Royal Entomological Society

AES Annual Exhibition and Trade Fair 2023
2023-09-30 11:00 - 16:30 (Europe/London)
Come and see the RES at the AES’s entomological fair.

Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames, TW16 5AQ

The RES will have a stand at the Amateur Entomological Society’s Annual Exhibition and Trade Fair 2023.

Come and see us to talk about careers with insects, publications, membership and events. You can pick up some free guides about insects and buy some of our scientific publications.

Online talk October 2023 - Martin Kaltenpoth
2023-10-04 19:30 - 20:45 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-october-2023-martin-kaltenpoth/
The Royal Entomological Society organises insect science conferences and events around the UK and the world for people at all stages of career and interest.

Becoming a member entitles you to discounted (and sometimes free) access to the majority of events.

Become a RES Member

The Royal Entomological Society’s online talk series

Our monthly online lectures take place on the first Wednesday of the month from 19:30 to 20:45 (BST). Tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology, with the opportunity to ask questions. You will also hear about any updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today!

Note: All attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

Martin KaltenpothMax Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Martin Kaltenpoth obtained his MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Würzburg in Germany, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Regensburg and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. In 2009, he established the Insect Symbiosis Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena. From 2015 to 2021, he was full professor for Evolutionary Ecology at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. Since 2021, he is a director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena and heads the Department of Insect Symbiosis. His research focuses on the evolution, chemical ecology, and the molecular interactions of insect-bacteria symbioses, using an integrative and multidisciplinary approach to understand symbiotic associations from the molecule to the fitness consequences for the interacting partners.

Talk title: Microbial symbionts as sources of evolutionary innovations in beetles

Members need to login to register for free

New Scientist Live 2023
2023-10-07 08:00 - 2023-10-09 17:00
7-9 October 2023Hall S8-S11, London ExCel, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

Come and see the RES at New Scientist Live

The RES will have a stand at New Scientist Live 2023.

Meet some live insects, find about why insects and entomology is important in our world, talk with entomologists and hear about careers with insects.

XII European Congress of Entomology (ECE) 2023 - External Event
2023-10-16 09:00 - 2023-10-20 17:00
The Royal Entomological Society frequently hosts and advertises UK and international events year-round for people of all stages of interest and career.

Becoming a member entitles you to discounts (and sometimes free) access to majority of events.

Become a RES Member

ECE2023 is scheduled to take place in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

The Royal Entomological Society is a Silver Sponsor of ECE 2023 and looks forward to taking part in the conference. Simon Ward (CEO), Emilie Aimé (Head of Publishing), Luke Tilley (Director of Communications & Engagement), Fran Sconce (Senior Outreach & Learning Officer) and Anne Weinhold (Business Development and Fundraising Manager) will be on our booth in the exhibition.

Several of our staff members will be presenting within the scientific sessions. Luke Tilley has an oral presentation about the RES Grand Challenges in Entomology project, and how the entomological community can address these issues and engage with policy makers. Fran Sconce has a poster presentation about outreach activities at the RES, collaboration with other organisations and future opportunities.

Organised by the Hellenic Entomological Society.

On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the ECE 2023 and the Hellenic Entomological Society, we are delighted to invite entomologists from around the globe to the XII European Congress of Entomology (ECE 2023), which will be held in Heraklion, Crete, on 16-20 October 2023.

The ECE 2023 audience consists of researchers and academics from a diverse range of entomology related fields, as well as policy-makers, field agronomists, crop protection experts, medical practitioners, engineers, social scientists and artists.

The historic, as well as magnificent island of Crete sets the ideal scenery for ECE 2023. The congress will be hosted in the Cultural and Conference Center of Heraklion, a contemporary venue of international standards, offering high level services in an inspiring environment.Looking forward to welcoming you at ECE Congress in Heraklion in 2023!
Emmanouil Roditakis & Stefanos AndreadisECE2023 Congress Chairs

More information on the ECE2023 website and follow them on social media:

Online talk November 2023 - Una Fitzpatrick
2023-11-01 19:30 - 20:45 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-november-2023-una-fitzpatrick/
The Royal Entomological Society’s online talk series

Our monthly online lectures take place on the first Wednesday of the month from 19:30 to 20:45 (BST). Tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology, with the opportunity to ask questions. You will also hear about any updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today!

Note: All attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

Insect conservation: from data to action

Dr Úna FitzpatrickSenior Ecologist, National Biodiversity Data Centre, Ireland

Using Ireland’s wild bees as a model, this talk will discuss how data has been used to identify conservation priorities, establish monitoring frameworks, drive citizen science initiatives, and ultimately create positive action through the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.

Dr Úna Fitzpatrick, from the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Ireland, has been instrumental in increasing insect knowledge and capacity, in particular for bees and other pollinators. In addition to managing the national database of records for bees and hoverflies, Una has had a leading role in training and capacity building of biological recorders. She regularly blogs and interacts with the media to spread awareness about biodiversity and insect recording in Ireland to the general public.

Úna has been involved in insect conservation in Ireland and globally for almost 20 years, and has had a huge and transformative role in recording, promoting and conserving insects in that time. Una has had an impressive and varied career to date bridging the gap between ecology, citizen science, the general public and conservation.

Following a degree in Botany, her PhD focussed on plant genetics based on islands in the South Pacific. On finishing her PhD she became also interested in insects, and worked to produce some of the seminal work on bee diversity in Ireland, including the first National Red List of bees ever published (Fitzpatrick et al. 2006) as well as some of the first published literature on bee decline in Ireland (Fitzpatrick et al. 2007b, Fitzpatrick et al. 2007a).

Since 2007, Una has worked as an Ecologist and then Senior Ecologist at the National Biodiversity Data Centre – Ireland’s central repository for national biodiversity data and GBIF node (www.biodiversityireland.ie). Since this time, Una has been an inspiration to biodiversity recorders and citizen scientists around Ireland, and a driving force in national interest in biodiversity, biodiversity monitoring and conservation.

Members need to login to register for free

Entomology 2023 - Entomological Society of America
2023-11-05 10:00 - 2023-11-08 17:00
5-8 November 2023Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center, National Harbor, Maryland

Meet the RES at the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting.

The Royal Entomological Society looks forward to taking part in Entomology 2023.

Simon Ward (CEO) and Luke Tilley (Director of Communications & Engagement) will be attending. Luke will be presenting in the “Insect Biodiversity Loss: Empowering People and Policymakers to Address the Growing Challenge” Program Symposium session on Tuesday 7 November, speaking about “Biodiversity snapshot: Europe and UK Parliament’s response.”

Orthoptera Special Interest Group (SIG) 2023
2023-11-08 10:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/orthoptera-sig-2023/
Wednesday 8 NovemberNeil Chalmers Seminar Room, Natural History Museum, London

Join us for the Royal Entomological Society’s annual Orthoptera meeting about grasshopper and cricket research, conservation, recording and more.

Our Orthoptera Special Interest Group (SIG) provides a forum for the discussion of all aspects of research and outreach involving Orthoptera, including behaviour, physiology, acoustics, ecology and taxonomy.

We plan for this to be a hybrid event, taking place in the Neil Chalmers Seminar Room, Natural History Museum, London, and available to stream online.

The programme of speakers is now full. If you would like to bring along live specimens, please contact one of the SIG convenors below:

Darron Cullen: d.cullen@hull.ac.uk

Judith Marshall j.marshall@nhm.ac.uk

Ed Baker: ed.baker@york.ac.uk

Directions to the Neil Chalmers Seminar Room at NHM.

Previous event programme.

Register below

Don’t forget to log in to your RES membership account for access to registration discounts.

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Friday 03 November

Young Verrall Lecture 2024
2024-03-02 14:30 - 15:30
Saturday 2 March, 2024The Catalyst Building, Staffordshire University, Leek Road campus

Join the Amateur Entomologists’ Society and Royal Entomological Society for the Young Verrall Lecture taking place on Saturday 2 March, at 14:30 (GMT) at The Catalyst Building, Staffordshire University.

This free talk given by Professor Rebecca Kilner from the University of Cambridge, is aimed at young entomologists, particularly those 7-11 years, but open to all, will be in person as part of the Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair, a free family event from 10:30-16:00 with stands, activities, and talks all about invertebrates.

Find out more about the Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair: https://www.facebook.com/staffsbugfest

Professor Rebecca Kilner will also be giving the 2024 Verrall Lecture at Imperial College London, on Wednesday 6 March.

Professor Rebecca KilnerUniversity of Cambridge

Professor Rebecca Kilner is an evolutionary biologist from the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Pembroke College and Head of University’s Department of Zoology.

Rebecca’s research investigates how social behaviour evolves, and how it then changes the course of evolution. Although she began her research career by studying birds, she saw the light about 15 years ago when she realised she could ask much more interesting evolutionary questions if she focused her work on insects. Her current research combines experimental evolution on laboratory populations of burying beetles with field experiments and population genomics.

Rebecca became 1866 Professor of Zoology at Cambridge University in 2023, was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2021 and in 2010 received the Scientific Medal from the Zoological Society of London. You can listen to her talking about her work on the BBC Radio 4’s Life Scientific.

Venue address

The Catalyst BuildingStaffordshire UniversityLeek Road CampusLeek RoadStoke-on-TrentST4 2DF

Verrall Lecture 2024
2024-03-06 16:30 - 17:30 | Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ
Wednesday 6 March, 2024Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building

Thank you to everyone who attended the Verrall Lecture.

For those of you who missed it or if you want to listen in again, the recording is available on our YouTube channel below.

Read more about the history of the Verrall Lecture

Please note the venue has changed from the Natural History Museum to Imperial College London.

Imperial College London is a short walk from the Natural History Museum, so you can still enjoy some time exploring the museum before making your way to the lecture.

The Verrall Lecture is an annual public event organised by the Royal Entomological Society, open to all and free to attend. This year’s event will be hosted by Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy.

The lecture takes place on the first Wednesday in March to coincide with the Annual Meeting of the Verrall Association of Entomologists, the Verrall Supper, which begun in 1887 by G.H. Verrall and is now organised by the Entomological Club.

Young Verrall

In 2021, RES joined with the Amateur Entomologists’ Society to organise the first Young Verrall lecture, with the same lecturer speaking to a younger audience. This takes place on Saturday 2 March at Staffordshire University as part of he Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair.

Verrall Lecture 2024

TALK TITLE: Simpson’s question: ​How does behaviour influence evolution?​

We are delighted to welcome Professor Rebecca Kilner to give the 2024 Verrall Lecture.

Professor Rebecca Kilner is an evolutionary biologist from the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Pembroke College and Head of University’s Department of Zoology.

Rebecca’s research investigates how social behaviour evolves, and how it then changes the course of evolution. Although she began her research career by studying birds, she saw the light about 15 years ago when she realised she could ask much more interesting evolutionary questions if she focused her work on insects. Her current research combines experimental evolution on laboratory populations of burying beetles with field experiments and population genomics.

Rebecca became 1866 Professor of Zoology at Cambridge University in 2023, was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2021 and in 2010 received the Scientific Medal from the Zoological Society of London. You can listen to her talking about her work on the BBC Radio 4’s Life Scientific.

Registration

To attend in person, we encourage you to register for free at the bottom of the page to avoid queues at the venue. There is also the opportunity to turn up on the day.

The lecture will start at 16:30, there will be tea and coffee available from 16:00 outside the lecture hall. There will be an RES stand and rare books on display, so do arrive early to meet key members of the RES team.

If you are unable to attend in person, the talk will be recorded and shared after the event.

Location

The Verrall Lecture will take place in the G16 Lecture Theatre of the Sir Alexander Fleming Building at Imperial College London.

Sir Alexander Fleming BuildingImperial College RoadLondonSW7 2AZ

The nearest Tube station is South Kensington, a short walk from Imperial College London. Piccadilly, District and Circle line trains stop at South Kensington. This station is not step-free.

You can find a map of the campus here, the Sir Alexander Fleming Building can be found off Imperial College Road in grid square B3.

Student Forum 2024
2024-03-25 10:00 - 2024-03-26 17:00 | Newcastle University, Henry Daysh Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Monday 25 – Tuesday 26 March, 10:00 – 17:00Henry Daysh Building, Newcastle University and Online

We are delighted to announce details for our 2024 Student Forum! This annual two-day event run by the Royal Entomological Society’s student representatives is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students studying insects.

It provides an opportunity to network and discuss ideas with other students, consider options for your future careers in entomology, and share your research in a welcoming space. The programme also includes talks and careers advice from invited insect scientists and two interactive workshops to help develop skills to help further your careers on ‘Using citizen science as an engagement tool’ and ‘Exploring Research Culture’. Please note due to their interactive nature, workshop will only be available to those joining in person.

The 2024 event will be run both in-person at Newcastle University and the talks will also be live streamed online.

Invited speakers

Larissa CollinsFERA

Larissa Collins lead a team of 23 entomologists and acarologists delivering research and services to government and the private sector. They provide advice and consultancy to Defra on Plant Health, insect monitoring for agricultural pests, research into insect transmission of disease causing organisms, and research on the development of novel insect control (native and invasive species). They also receive all of the invertebrate plant health samples from UK ports and airports for identification. Larissa’s current research interests are developing IPM for wireworms and using Stable Isotopes Analysis to determine the geographical origins of wood-boring insects. This is Larissa’s 30th year as an entomologist, who is very happy to still be learning about the wonderful world of insects and their ecology and behaviour, but most of all to be translating this into sustainable solutions for agriculture and UK Plant Health.

Kelly JowettRothamsted Research

Kelly Jowett is an entomologist working on the design of cropping systems and landscapes to reconcile crop and livestock production with biodiversity and ecosystem services. She has a particular interest in the functional biodiversity of carabid and dung beetles, and working with farmers to apply her research. Kelly completed her PhD on the modelling of carabid beetle distributions in farm landscapes towards effective natural-enemy pest control. She has an MRes in Global Food Security and Development, and a BSc(H) in Environmental Conservation. She has expertise in agricultural entomology, forestry, agricultural systems, and communications.

Kelly is passionate about inspiring the next generation of entomologists, and facilitating others to make a difference for the creatures and environments they love.

Vivek NityanandaNewcastle University

Dr Vivek Nityananda is a BBSRC David Phillips Research Fellow at Newcastle University. He researches the ecology and evolution of sensory and cognitive behaviour in insects. He has a PhD in Animal Behaviour from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and has worked at the University of Minnesota, St Paul and Queen Mary University of London. He has previously been a Marie Curie Research Fellow, a Human Frontiers Science Program Fellow and a fellow of the College of Life Sciences at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin.

Abstract submission

Abstract submission is now closed. If you submitted an abstract you will hear if this has been accepted by Wednesday 28 February. All presenters must register to attend the Student Forum.

Abstract deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Friday 09 February

Registration

Registration is now open at the bottom of this page. Please note there are discounted rates for student members of the RES, so if you are not a member already, consider joining today. Student membership is just £15 per year with one year’s free trial!

To access the discounted rates you will need to login to your account.

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Friday 8 March

In-personRES Student Member£15Non-member£40

Online registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Friday 22 March

OnlineRES Student Member£5Non-member£15

Many thanks to Koppert for kindly supporting the 2024 Student Forum.

RES Student Representatives

Ayman AsiriCardiff University

Ben HawthorneNewcastle University

Vera KaunathUniversity of Potsdam

Online Talk: The Ecology and Conservation of Urban Insects
2024-04-10 16:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-april-24/
We are delighted to welcome back our monthly online talk series! The new series will run on the second Wednesday of the month at the new time of 16:00 – 17:00 (UK Time). Each session will be aligned with one of our seven scientific journals, so tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology alongside key updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today! Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

The Ecology and Conservation of Urban InsectsCecilie Svenningsen & Felipe Walter

Wednesday 10 April16:00 – 17:00 (BST)

As more and more people live in areas of high urban density and have limited contact with the natural world, we need to understand and emphasise the benefits provided by both ornamental and functional urban greenspaces. A critical component to the function of such greenspaces are their insects and the ecosystem services they provide. Now, more than ever, we need to explicitly build the body of research associated with the beneficial insects of city and peri-urban spaces. This session will highlight key research in this area from a recent Special Issue in RES journal Insect Conservation and Diversity on The Ecology and Conservation of Urban Insects.

We will welcome two authors from this special issue to speak live about their research, as well as hear short videos from additional authors. You will then have an opportunity to ask questions live. The session will be chaired by Special Issue Editor, C.M. (Tilly) Collins.

Cecilie SvenningsenNatural History Museum of Denmark

Cecilie S. Svenningsen is a data administrator at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and an external researcher at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. During her PhD studies and Postdoctoral research, she combined citizen science and DNA metabarcoding to examine large-scale effects of land cover and land use on insect communities. As a data administrator, she works with biodiversity data publishers and users, with a focus on data standards, ecological and DNA-derived data. Her professional passions are data reusability and controlled vocabularies while her spare time is used on wildlife gardening and sci-fi.

You can read Cecilie’s Special Issue paper here.

Felipe WalterUniversidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Brazil

Felipe Walter Pereira is a PhD student at the Ecology and Evolution post-graduate program from Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Brazil, and has recently obtained his master’s degree in Entomology from Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Brazil. Felipe studies wild bees and has experience with communities of bees in urban environments, as well as geographic distribution of species. In his current research, his main interests are in the ecology, conservation, biogeography, and evolution of bees, particularly global diversity patterns, biodiversity shortfalls, and climate change effects on geographic distributions.

You can read Felipe’s Special Issue paper here.

The Impact of Extreme Events
2024-04-25 09:30 - 17:00 | Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS
Thursday 25 April, 09:30 – 17:00 (BST)Arts Two Lecture Theatre, Queen Mary University of London

Join our Climate Change and Medical & Veterinary Special Interest Groups as they come together to run this exciting joint hybrid conference on the impact of extreme events on insects.

The conference will cover a range of topics including historical data on climate and biodiversity, vector biology, changing spatial distributions and phenology, as well as understanding physiological responses of insects to improve predictive models. There will also be scope for talks addressing other challenges, e.g., invasive species, vector ecology, food security, conservation etc. and how research can help develop policy.

There will be a short discussion at the end of the meeting to discuss key future challenges, opportunities for collaboration and funding.

The venue, part of Queen Mary University of London, is situated right by Mile End in East London on the central line. This is a short journey from most London central stations. It is a vibrant area by the canal, with bars, restaurants and hotels. There will be an opportunity to go for informal drinks after the meeting (details tbc).

Keynote speakers

We are delighted to announce our keynote speakers:

David RenaultUniversity of Rennes

Professor David Renault is interested in examining the sensitivity and vulnerability of insects subjected to multiple environmental variations of rapidly changing environments to make predictions of possible shifts in the geographic range of species. He focuses on invasive species, the polar regions, as well as insects of medical and veterinary importance, such as mosquitoes.

David leads several research projects, including IPEV 136 ‘Subantarctic biodiversity, effects of climate change and biological invasions on terrestrial biota’ (since 2014), ‘ASICS’ (ASsessing and mitigating the effects of climate change and biological Invasions on the spatial redistribution of biodiversity in Cold environmentS, funded by Biodiversa, call 2019-2020 ‘Biodiversity and Climate Change) all and also co-leads the national network on biological invasions (GdR CNRS, ca. 280 scientists, renewed for 2018-2022).

Sinead EnglishUniversity of Bristol

Dr Sinead English is an evolutionary ecologist, and head of the Evolution and Vector Ecology Lab at the University of Bristol (evelab.org). Her research broadly aims to bring evolutionary insights into questions of public health importance, with focus on (1) the consequences of ageing in disease vectors; (2) how maternal stress influences offspring health; and (3) how climate change affects survival and reproduction of insect populations. She uses a combination of experimental and field studies on insect models (in particular, tsetse), comparative studies, and theoretical models to approach these topics. She has led major research programmes funded by the BBSRC and Royal Society, and currently holds a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship.

Roger Morris

Roger Morris has been a Fellow of the RES since 1984. He worked in various roles for The Nature Conservancy Council & its successors before joining the Board at Harwich Haven Authority (2010-2015) and working as an independent coastal management specialist (2009-2018). He is now retired. He has been joint organiser of the British Hoverfly Recording Scheme (HRS) with Dr Stuart Ball (formerly JNCC’s Chief Analyst) since 1991 (a voluntary commitment). He and Stuart are co-authors of the best-selling Britain’s Hoverflies (Princeton University Press WILDGuides), now the ‘go-to’ guide for novices, and were instrumental in revising and updating the main British monograph British Hoverflies by Alan Stubbs & Steven Falk (2002).

Deborah HemmingMet Office Hadley Centre & Birmingham University

Dr Deborah Hemming is the Scientific Manager of the Vegetation-Climate Interactions (VCI) team at the UK Met Office Hadley Centre. She completed a PhD in Plant Science at Cambridge University in 1998 and followed this with two post-doctoral positions at the University of Ariona, USA, and the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, before joining the Met Office in 2004. She has extensive research experience conducting field, laboratory, and modelling studies to understand and quantify the responses of forest ecosystems to environmental changes. Her research involves the monitoring of ecosystem changes and improvement of vegetation responses in land surface and earth system models to advance understanding of climate and environmental changes and inform climate mitigation and adaptation actions.

Programme

The full programme can now be viewed below.

RES-Impact-of-Extreme-Events-Programme

Abstract submission

Abstract submission has now closed.

Registration

Registration has now closed.

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 05 April

In-personRES Student Member£20RES Member£45Non-member£100

Online registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 19 April

OnlineRES Student Member£10RES Member£20Non-member£70

SIG convenors

Scott Hayward, University of Birmingham (Climate Change SIG Convener)

Marion England, Pirbright Institute (Medical and Veterinary Entomology SIG Convener)

Arran Folly, Animal and Plant Health Agency (Medical and Veterinary Entomology SIG deputy-Convener)

Location

Arts Two327 Mile End RoadBethnal GreenLondonE1 4NS

Forest Invertebrates: Challenges and Solutions
2024-05-02 10:00 - 16:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/forest-invertebrates-2024/
Thursday 2 May, 10:00 – 16:00 (BST)Online

Join our Forest Invertebrates Special Interest Group (SIG) at their next meeting, taking place online. The Forest Invertebrate group encourages students of all ages, practitioners, amateurs and academics, and anyone with an interest in trees, forests and the invertebrates within them, to add to our conversations.

This online meeting aims to highlight a range of topical issues facing forest invertebrates in Britain and beyond, providing an opportunity to share knowledge, research and observations, and to generate discussion and engagement. The meeting will include a series of short presentations (15 mins) as well as informal ‘invertebrate updates’ (5 minutes), and an opportunity for ‘open to all’ topical discussion.

The meeting will take a challenges vs solutions approach. Broken into two halves, the morning will discuss the challenges we are facing and the afternoon will focus on solutions, with a conservation focus. Topics are drawn from the RES grand challenges themes and include, but are not limited to:

Changing pest threats

Climate change impacts

Conservation options and outlook

Drivers and consequences of change

Monitoring techniques

Problems facing forest invertebrates, such as declines in abundance or diversity, habitat loss, or management issues

Keynote speakers

We are delighted to welcome the following keynote speakers.

Ruth Mitchell, The James Hutton Institute

Dr Ruth Mitchell is leader of the Biodiversity and Ecosystems group at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen. She also leads the Biodiversity Topic for the Scottish Government Rural Affairs, Food and Environment Strategic Research Programme. She is a plant and soil ecologist with 20 years experience of working on a wide range of applied ecological research projects. Recently her work has focused on trees and the impact of declines in trees, such as oak and ash, on wider biodiversity. Her work also looks at mitigation and which tree species are the most suitable ecological replacements for UK tree species currently impacted by non-native pests and pathogens. She is currently leading the Treescapes project DiversiTree.

Fiona Plenderleith, Forest Research

Fiona is an ecologist with an interest in woodland connectivity. She is particularly interested in exploring how species disperse through different features of the landscape (e.g. dispersal through newly created woodlands). Her research uses data on species movement (obtained through tracking or landscape genetics) and spatial modelling tools to assess functional connectivity.

Fiona and Ruth will present jointly on: Ash dieback – consequences for invertebrates and mitigation strategies.

Nigel Straw

Dr Nigel Straw worked in the Tree Health Division of Forest Research for over 30 years on a wide range of forest insects, and since 2020 he has continued research as an Emeritus Research Fellow, focussing on invertebrate predators of aphids in the tree canopy, the management of oak processionary moth, and long-term effects of horse-chestnut leaf-miner and pathogens on urban and rural horse-chestnut trees.

The problem with trees: they’re big, they’re slow, and they live a long time

Studying insects on trees faces particular challenges, not least in how to access the canopy and in devising suitable sampling programmes. But trees also change over time, in size, structure and physiology, and these changes can have a major influence how insects and trees interact. Some of these issues become apparent when comparing the response of young and mature trees to insect attack, and how events earlier in the life of a tree can influence the response to insects, and pathogens, many years later.

Abstract submission

Abstract submission is now closed.

Programme

Forest-Invertebrates-SIG-ProgrammeDownload

Registration

Registration is now open at the bottom of this page. Please note there are discounted rates for members of the RES, so if you are not a member already, consider joining today!

To access discounted member rates, you must be logged into your account before registering.

Registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Monday 29 April

Ticket typeCostRES Student Member£10RES Member£20Non-Member£50

SIG convenors

Daegan Inward, Forest Research

Kirsty Godsman, Caledonian Conservation Ltd

Abi Enston, Forest Research

Brenden Beckett, Forest Research

Talor Whitham, Forest Research & University of Reading

Online Talk: Physiological Entomology
2024-05-08 16:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-physiological-entomology/
We are delighted to welcome back our monthly online talk series! The new series will run on the second Wednesday of the month at the new time of 16:00 – 17:00 (UK Time). Each session will be aligned with one of our seven scientific journals, so tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology alongside key updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today! Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

Physiological EntomologyNick Teets & Thies Büscher

Wednesday 8 May16:00 – 17:00 (BST)

Physiological Entomology is one of the Society’s oldest journals, and has been publishing continuously since 1836. Physiological Entomology today is a distinguished journal with a unique focus on insects and arthropods, investigating their functioning and adaptations using experimental methods. Topics include systems physiology, morphology, neurobiology, and molecular toxicology, providing valuable insights into insect evolutionary success. This session highlights the work of two of our newest Editors-in-Chief, Nick Teets and Thies Buscher.

Nick TeetsUniversity of Kentucky

Nick Teets is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky. His lab primarily investigates the mechanisms by which insects survive extreme and variable environmental conditions. Specific topics include phenotypic plasticity in thermal tolerance, mechanisms of adaptation in Antarctic insects, and overwintering biology of pest and invasive species. The lab also investigates practical implications of this work, including the influence of abiotic conditions on genetically based pest control strategies, and embryo cryopreservation. Aside from research, Nick instructs a general entomology course and a molecular genetics course taken by students majoring in biotechnology.

Talk title: Entomology in Antarctica: environmental adaptations in the world’s southernmost insect

Thies BüscherKiel University

Thies H. Büscher is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department for Functional Morphology and Biomechanics at Kiel University, Germany. He is a functional morphologist interested in how insects interact with surfaces in their environment. His research combines morphology, biomechanics, behaviour, ecology and evolution. Specifically, his main interests focus on the mechanical interaction between attachment systems of different insects with their environments, including the surfaces of other animals. How attachment systems are designed in various insect taxa, how these are adapted to their respective environments and the physical drivers of diversification of these systems can be informative for a broad field of other interests, including crop protection, conservation and engineering.

Talk title: Attachment systems of insects: environmental adaptations on the mechanical level

Online Talk: Evolving Perspectives in Hymenoptera Systematics
2024-06-12 16:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-june-24/
We are delighted to welcome back our monthly online talk series! The new series will run on the second Wednesday of the month at the new time of 16:00 – 17:00 (UK Time). Each session will be aligned with one of our seven scientific journals, so tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology alongside key updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today! Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

Systematic Entomology:

Ants, bees and wasps – connecting fossils, specimens and genomes

Wednesday 12 June16:00 – 17:00 (BST)

The latest in our online talk series highlights RES journal Systematic Entomology, a high-impact journal publishing insect systematics, phylogenetics and integrative taxonomy, with a preference for general interest papers of broad biological, evolutionary or zoogeographical relevance. The speakers will discuss a review article currently in press “Evolving Perspectives in Hymenoptera Systematics: Bridging Fossils and Genomes across Time”

Tamara SpasojevicNatural History Museum in Vienna

Tamara’s research focuses on the incredibly diverse group of Hymenoptera known as Darwin wasps. Since her PhD in Switzerland, Tamara has been working on establishing a time scale of evolution of Darwin wasps, by integrating fossils, morphology, and molecular data, and using both empirical and simulation-based approaches. Her latest projects look at mass extinction events and their impact on the evolutionary dynamics of Darwin wasps. In parallel, she is working on deciphering host-related evolutionary patterns in the fascinating polysphinctine spider parasitoids. Tamara has recently taken up a position of Hymenoptera curator at the Natural History Museum in Vienna.

Miles ZhangUniversity of Edinburgh

Miles completed his MSc in Canada focusing on rose gall wasp parasitoids, then a PhD in the US working on braconid parasitoid taxonomy, systematics, and evolution. Miles then worked as a postdoc at the University of Florida and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to work on invasive ants and parasitic wasp taxonomy, population genomics, and phylogenomics. He is currently a Marie Curie fellow at the University of Edinburgh, where he is reunited with his beloved rose galls to work out their tritrophic interactions between plant, herbivore, and natural enemies.

Big Bang Fair 2024 – External Event
2024-06-19 09:00 - 2024-06-21 17:00
The NEC, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT, UK

Join us for free at the NEC in Birmingham on Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 June 2024.

The Big Bang Fair is back for 2024! We’re so excited for you to join us at the UK’s biggest celebration of STEM for young people.

Insects will return to The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair with the Royal Entomological Society’s stand. Meet some live insects, find out about how important they are in our world and talk to insect scientists about their study pathways and careers.

The Fair is open to schools from 9am to 5pm to get stuck in, get inspired and get excited at the STEM event of the year.

The Big Bang Fair will be packed full of exciting, interactive activities and has been designed specifically with 11 to 14 year olds in mind, to provide the best careers inspiration, advice and opportunities to meet with real scientists and engineers.

More details about the exciting activities and opportunities on offer at The Big Bang Fair will be coming soon and will be updated regularly, so make sure to check back.

Suitable for

Ages 6 – 13 Years

Event type

Exhibition

Interactive stand

Which insects?

Ants, bees, wasps and sawflies

Ready to go? Plan your visit.

Click here to register

Would you like to share the importance insect science with young people?

The Royal Entomological Society is seeking volunteers based in the UK for an interactive stand at the Big Bang Fair, from 19 – 21 June 2024 at Hall 12, The NEC, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT, UK.

If you have questions about the opportunity please contact Fran Sconce.

If you would like to apply for this opportunity please complete and submit the Microsoft Form. Deadline: 03/06/24

Young people holding insects on the RES stand at the Big Bang Fair 2023

Insect Week 2024
2024-06-24 00:00 - 2024-06-30 23:59
Our annual celebration of the ‘little things that run the world’ returns for 2024

Insect Week is our annual celebration of the ‘little things that run the world’, dedicated to encouraging people of all ages to learn more about insects.

The Royal Entomological Society organises the week, supported by a large number of partner organisations with interests in the science, natural history and conservation of insects.

We look forward to all types of activities relating to insects including: art workshops, bug hunts, talks, exhibitions, discussion panels, media programmes, interactive exhibitions, art performances, school visits. If you would like to host an activity, please contact Fran Sconce.

Find out more at www.insectweek.org

What is an insect?

Why are they important?

What is an entomologist?

Get involved

Find an event

Visit the Insect Week Events page to find an event near you during Insect Week. We will be listing some of these nearer the time.

Planning an event during Insect Week?

Submit your event here and we will advertise it on our websites.

Want to organise an event but not sure where to start?

Visit our Organise an Event page for information to help you get your event up and running for Insect Week.

Biological Records

Biological records build a picture of where an insect species occurs (distribution), when it occurs in the year (phenology) and the habitat the insect is associated with (ecology). To monitor insect species, and see whether they are increasing or decreasing, we need detailed biological records to be collated over time. Your records can help ‘measure the health’ of insects in the UK.

Learn how to Record Insect Species here.

Competitions

Insect Week Photography Competition

The Insect Week Photography Competition is back again this year! Submit your best insect-themed photos for prizes and features. Be sure to read the Terms & Conditions before entering.

Insect Week Art Competition

Photography not your thing? We also have an Art Competition – Visit the Art & Photography Competition page to enter now.

Instar Magazine

Instar Magazine

Why not check out our digital magazine for young entomologists?

Find out more about insects and those people who study them in an exciting third edition of our digital magazine.

Read about metamorphosis, insect mouth parts, how insects hear & how to draw them!

Read Instar magazine online.

Social Media 🦋🐞🐝🐛

Follow @InsectWeek on social media platforms for more updates, great photography, interesting news and fun things to do, including our campaigns throughout the week.

Just tag us with @InsectWeek in posts with images, text, reels or your preferred medium and we will endeavour to share and feature as many as possible through our stories or reposts during #InsectWeek24 – Let’s do our best this week to share our love, respect and knowledge of insects!

Our socials:

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Note – We do not provide recordings of events or presentations as standard, unless otherwise stated.

AI in Entomology
2024-07-03 09:15 - 17:30 | Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre, RG42 6EY
Wednesday 3 July, 09:15 – 17:30 (BST)Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most exciting and transformative developments of modern times. This joint event run by our Data and Electronics & Computing Special Interest Groups will cover a wide range of questions relating to the two-way dialogue between insect science and emerging artificial intelligence technologies. These include, but are not limited to:

How can insect science benefit from emerging technologies today and in the near future, and what are the main challenges to successful implementation?

How can we design robust AI systems for analysing and integrating noisy datasets which can effectively deal with inconsistencies and errors; what are the specific challenges for insect datasets?

How can we efficiently implement autodidactic (i.e. self-) learning for field-deployable data acquisition and analysis systems?

How can we overcome the challenges posed by operating technology at the edge?

How can insect science inform the future development of AI systems?

Specific topics might include, for example:

The use of AI technology in digital taxonomy.

AI technology in insect ‘omics and molecular ecology.

Image processing and machine learning for fully automated data capture in the field;

The implications of using large language models such as Google Bard & ChatGPT for data mining.

Using AI technology in community science datasets such as iRecord/NBN, and many more.

Keynote speakers

We are delighted to welcome the following keynote speakers:

Barbara Webb, University of EdinburghTalk title: Insect-inspired AI

Barbara Webb obtained a BSc in Psychology at the University of Sydney followed by a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh, where she began her exploration of insect-inspired robots by building a robot cricket. She held faculty positions in the University of Nottingham and University of Stirling before returning to the University of Edinburgh where she is now Professor of Biorobotics in the School of Informatics. She leads the Insect Robotics group there and investigates navigation, learning and sensorimotor control, including the underlying neural circuitry. Her approach has been highly influential, and she has been invited to write reviews of the methodology in Nature and Science. She was recently elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Richard Bomphrey, Royal Veterinary CollegeTalk title: Neural networks in insect flight control and bioinspired aerial robotics

Richard’s research blends biology and engineering, using biomechanics as a tool to investigate how the physical environment shapes the morphology and control systems of flying animals. He has investigated the sensory systems animals use to fly, their morphology and aerodynamics. He has also applied biological insights from these experiments to aerial robots. Richard joined the Structure and Motion Laboratory at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 2013 after reading Biological Sciences at Exeter, a PhD/DPhil in Oxford, postdoctoral positions in Oxford and Bath, and an EPSRC Fellowship. He is currently Professor of Comparative Biomechanics.

Toke Høye, Aarhus University

Toke Høye is a Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark. He leads a research group focused on developing and applying novel monitoring technology to questions related to species responses to environmental change. They primarily focus on insects and other invertebrates, where monitoring data is particularly limited and where species responses to environmental change are particularly pronounced. They focus on computer vision-based methods, which hold particular promise for global scalability and expert validation and collaborate widely on interdisciplinary projects.

Rob Lind, Syngenta

Rob joined Syngenta 30 years ago as an intern in entomology while completing his BSc in Applied Biology at the University of Bath. He then completed a sponsored PhD with Zeneca at the University of Bath under Stuart Reynolds studying neuro-pharmacology before starting permanently in 1998 at Jealott’s Hill International Research Station, leading teams in entomology research. Rob formed a new team focused on imaging technologies in 2012 in internal R&D before moving to Computational Agronomy in 2021 to focus on Computer Vision solutions for growers. Rob is a Fellow both within Syngenta and the Royal Entomological Society.

Mark O’Neill, Tumbling Dice Ltd

Mark O’Neill is technical director of Tumbling Dice Ltd, a scientific computing consultancy based in Newcastle upon Tyne UK. He has over 30 years experience in artificial intelligence and image understanding technologies and has worked extensively in the areas of satellite mapping, network science, pattern matching and image recognition. He is also interested in novel computer architectures and is currently developing high concurrency low power hardware for field deployable autodidactic AI. Mark holds a B.Sc. Degree in Chemical Physics from The University of Sheffield and a Ph.D. in Geomatic Engineering from University College London.

Programme

The full programme can now be viewed below.

AI-in-Entomology-ProgrammeDownload

Abstract submission

Abstract submission is now closed.

Registration

Registration has now closed.

To access discounted member rates, you must be logged into your account before registering.

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 14 June

In-personRES Student Member£20RES Member£45Non-member£100

Online registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 28 June

OnlineRES Student Member£10RES Member£20Non-member£70

SIG convenors

James Gilbert, University of Hull (Data SIG convenor)

Mark O’Neill, Tumbling Dice Ltd (Electronic and Computing Technology SIG convenor)

Location

Jealott’s Hill International Research CentreSyngentaWarfieldBracknellRG42 6EY

Online Talk - Insect epigenetics: challenges and dilemmas
2024-07-10 10:00 - 11:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-online-talk-july-24/
We are delighted to welcome back our monthly online talk series! The new series will run on the second Wednesday of the month at the new time of 16:00 – 17:00 (UK Time). Each session will be aligned with one of our seven scientific journals, so tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology alongside key updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today! Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

Insect Molecular BiologyInsect epigenetics: challenges and dilemmas

Wednesday 10 July10:00 – 11:00 (BST)

The latest in our online talk series highlights RES journal Insect Molecular Biology, publishing high-quality original research on insect and arthropod molecular biology, focusing on insect genomics/genes and proteomics/proteins.

This talk will focus on a Special Issue on ‘The role of epigenetics in insects in changing environments‘ due to be published soon. Epigenetic regulation in insects is increasingly important in a changing environment. This special issue looks at its role in areas such insect stress and behaviour, across various taxa including those of medical and agricultural importance. We are delighted to be welcoming one of the key authors in the Special Issue, Ryszard Maleszka, to speak on ‘Insect epigenetics: challenges and dilemmas.’

Ryszard MaleszkaAustralian National University

Ryszard Maleszka is Emeritus Professor and Honorary Group Leader at the Australian National University in Canberra. He received his degrees from the Department of Genetics, University of Warsaw and has done postdoctoral work at the National Research Council of Canada before moving to Australia in 1987. Since 1998 he has been spearheading a research theme that uses insect model systems to study the genotype to phenotype link, and to understand how epigenetic modifications contribute to phenotypic and behavioural plasticity. His work provided impetus for a new field of research on insect epigenomics and brought distinction to science community in Australia. He has published over 150 papers including research and popular articles, reviews and book chapters.

Aphids Special Interest Group (SIG) 2024
2024-07-18 09:15 - 16:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/aphids-2024/
Thursday 18 JulyOnline, 09:15 – 16:00 (BST)

Join our Aphids Special Interest Group (SIG) at their next meeting, taking place online. The Aphids group encourages students of all ages, practitioners, amateurs and academics, and anyone with an interest in this group of fascinating and important insects.

This online meeting aims to highlight current aphid research in the UK and internationally as well as providing an opportunity to generate discussion and engagement. The meeting will include a series of short presentations as well as well as quick-fire aphid updates.

The meeting will be divided into sessions that reflect the diversity of aphid research. Topics that are welcomed, include, but are not limited to:

Aphid biology

Aphid ecology

Aphid taxonomy

Aphid pest management

Keynote speakers

We are delighted to announce some of the keynote speakers for this event. Details of the additional keynote speakers will be announced soon.

James BellKeele University

Talk title: Virus yellows’ in sugar beet: is there a technological solution for early detection before leaves yellow?

James holds a unique position in that he works on agricultural pests and insect conservation, providing a balanced insight into how terrestrial ecosystems should be managed. He is the Rothamsted lead for the NERC funded Drivers and Repercussions of UK Insect Declines (DRUID) project that is tasked with examining evidence for insect population change across a broad range of taxa. Pest management and vector-borne pathogen research, largely focused on aphids, remains an active research interest. James was recently appointed Keele’s Professor of Entomology. Previously, he was Head of the Rothamsted Insect Survey.

Mariska BeekmanWageningen University & Research

Talk title: Attack of the clones – how one genotype of Myzus persicae took over the Dutch sweet pepper glasshouses

Mariska studied biology at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in the Netherlands. During her bachelor’s, while doing a project with Koppert Biological Systems, she first encountered the fascinating world of aphids and their secondary endosymbionts. After completing her master’s, she worked a few years as a laboratory technician at both the UvA and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam before pursuing her PhD at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. During her doctoral studies, Mariska researched various forms of resistance, including endosymbiont-based and endogenously encoded resistance, in commercial glasshouse aphid pests, examining their response to both conventional and organic pest control methods.

Dave ChandlerWarwick University

Talk title: An IPM strategy for aphid control on brassica plants combining partial host plant resistance and biologically based controls

Dave Chandler is a microbiologist and entomologist working at Warwick University’s School of Life Sciences and at the Warwick Crop Centre, Wellesbourne Warwickshire. He conducts research into invertebrate microbial interactions. His main areas of interest are: entomopathogens and microbial pest control; honeybee health; ecology and physiology of entomopathogenic fungi; biopesticide regulation and governance; and Integrated Pest Management. He has worked at Wellesbourne since 1990. Previous to this, he studied for a bachelor degree in biology at the University of Nottingham, followed by a PhD in mycology at Kings College London. His work covers both basic and applied science. He has been an adviser on IPM to the European Parliament and the US Department of Agriculture.

Programme

The full programme can now be viewed below.

Aphids SIG 2024; ProgrammeDownload

Abstract submission

Abstract submission is now closed.

Registration

Registration is now open at the bottom of this page. Please note there are discounted rates for members of the RES, so if you are not a member already, consider joining today!

To access discounted member rates, you must be logged into your account before registering.

Registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Monday 15 July

Ticket typeCostRES Student Member£10RES Member£20Non-Member£50

SIG convenors

Joe Roberts, Harper Adams University

Tom Pope, Harper Adams University

International Congress of Entomology (ICE 2024) - External Event
2024-08-25 09:00 - 2024-08-30 17:00
The Royal Entomological Society frequently hosts and advertises UK and international events year-round for people of all stages of interest and career.

Becoming a member entitles you to discounted (and sometimes free) access to the majority of RES events.

Become a RES Member

Meet the RES at the international insect science event in Kyoto, Japan.

The Royal Entomological Society is a Bronze sponsor and exhibitor at the global entomology event ICE2024, which will take place at the Kyoto International Conference Centre, Japan.

RES staff including our CEO Simon Ward and Director of Communcations & Engagement Luke Tilley will be on stand 6 in the exhibition hall and look forward to meeting conference delegates and welcoming new members to the Society.

On Sunday 25 August RES will host the Wigglesworth Memorial Lecture in the Main Hall.

The RES will hold a reception for RES members and journal editorial boards on the evening of Monday 26 August, details will be available on the RES exhibition stand.

On the morning Tuesday 27 August Senior Outreach & Learning Officer Francisca Sconce will present a talk Outreach and education with insects in room F as part of the Manga, Comics, and Games as tools for Entomological Engagement! session.

Head of Publishing Emilie Aimé will run a Meet the Editors event – #PitchYourPaper – at lunchtime on Thursday 29 August at the RES stand.

Professor May Berenbaum

Prof. May Berenbaum will be delivering our Wigglesworth Memorial Lecture Insect-Plant Interactions in the Anthropocene as a plenary speaker, and will be awarded the Medal for ‘outstanding services to the science of Entomology’ on Sunday 25 August by RES President Prof. Jane Hill.

Professor May Roberta Berenbaum is a professor of entomology at the University of Illinois and IGB faculty member. Her research focuses on chemical interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants, and the implications of these interactions on the organization of natural communities and the evolution of species.

Download the ICE 2024 promotional poster.

Registration information is on the ICE2024 website.

We look forward to meeting you in Kyoto!

Note – We do not provide recordings of events or presentations as standard, unless otherwise stated.

South West Online Meet-up
2024-09-06 19:00 - 20:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/south-west-online-meet-up/
Friday 6 September19:00 – 20:00 (BST)Online, Zoom

This informal online meet-up is an opportunity to meet Liz Evesham, our regional representative for the South West of England, to discuss opportunities for activates in the local area.

If you live in the South West, we invite you to come along to meet fellow entomologists and naturalists in your region and consider possible activities for the year. This could include, talks, walks and visits to various places of interest. We encourage you to come with any ideas you might have, and do consider factors like any costs involved, venues, accessibility and the general interest of fellow members.

This is free to attend, simply register your details below to access the Zoom link.

Ento24: In-person
2024-09-10 00:00 - 2024-09-12 23:59 | University of Liverpool
10 – 12 SeptemberUniversity of Liverpool and Online

We are delighted to invite you to Ento24, the Royal Entomological Society’s annual meeting dedicated to insect science.

Join the global entomological community, with opportunities to present your work, meet new contacts and build collaborations.

You can join discussions on social media using #Ento24

In-person registration

Online registration

Abstract submission

Plenary speakers

Travel & accommodation

Exhibition & sponsorship

In-person registration

Join entomologists from around the world to present your work, meet new contacts, and build on your career. We are delighted to be holding Ento24 at the University of Liverpool and working with the below convenors to create an exciting and diverse programme for the community to enjoy:

Sharon Zytynska, University of Liverpool

Chris Williams, Liverpool John Moores University

Chris Jones, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Michelle Davis, Edge Hill University

The programme overview is now available to view below.

We work hard to ensure registration costs remain accessible and offer significantly reduced rates for RES members. If you aren’t already a member, join today!

Become a member

As part of your in-person registration you will have access to:

3 days immersed in the current themes across insect science

The chance to present your work to the global entomological community

Three internationally renowned plenary speakers

Key themed topics led by keynote speakers

Workshops to develop skills and network interactively

Social events and activities to meet new colleagues and build collaborations

Refreshments and lunches throughout the conference

Extended earlybird registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 24 JulyStandard registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 16 August

EarlybirdStudent member – Full£95Member – Full£200Non-member – Full£340Student member – 1 day£50Member – 1 day£110Non-member – 1 day£180

StandardStudent member – Full£140Member – Full£270Non-member – Full£440Student member – 1 day£90Member – 1 day£180Non-member – 1 day£260

Registration is open at the bottom of the page. Please note this page is for in-person registration. If you want to join online, please click the link below.

Online registration

Conference dinner

Join us on Wednesday 11 September at the Ento24 conference dinner to enjoy an evening socialising with colleagues old and new at the Liverpool World Museum, a 20-minute walk from the main conference venue.

Spaces are limited so book now to save disappointment. The ticket can be added to your registration at the bottom of the page.

Tickets are £65 per person and include:

An arrival drink in The Atrium

A 2-course buffet menu

Additional drink with dinner

Access to a cash bar

World Museum collections tour

If you are arriving on Monday 9 September, there will be two slots available to join Tony Hunter, Curator of Entomology at the World Museum Liverpool, for a tour of the collections. Spaces are limited and offered on a first come first serve basis.

The World Museum’s entomology collections are nationally significant, with around 750,000 invertebrate specimens including pinned insects. The tour will comprise of an overview of the insect collection and archives (highlighting notable specimens), their reference library, the department’s research outputs, as well as a demonstration of the equipment we have for entomologists to use.

Tickets are £5 and can be added when you register below. Tours will last an hour with two times available on Monday 9 September:

14:30 – 15:30

15:30 – 16:30

Refund policy

If cancellation is received before 17:00 (BST), Friday 19 July, the full registration fee will be given.

If cancellation is received after 17:00 (BST), Friday 19 July, but before 17:00 (BST), Friday 16 August, 50% of the registration fee will be refunded.

No refunds will be given after 17:00 (BST), Friday 16 August

If you are registering on behalf of someone else, please be sure to use the name and details of the person attending.

If you require any assistance with your purchase or would like more information, please feel free to email us at info@royensoc.co.uk

Are you a member? Log in to your membership account for access to discounted tickets.

Want to know more about the history of Ento?

Visit the Ento conference hub

Ento24: Online
2024-09-10 00:00 - 2024-09-12 23:59
10 – 12 SeptemberUniversity of Liverpool and Online

We are delighted to invite you to Ento24, the Royal Entomological Society’s annual meeting dedicated to insect science. Join the global entomological community, with opportunities to present your work, meet new contacts and build collaborations.

You can join discussions on social media using #Ento24

In-person registration

Online registration

Abstract submission

Plenary speakers

Travel & accommodation

Exhibition & sponsorship

Online registration

Join entomologists from around the world to present your work and hear the latest research from the global entomological community. We are delighted to be holding Ento24 at the University of Liverpool and online, working with the below convenors to create an exciting and diverse programme for the community to enjoy:

Sharon Zytynska, University of Liverpool

Chris Williams, Liverpool John Moores University

Chris Jones, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Michelle Davis, Edge Hill University

The programme overview is now available to view below.

We work hard to ensure registration costs remain accessible and offer significantly reduced rates for RES members. If you aren’t already a member, join today!

Become a member

As part of your online registration you will have access to:

3 days immersed in the current themes across insect science

The chance to present your work online to the global entomological community

Three internationally renowned plenary speakers

Key themed topics led by keynote speakers

Extended earlybird registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 24 JulyStandard registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 4 September

EarlybirdStudent member£30Member£70Non-member£140

StandardStudent member£50Member£100Non-member£200

Registration is open at the bottom of the page. Please note this page is for online registration. If you want to join in person, please click the link below.

In-person registration

Refund policy

If cancellation is received before 17:00 (BST), Friday 19 July, the full registration fee will be refunded.

If cancellation is received after 17:00 (BST), Friday 19 July, but before 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 4 September, 50% of the registration fee will be refunded.

No refunds will be given after 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 4 September.

If you are registering on behalf of someone else, please be sure to add the name and details of the person attending when prompted.

If you require any assistance with your purchase or would like more information, please feel free to email us at info@royensoc.co.uk

Are you a member? Log in to your membership account for access to discounted tickets.

Want to know more about the history of Ento?

Visit the Ento conference hub

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024
2024-09-10 13:30 - 14:30 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/agm24/
The Royal Entomological Society AGM to take place as an in-person and online event during Ento24.

Find out more about Ento24

All members and fellows are welcome to join the meeting (online and in-person) to hear about the RES activities over the last year.

Download the AGM papers using the following links:

Annual Report 2024

RES Annual Report 2024 4 SignedDownload

AGM 2024 Agenda

AGM 2023 Minutes

View the 2023-2024 Impact report

Read more about the RES AGM

We will also welcome our new Trustees

Please don’t forget to vote for the new Chair of Outreach Committee and Chair of Science, Policy & Society Committee.

The voting process

Online voting information will be emailed to the Membership and displayed on the website.

Voting will close on Friday 30 August 2024.

Vote for RES Trustees

Candidates will be notified of the results before the AGM. Council will announce the results at the AGM on Tuesday 10 September 2024, taking place during Ento24.

How to attend

To attend the AGM online, please register below for free. You will be sent the streaming link shortly before the meeting.

Online Talk - Ecological Entomology
2024-10-09 16:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-october-24/
We are delighted to welcome back our monthly online talk series! The new series will run on the second Wednesday of the month at the new time of 16:00 – 17:00 (UK Time). Each session will be aligned with one of our seven scientific journals, so tune in to hear an in depth discussion on a specific field of entomology alongside key updates and new activities from the Society.

These talks are free for RES members, so join today! Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

Ecological Entomology

Wednesday 09 October16:00 – 17:00 (BST)

The latest in our online talk series highlights RES journal, Ecological Entomology, publishing high-quality original research research on the ecology of insects and related invertebrate taxa. The journal aim is to publish papers that are motivated by ecological or evolutionary theory and will be of considerable interest to the wide community of ecologists.

We are delighted to be welcoming Jane Stout to speak. Jane is President Elect for the Royal Entomological Society, becoming President in September 2024.

Jane StoutTrinity College Dublin

Jane Stout, professor in botany at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), is an internationally renowned expert on pollinator and pollination ecology, and a prominent voice for biodiversity and its value. Her research seeks to understand how land management practices, including agriculture and urbanisation, affect ecological processes and the benefits of nature for humans. Jane works across disciplines, and with a broad range of stakeholders in public and private organisations, to improve environmental policy and practice. She leads a large team of researchers in the Plant-Animal Interactions Research group in Botany, in the School of Natural Sciences in Trinity. She is co-founder and Chair of the Board of the Irish Forum on Natural Capital, and co-founder and deputy Chair of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.

Jane’s current research focusses on understanding and reversing drivers of pollinator loss – including exposure risk from pesticides, restoration of habitats for pollinators in human-dominated landscapes, working with stakeholders across sectors.

Talk title: Pollinators and pollination: influence of policy and practice

Meet Jane

Our online talk series is free to RES Members and Fellows.

Our Associate Membership plan is only £15 per year. This is the cost of three of these talks and the rest would be free, so save money on events and join today!

Please note, all attendees, including members, must register below to receive the link to attend the talk.

New Scientist Live 2024 - External Event
2024-10-12 09:00 - 2024-10-13 17:00
New Scientist Live 2024

Sat 12 – Sun 13 Oct | Schools’ Day Mon 14 Oct

ExCeL Centre London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

Come and see the RES at New Scientist Live

The RES will have a stand at New Scientist Live 2024.

Meet some live insects, find about why insects and entomology is important in our world, talk with entomologists and hear about careers with insects.

Feeding the Future: Using Insects as Food and Feed 2024
2024-10-30 18:30 - 20:30 | Thinktank Museum, Birmingham, B4 7XG
Wednesday 30 October, 18:30 – 20:30 (GMT)Thinktank Museum, Birmingham (in-person only event)

Across the world, insects are being reared as a source of food for humans and as animal feed.

Although using insects as food and feed is not as common in Europe as places like Africa, Asia and South America, this is a fast-growing industry. Investment in this sector has seen a considerable increase in recent years with a many organisations exploring how insects can tackle some of the most pressing concerns facing our food and feed industries. For example, you may have seen energy bars that contain insect flour hitting the shelves recently, or insect-based pet food, but why?

One of the arguments for using insects as food is that they have a good nutritional value, and are high in protein, calcium, and other essential vitamins and minerals that are harder to obtain from a plant-based diet, like iron and B12.

There are clear indications that insect farming can contribute to improving the resilience and sustainability of food production, requiring comparatively little input in terms of feed, water or space. Insect farms can fit into existing supply chains, from producing additional feed on farms, or utilising surplus products to create value. As we look to address the challenges of feeding a growing human population, while reducing the impact of agricultural production on our natural and management environments, it is important to both improve existing production and consider more novel approaches – such as insects as food and feed.

What are the current issues facing our feed and food sectors? And why are insects a possible solution?

Should we be using insect protein in our day-to-day diet? Why not focus on improving plant-based protein options?

What are the regulations around farming insects and is it ethical?

Is it sustainable to farm insects for food and feed, will farming insects at scale to make a difference?

How can we make farming insects a commercial success?

Why are so many people excited about insect farming in the UK?

Join us at this exciting and topical panel debate where we will introduce using insects as food and feed and look at the challenges and opportunities faced as this becomes more widely considered. A short drinks reception will follow the debate, supported by the Insect Bioconversion Association (INBIA).

We are delighted to announce that the discussion will be chaired by BBC journalist, Melanie Abbott. Melanie is a BBC Radio 4 journalist with You and Yours, Woman’s Hour and Farming Today. Melanie will be joined by a range of panellists sharing their views and experience and taking questions and comments from the audience.

Please note this is an in-person event at Thinktank Museum in Birmingham.

Doors open: 18:15

Debate starts: 18:30

Debate ends: 19:45

Drinks reception: 19:45

Close: 20:45

The debate will take place alongside our annual Insects as Food and Feed (IAFF) conference taking place the following day in the same location. The conference brings together a diverse range of people from across the industry including scientists, farmers, food technologists, lawyers and chefs, to hear the latest information, research, and new developments and challenges that face the IAFF sector. You can find out more about the conference and register here.

The panel

We are delighted to welcome the following panel to discuss this exciting topic.

Unfortunately Sarah Beynon (The Bug Farm) is no longer able to take part in the panel debate. We are however pleased to welcome, Rachel O’Connor, Partner at Michelmores.

Rachel O’ConnorPartner, Michelmores

Rachel is a partner in the Agriculture team and has a focus on regenerative agriculture, technology and innovation which aims to tackle food security issues and the environmental impact of our food production.

Rachel has a unique expertise in how insects could provide many of the solutions to the challenges in the UK’s food system. She is one of the very few legal experts in this area and has led a team at Michelmores that advised on the legislative aspects of the WWF Roadmap to Accelerating Insect Protein in UK Feeds. In recognition of her contribution to and spearheading of the Michelmores’ Sustainable Agriculture practice, she was named in The Lawyer Hot 100 for 2020.

Nick Jonsson BVSc PhD MRCVSProfessor of Animal Health and Production, University of Glasgow

Nick Jonsson graduated as a vet from the University of Sydney in 1987 and spent 7 years working in mixed practice in rural Australia, with a caseload of small animals, cattle, horses, deer, sheep, ostriches and native wildlife. After this, in 1998 Nick completed a PhD at the University of Queensland and has worked as an academic since then. The main strands of Nick’s research include bovine gastrointestinal function and pathology, feed additives for livestock, the use of sensor technologies to optimise ruminant health and production, the genetics of adaptation in cattle, and strategies for parasite management. Nick is the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs for the Food Standards Agency of the UK, a Vice President of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS), and the leader of the online Animal Nutrition MSc programme at Glasgow.

Larry KotchCo-founder and CEO of Flybox

Larry is the co-founder and CEO of Flybox which is pioneering technology that enables existing waste management companies, farmers and food businesses to easily manage their organic waste using Insect Bioconversion. Doing so provides a more sustainable and profitable alternative to existing organic waste treatment solutions. Flybox builds modular, turnkey technology for customers and supports them with plug and play insect seedling supply and insect sales channels. Larry also spends time in East Africa where Flybox also has a large presence helping communities develop low cost insect farming technologies and systems, they support over 40 insect farmers in the region.

Ralph BishopPoultry Nutrition and Innovation Manager, Premier Nutrition

Ralph and the Premier Nutrition poultry team are responsible for offering technical support to the poultry industry focused on nutrition, formulation, milling and overall poultry performance both within the UK and abroad.

Previous to ten years in commercial poultry nutrition, Ralph studied ecology, biology and aquaculture at the University of Plymouth, graduating with an MSc in 2014. Entomology was part of his undergraduate programme, and his dissertation was on the dispersal behaviour of backswimmers.

Ralph is particularly passionate about optimising all aspects of poultry performance and precision nutrition in a sustainable way to unlock the potential of modern genetics and offer the consumer safe, nutritious, and sustainable food.

Tickets

Tickets are available at the bottom of the page and include a drinks token for a short networking opportunity after the debate, supported by the Insect Bioconversion Association (INBIA).

If you are a member of the RES or registered to attend the IAFF24 conference you can access reduced rate tickets. To access discounted member rates, you must be logged into your account before registering.

You can buy tickets until: midday, Wednesday 30 October

Location

Thinktank Museum, Event SuiteMillennium PointCurzon StreetBirminghamB4 7XG

Insects as Food and Feed: Delivering insect proteins in the UK
2024-10-31 09:15 - 16:30 | Thinktank Museum, Birmingham, B4 7XG
Thursday 31 October, 09:15 – 16:30 (GMT)Thinktank Museum, Birmingham

We are delighted to welcome back our annual Insects as Food and Feed (IAFF) conference, taking place this October in Birmingham. The full programme has now been announced and can be viewed below.

The Royal Entomological Society’s Food and Feed Special Interest Group (SIG), in partnership with Michelmores, brings together a diverse range of people from across the industry including scientists, farmers, food technologists, lawyers and chefs to examine the vast range of possibilities offered by insects as a novel source of protein. This year’s event will also have input from our Welfare & Ethics and Rearing SIGs.

At IAFF24 you will hear the latest information and take part in discussions that outline new developments and challenges that face the IAFF sector. This year the event will examine updates in legislation and policy changes, the continued development of the insect farming industry, approaches to insect welfare and the ethics of insect farming, plus marketing and public acceptance of insect based or insect feed food products. There will be three topic-led sessions of talks each one followed by a panel discussion.

Key topics include, but are not limited to:

Integrating insect protein as part of our food and feed systems.

Where are we now? Insect production and supply chains across Europe.

How can understanding developments in invertebrate welfare help insect farmers in the UK?

Alongside the traditional conference, we are excited to be running a public panel debate the evening before, introducing using insects as food and feed, and looking at the challenges and opportunities faced as this becomes more widely considered. The discussion will be chaired by BBC journalist, Melanie Abbott. Melanie is a BBC Radio 4 journalist with You and Yours, Woman’s Hour and Farming Today.

You can find out more about the debate and register here.

In Partnership with Michelmores: The Michelmores Sustainable Agriculture practice is dedicated to working with businesses whose technologies and practices are tackling the most pressing issues facing the agriculture sector: climate change and biodiversity loss.

We thank the Insect Welfare Research Society (IWRS) for support through a Small Meetings Grant.

Keynote speakers

We are delighted to welcome the following keynote speakers. The full programme for the day can be viewed below.

Teun VeldkampWageningen Livestock Research

Teun Veldkamp is senior researcher animal nutrition / insects as feed in the Animal Nutrition department of Wageningen Livestock Research. Dr. Veldkamp joined Wageningen Livestock Research in 1989. In 2002 he obtained his Ph.D. on the thesis “Heat stress and diet utilization in male turkeys – The role of dietary energy and amino acids”. Formerly he was involved in poultry nutrition research in broilers, laying hens and turkeys. Main research topics in poultry nutrition were feed evaluation, amino acid requirements, feed additives: efficacy and tolerance trials for registration purposes. Since 2012 Dr. Veldkamp is most involved in (inter)national projects related to insects as feed, food and non-food. In these projects he is focusing on biowaste conversion by use of insects, insect rearing, and application of insect-derived products in animal nutrition. Dr. Veldkamp is coordinator of the H2020 project SUSINCHAIN (Sustainable Insect Chain) and is the former president of the Study Commission Insects of the European Federation of Animal Science (2016-2022). From June 5, 2024 he is President of the Academic Society for Insects as Food and Feed. He is member of the editorial board of the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed and member of the Management Board of the Journal ‘Animal’.

Maureen WakefieldFera Science Ltd

Dr Maureen Wakefield is a Principal Scientist at Fera Science Ltd. With a background in applied entomology her current research interests focus on insect bioconversion and the use of insects for food, feed and waste reduction purposes. She has led research in obtaining high value products from insects reared on organic waste. Collaborative projects, both national and international, have examined use of insects as a protein source for animal feed, the quality and safety of insect products, life cycle analysis and consumer perception and acceptance. Maureen also has expertise in the use of insects for food.

Andrew CrumpRoyal Veterinary College, University of London

Dr. Andrew Crump is a Lecturer in Animal Cognition & Welfare at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. Using bees as a model system, he studies questions like: Whether and which invertebrates are sentient? Why did sentience evolve? And how does sentience relate to animal welfare? In 2021, whilst working at the London School of Economics, he was part of a team that advised the UK government to include certain invertebrates under animal welfare law. The government responded by amending the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, so it now protects cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans. Before that, Andrew completed his PhD in animal behaviour and welfare at Queen’s University Belfast.

David TavernorFly2Feed

David Tavernor grew up on a dairy farm, spent a year at Peter Jones’ Enterprise Academy when he was 18 and studied agri-business management at Newcastle University. He then spent 8 years in food retail, with the majority of it spent buying vegetables for Tesco. In 2022, Tavernor started Fly2Feed, a black soldier fly producer based on the family dairy farm and has spent the past 2 years learning the basics of insect rearing and breeding.

Tavernor was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship in 2024, where he was enabled to travel the world studying his chosen agricultural topic. This was titled “Practically and profitably diversifying you farm business with black soldier fly production”. He visited 4 continents over 4 months of end-to-end travel and spoke to leaders of business, research, government and investment, who are all actively or passively involved in black soldier flies. This gave Tavernor a broad understanding of the industry, good and bad, and the tools required to succeed.

Programme

The full programme can now be viewed below.

IAFF24 Final ProgrammeDownload

Registration

Registration is open at the bottom of this page. Please note there are discounted rates for members of the RES, so if you are not a member already, consider joining today!

To access discounted member rates, you must be logged into your account before registering.

Extended earlybird registration: 17:00 (BST), Monday 07 October

In-personRES Student Member£25RES Member£45Non-Member£100

OnlineRES Student Member£10RES Member£20Non-Member£70

In-person standard registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 16 OctoberOnline standard registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 25 October

In-personRES Student Member£40RES Member£70Non-Member£170

OnlineRES Student Member£15RES Member£35Non-Member£120

Exhibitors

We are pleased to welcome Entocycle, FlyBox and HOP BAR as exhibitors at IAFF24.

Survey

We would like to hear from those working across the industries involved and interested in using insects as food and feed about the role of the RES Food and Feed Special Interest Group (SIG) and the IAFF conference, so this can be considered when planning future activities.

This is a very short survey and should take no more than 10 minutes of your time. We would be very grateful for your comments and feedback.

Complete survey

Conference convenors

Peter Smithers (Food & Feed SIG)

Mark Ramsden, ADAS (Food & Feed SIG)

Eleanor Drinkwater, Writtle University College (Welfare & Ethics SIG)

Gary Needham (Rearing SIG)

Rachel O’Connor (Michelmores)

Location

Thinktank Museum, Event SuiteMillennium PointCurzon StreetBirminghamB4 7XG

An afternoon at Manchester Museum
2024-11-02 13:00 - 16:30 | Manchester Museum, M13 9PL
Saturday 2 NovemberManchester Museum13:00 – 16:30 (GMT)

Join Barbara Tigar, RES Northern England Representative, and Diana Arzuzas Buelvas, Curator of Entomology, Manchester Museum, for an opportunity to go behind the scenes and visit the Museum’s Entomology Collection. This is a great opportunity to make connections with other entomologists and RES members and fellows living in Northern England. Everyone is welcome and we particularly encourage early career researchers, students and any one new to the Society and the region to come along.

Barbara TigarRES Northern England Representative

Diana Arzuzas BuelvasCurator of Entomology, Manchester Museum

Nidia Alvarez Armada Marie Curie Research Fellow, University of Manchester

As well as seeing the collection, you will hear from invited speaker, Dmitri Logunov (former Curator at Manchester, see bio below) who will introduce you to Manchester Museum’s extensive entomological collections and share his experience of using them for research, teaching and public engagement programmes. In addition, Nidia Alvarez Armada (Marie Curie Research Fellow at the University of Manchester) will talk about her archaeobiological research concerning the preservation of insect pigments and how her work benefits from accessing the collections. You can also find out more about the collection in the Manchester Museum Entomology Blog.

The event will start at 13:00 and the museum is open from 10.00 with free entrance to the public galleries. If you wish to eat lunch before the meeting there are lots of places nearby on Oxford Road, including the Museum Café. There is also a Picnic Area and a water refill station on the ground floor where you can eat your own food. If you will be accompanied by non-entomologists, do tell them that the Museum is well worth a visit, with interesting exhibits for all ages including ‘Wild’, a new temporary exhibition about our relationship with the nature, with examples of re-wilding and how different human communities connect with nature across the globe. ‘Wild’ is free, but booking is essential.

Light refreshments and cakes will be served mid-afternoon. There will also be an optional post-event social at the KroBar pub opposite the museum 5 minutes’ walk along Oxford Road. Attendees will be able to purchase their own food and drink.

Invited Speaker

Dmitri LogunovUniversity of Manchester

Dr Dmitri Logunov is an entomologist and professional taxonomist studying spiders, who was Curator of Arthropod Collections at the Manchester Museum for over 20 years. Dr Logunov is a Research Associate for the Museum and the University of Manchester and is also part of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Venue address

Manchester MuseumOxford RoadManchesterM13 9PL

You can find out more about travelling to Manchester Museum on their website.

Please meet at 12:45 outside the Kanaris Foyer outside the Kanaris Lecture Theatre on the 2nd floor of the museum, ready for a 13:00 start.

Tickets

Registration for this event is now closed. Please email to see if any spaces are available: amy@royensoc.co.uk

Please note there are discounted rates for members of the RES, so if you are not a member already, consider joining today!

To access discounted member rates, you must be logged into your account before registering.
