leucopholina is in progress to enable accurate identifications of the adults and their larvae.



James du G. Harrison 
Zoology Curator & Associate Lecturer
Life Sciences Museum and Biodiversity Centre
School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences (AP&ES)
University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3 
WITS 2050, SOUTH AFRICA

TEL: +27(0)11-717-6464     
FAX: +27(0)11-717-6494

EMAIL: James.Harrison@wits.ac.za

   
 

PUBLICATIONS:

Davis, A.L.V. Scholtz, C.H. and Harrison, J. du G. 1999. New and threatened Afrotropical dung beetle taxa in the Gondwanaland tribe Canthonini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). African Entomology 7(1): 77-84.

Davis, A.L.V. Scholtz, C.H. and Harrison, J. du G. In press. Cladistic, phenetic and biogeographical analysis of the flightless dung beetle genus, Gyronotus van Lansberge (Scarabaeidae), in eastern Afrotropical forests. Journal of Natural History.

Harrison, J. du G. Scholtz, C.H. and Chown, S.L. In press. A revision of the subgenus Scarabaeus (Pachysoma) MacLeay (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae); with notes on the other flightless Scarabaeini. Journal of Natural History.

PUBLICATIONS (SUBMITTED AND IN PREPARATION):

Harrison, J. du G. Scholtz, C.H., Philips, T.K. and Chown, S.L. Submitted. Phylogeny of Scarabaeus (Pachysoma) stat. Nov., and related flightless Scarabaeini (Scarabaeidae; Scarabaeinae). Submitted to Systematic Entomology (accepted for 2nd revision).

Grebennikov, V.V., Harrison, J. du G. & Scholtz, C.H. (In prep.). Description of Pachysoma MacLeay, 1821 larvae and pupae. Intended for African Entomology.

Krüger, K., Scholtz, C.H. & Harrison, J. du G. (In prep.). Effects of the pyrethroid cypermethrin on colonization and decomposition of cattle dung by insects. Intended for Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment.

POPULAR ARTICLES:

Harrison, J. du G. 2001. Whitegrubs with a difference. Tree Protection News (Newsletter of the Tree Pathology Cooperative Program - University of Pretoria). 1: 9-11.

Harrison, J. du G. 1997. In pursuit of flightless dung beetles. De Beers Namaqualand Mines Chronicle, 8: 10-12.

Harrison, J. du G. 1996. The wonders of the flightless dung beetles. De Beers Namaqualand Mines Chronicle, 73: 5-6.

THESES:

Harrison, J. du G. (current Ph.D. studies). Complementary morphological and molecular approaches to plantation whitegrub (Scarabaeidae) identification. Ph.D. thesis, University of Pretoria.

Harrison, J. du G. 1999. Systematics of the endemic south-west African genus Pachysoma MacLeay (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Unpublished MSc. thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, SA. 1-136.

Harrison, J. du G. 1994. Species diversity and body size relationships of adult Trogidae (Coleoptera) assemblages in southern Africa. Unpublished Honours thesis, University of Pretoria.

CONGRESS ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTATIONS:

Harrison J. du G., P. Govender, M.J. Wingfield, C.H. Scholtz and B.D. Wingfield. Molecular and morphological approaches to forest whitegrub (Scarabaeidae) identification. Proceedings of the 13th Entomological Congress, Pietermaritzburg, 2-5- July 2001, Society, 27-28.

Harrison J. du G., C.H. Scholtz, T. K. Philips and S.L. Chown. Phylogeny of Scarabaeus (Pachysoma) MacLeay stat. nov., and related flightless Scarabaeini (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Proceedings of the 13th Entomological Congress, Pietermaritzburg, 2-5- July 2001, Society, 28.

Harrison, J. du G. 1998/1999. Bizarre beetles: the west coast, dry dung specialists, University of Pretoria, Zoological Diversity in southern African Biomes course, by request of Prof. S.L. Chown.

Harrison, J. du G., Scholtz, C.H. & Chown, S.L. 1997. Unique biology in flightless dung beetles, sufficient justification for generic or sub-generic status? Presentation at the Joint Congress of the E.S.S.A. and A.A.I.S., Stellenbosch, 186-187.

Harrison, J. du G. 1997. An inordinate fondness for flightless dung beetles. Presented to the Kleinzee Photographic Society, by request of Mr. A. Mackenzie (Environmental Manager to DeBeers Namaqualand Mines).

Harrison, J. du G., 2001. Complementary morphological and molecular approaches to forest whitegrub (Scarabaeidae) identification. Ph.D. thesis project proposal, University of Pretoria.

Harrison, J. du G. 1996. Phylogeny and Systematics of the genus Pachysoma (Scarabaeidae; Scarabaeinae): endemic west coast dung beetles of conservation concern. M.Sc. thesis proposal, University of Pretoria.

Harrison, J. du G. 1994. Species diversity and body size relationships of adult Trogidae (Coleoptera) assemblages in southern Africa. Honours thesis proposal, University of Pretoria.


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