University of Nebraska State Museum - Division of Entomology

.
Collections Research in Ottawa, Canada
15-22 March 1998
Andrew Smith

Team Scarab working on the NSF-funded project "Monography, phylogenetics, and developing expertise in New World pleurostrict scarab beetles" recently embarked on our first trip as a group to study the major scarab collections in Ottawa, Ontario. Brett Ratcliffe, Mary Liz Jameson, and Andrew Smith traveled from Lincoln, Nebraska, and collaborator Art Evans traveled from Los Angeles, California. The trip to Ottawa afforded us the opportunity to discuss our research objectives with several prominent scarab systematists: Henry Howden, Bruce Gill, and François Génier. In addition, Ottawa is the home to five major collections, including the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian National Museum, the Henry and Anne Howden collection, the Bruce Gill collection, and the François Génier collection. All of these collections have a strong Neotropical component and contain numerous specimens important to our research. Another attraction was the recent acquisition of the Antonio Martínez collection by Henry Howden. Martínez was a renowned scarab taxonomist from Argentina who collected extensively throughout South America. While in Ottawa, we enjoyed the fine company of many colleagues, excellent scarab collections, a variety of Canadian beer, French-Canadian cuisine (poutine!), and the Canadian accent (eh?).

......
Scarab workers infiltrated by weevilist. Bruce Gill, Henry and Anne Howden, Mary Liz Jameson, Art Evans, and Brett Ratcliffe at the Howden home. .
......		......
When the scarab PEET team arrived in Ottawa, we were graciously received by Henry and Anne Howden. Henry Howden is acclaimed for his taxonomic work on many different groups of scarab beetles. He is arguably the most prominent scarab taxonomist of this century. Anne Howden is a eminent weevil taxonomist. It didn't take long before we were pouring through the specimens in the Howden's collection. The Howdens have one of the most complete collection of Neotropical scarabs in the world. It has been created through decades of field work and augmented by the recently acquired Martínez collection.
.
. .
Ottawa from the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.		Mary Liz Jameson and Andrew Smith looking at the Rutelinae in the Howden collection.
.
___________________________________________________________________________________
.
Bob Anderson (one of the world's leading weevil experts) and François Génier (an expert on dung beetle systematics) were our hosts at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The collection has been expertly curated by François Génier, the Collection Manager. The donations of Henry and Anne Howden have greatly enhanced this museum and its insect collections. The Henry and Anne Howden collection will eventually be incorporated into that of the Museum of Nature. When incorporation of the Howden's collection is complete, the Canadian Museum of Nature collection will have one of the largest and most complete scarab collections in the world.
.

Brett Ratcliffe examining a drawer of Henry's Dynastinae. .		Bruce Gill with his license plate of a favorite genus of dung beetle. But is thatUroxys bait dribbling down the back of his Jeep?
.
At the Canadian National Collection (Agriculture Canada), we were hosted by Bruce Gill (an expert in dung beetle systematics), Ales Smetana, Yves Bousquet, and Don Bright. The Canadian National Collection contains specimens collected by the numerous coleopterists who have worked for the institute over the years. The scarab collection is extensive and contains many specimens useful for our PEET project.
.
___________________________________________________________________________________
.
While in Ottawa, Brett Ratcliffe gave a talk at the Ottawa Entomology Club on the recently completed survey of the Dynastinae of Panama and Costa Rica. This was attended by approximately 30 entomologists. Brett was given an elaborate, object-guided introduction by Bruce Gill (a budding late night show host?) and was provided a beetle robot necklace for good luck during his talk.
.

Andrew Smith sorts unidentified scarabs at the Canadian National Collection.		Team Scarab: Mary Liz Jameson, François Génier, Andrew Smith, Billy the Giant Beaver, Brett Ratcliffe, Henry Howden, and Art Evans.
.
___________________________________________________________________________________ .
.
From Ottawa, Brett, Mary Liz, and Andrew traveled to the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts where they participated in an NSF-funded workshop for recipients of PEET grants and their students.
.