Our research was featured in the Ecology section of Nature Research Highlights on the 16 August 2017! It was a digestible (pardon the pun) summary of our ant resource removal paper.
Tag Archives: insects
Awesome Entomology – USA Edition!
I worked with Brian Fisher and Jenna Florio in the Entomology department, and I was predominantly working on two citizen science projects in collaboration with the Tsutsui Lab at UC Berkeley.
These new citizen science projects were looking at insect communities in California; including “Pools Project” and “Antvasion!”. The “Pools Project” surveyed the insects in pools of participants, specimens were sent to the museum where I identified the insects/invertebrates to order and the ants to species using a key to the ants of California and antweb. “Antvasion” was a citizen science project which looked at the ants which are specifically found in peoples homes, with emphasis on the distribution and biology of the Argentine ants. We prepared and delivered “natural deterrents” including cinnamon, cayenne pepper and black pepper to participants to see if it would deter the pests.
I also helped to set up a stall for the weekly museum event called “nightlife” where I did talks to the public about entomology collections, ecology, ants and pest management, encouraging them to take part in the few practical activities we have set up at the table, including correctly handling and observing behaviour of argentine ants. As well as this, I did a presentation on “Women in Science” about becoming an entomologist.
A Taste of Taiwan
The biggest mistake in the decisions I made whilst traveling was to spend only 8 days in Taiwan. Little did I know that it is an absolute gem, not only for its stunning natural history but also the friendly and welcoming people, and delicious food…
I was lucky enough to spend a day walking in Taroko National Park where I learned about the beautiful marble geology of the Taroko gorge.
After visiting Taroko, I went to 忘憂森林 in Nantou. It is known as the misty lotus forest – which was surrounded by tea plantations and a very peculiar swamp forest at the top of a very steep hill. Some referred to it as the daemon forest but I am not sure if that is its actual name.
Hopefully, I will return to this wonderful country again in the future.
potentially Penthema formosanum Penthema formosanum is a butterfly endemic to Taiwan. 
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Formosan Flying Squirrel: We all know they don’t actually fly. They glide! Or as Woody would put it, “falling with style”...
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Sex, Bugs & Rock N Roll!
On a bright and sunny June weekend in 2016, I was lucky to volunteer with the infamous outreach initiative, Sex & Bugs & Rock N’ Roll run by the British Ecological Society!
Fun activities included a colouring competition, ecological snakes and ladders, guess the poo (always very popular) and much more hosted by Wychwood Festival.
In Sulawesi, as an Entomologist!
During the field seasons of 2012 and 2013 I was the entomology team leader at Operation Wallacea, Indonesia. The country of Indonesia is a huge country made up of around 18,000 islands across 5,000km. With a population of around 260 million people, and an incredible diversity of approximately 730 different languages. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the island biogeography provides a hot-house for speciation in this tropical island region with an incredible examples of adaptation and endemism. The Wallacea region, named after the famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace
I worked in the main base for the university students doing the jungle training course, and the starting point for school students in south Buton is the village of Labundo. I conducted lepidoptera pollard surveys, banana baited bottle canopy arthropod surveys and Dung beetle surveys in both natural habitats and disturbed agricultural ecosystems. As well as this, I conducted rapid biodiversity assessment of termites using the standard transect method.
Fevziye Hasan 