Royal Entomological Society

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024
2024-09-10 13:30 - 14:30 (Europe/London) | 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.

Orthoptera Special Interest Group (SIG) 2024
2024-11-06 12:00 - 17:00 | Natural History Museum
Wednesday 6 NovemberOnline only

This has now been moved to an online-only event.

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. The programme includes around ten short talks, with posters and livestock presented during refreshment breaks. The meeting is followed by supper and drinks in the NHM common room.

We welcome contributions from all enthusiasts, students, academics, and other professionals.

Programme

The full programme is now available to view below.

RES Orthoptera SIG 2024 Programme FinalDownload

Present at the meeting

The talk programme has now been finalised, but there may be room for posters or bringing along live specimens, please contact one of the SIG convenors below for more information:

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

Judith Marshall j.marshall@nhm.ac.uk

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

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.

We welcome those attending in person to join after the event for a buffet dinner at NHM. Tickets can be added when registering at an additional £15.

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Monday 28 October

In-personRES Student Member£5RES Member£10Non-member£15

Online registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Monday 4 November

OnlineRES Student MemberFreeRES Member£5Non-member£10

Sustainable Agriculture: Innovations in research and practice
2024-11-08 09:30 - 16:30 | Newcastle University
Friday 8 November, 09:30 – 16:30Herschel Building, Newcastle University & Online

Join our Sustainable Agriculture Special Interest Group for a day delving into the latest innovations in agricultural entomology, from cutting-edge automated monitoring through novel pest management strategies to the latest land management approaches. Sustainable agriculture is faced with a multitude of challenges in the coming decades, from increasing pressure to produce for a growing global population, to climate change and the associated range shift of pests. Since insects are central to our food systems as protectors, pollinators and pests, entomological research is optimally placed to address these challenges.

This meeting will cover all aspects of entomology for sustainable agriculture but will specifically focus on recent innovations in how we manage and monitor insects, and the translation of these innovations into agricultural practice. Alongside invited talks from some exceptional leading researchers across these topics, we are inviting attendees to bring and present portable equipment linked to their work in an innovative spin on traditional poster sessions. We are also inviting abstracts for both oral and standard poster presentations from any registered attendees.

Key themes

Innovations in managing insects in agriculture

Cutting-edge insect monitoring for agriculture

Novel practices and their impacts on insects

The Editors of RES journal Agricultural and Forest Entomology are pleased to present a Virtual Issue specially curated for this event, which can be accessed here. The collection highlights recent research on the latest innovations in agricultural entomology. It also connects with a forthcoming special issue, Advances in insect biomonitoring for agriculture and forestry, and the first two papers in this Virtual Issue are also part of that special issue.

We thank Koppert for supporting this event. Koppert specialise in sustainable solutions for crop protection and natural pollination. Their biological products and services help growers around the world.

Keynote speakers

Sam CookRothamsted Research

Sam is Science Area lead on ‘Next-Generation Integrated Pest Management’ at Rothamsted Research where she has worked since undertaking her PhD. She is a behavioural ecologist, working to apply knowledge of insect pests of arable crops – and that of their natural enemies – to provide sustainable pest management strategies that reduce or eliminate the need for insecticides. She has particular interests in oilseed rape ecology and regenerative agriculture. She has been a member of the Royal Entomological Society since 2002, a fellow since 2005 and was founder and convenor of the Special Insect Group on Insect Behaviour (2006-2009). She loves insects – especially pollen beetles – but doesn’t like hornets after a bad experience in Indonesia…!

James KitsonFERA Science Ltd

James is Science Lead and Team Manager for NGS and Bioinformatics at FERA Science Ltd. He develops and uses high-throughput sequencing and other molecular methods to detect and characterise ecological communities and species interactions, often in agricultural contexts. James is particularly interested in the interactions between plants, their insect herbivores and the insect parasitoids that exploit the herbivores. James aims to understand more fully how these systems are structured and use this knowledge to enhance biological control of pest and invasive species.

Kirsten MillerEnvironment Strategy Directorate, DEFRA

Kirsten is Head of Environmental Monitoring in the Environment Strategy Directorate in DEFRA. She specialises in finding the evidence needed to develop environmental policy such as England’s Environmental Land Management Schemes and 25 Year Environment Plan. Before joining DEFRA, Kirsten was a molecular ecologist with a focus on the reconstruction of ecological networks using DNA metabarcoding. Having completed her PhD in London, she worked in Spain and Sweden before returning to the UK.

Programme

The full programme can now be viewed below.

RES Sustainable Agriculture SIG 2024; Full ProgrammeDownload

Poster presenters

Alphonsa Baby, University of PaduaRNAi-mediated gene silencing in Halyomorpha halys: Effects on Life History Parameters and GeneExpression

Michael Smith, University of SheffieldA new method to track how pollinators use agricultural landscapes

Registration

Registration is now open at the bottom of this page. We offer significantly reduced rates for RES members, so if you aren’t already a member, join today!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: info@royensoc.co.uk

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (BST) Friday 25 OctoberOnline registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 6 November

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

OnlineRES Student Member£5RES Member£20Non-Member£70

SIG convenors

Jordan Cuff, Newcastle University

Jasper Hubert, Koppert

Kelly Jowett, Rothamsted Research

Online Talk - Agricultural and Forest Entomology
2024-11-13 16:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-november-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.

Advances in insect biomonitoring for agriculture and forestry

Wednesday 13 November16:00 – 17:00 (GMT)

The latest in our online talk series highlights RES journal, Agricultural and Forest Entomology, covering a wide range of topics, including research on insect pests, pollinators, and natural enemies in managed forests and agroecosystems. Papers are welcomed on biology, behaviour, population dynamics, impact, and management of insects in various production systems. Submissions on techniques for pest management, studies on insect communities, and the influence of management practices are encouraged.

We are delighted to welcome three authors from a Special Issue in Agricultural and Forest Entomology on Advances in insect biomonitoring for agriculture and forestry.

Gaëtan Seimandi-CordaINRAE, France

Understanding insect predator-prey interactions using camera trapping. A review of current research and perspectives.

For 5 years I worked at Rothamsted Research in the team of Sam Cook as part of the Eco Stack project. During this project part of my research focused on using cameras to identify predators of oilseed rape pests which led me to review what other people did to answer similar questions. I have now moved to INRAE in South West France and work with agronomists on the project Intercrop Values where I’m conducting a multi-criteria analysis of cropping systems including intercrops to better understand the pros and cons of the use of intercropping.

Access paper here

Daniel LeybourneUniversity of Liverpool, UK

Can artificial intelligence be integrated into pest monitoring schemes to help achieve sustainable agriculture?

I am Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool, and my main research aim is to identify and characterise factors that underpin virus and vector success in agricultural ecosystems. More broadly, my research covers insect-plant interactions with two focal areas: 1) Determining how intra-species diversity affects the success of herbivorous insects and the viruses they transmit; 2) Investigating how the structure of the local agro-ecosystem affects herbivorous insect success and intra-species diversity in herbivorous insects.

Access paper here

Andrés MartínezINTA – CONICET, Argentina

Advancing social insect research through the development of an automated yellowjacket nest activity monitoring station using deep learning

The relevance of integrating multiple sensory modalities into capturing devices: The case of the global pest Sirex noctilio

Andrés has been a full-time researcher at CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Bariloche, Argentina) since 2012. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that drive insect behavior and how these influence interactions within species and with other species and the environment. He has a particular interest in the behaviour and ecology of both social and solitary wasps of economic importance and being able to apply this knowledge to enhance sustainable management practices.

Access paper 1 here

Access paper 2 here

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.

We hope you enjoy this online meeting

If you liked this meeting, join us for the final online talk of 2024 on 11 December with Amoret Whitaker and Molly Mactaggart of the University of Winchester. In association with our journal Medical and Veterinary Entomology and upcoming Special Issue on Novel Approaches and Advances in Forensic Entomology.

Free for members & fellows.

Register for December’s Online Talk

Online Talk - Medical and Veterinary Entomology
2024-12-11 16:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/online-talk-december-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.

Novel approaches and advances in forensic entomology

Wednesday 11 December16:00 – 17:00 (GMT)

The last of our 2024 online talk series highlights RES journal, Medical and Veterinary Entomology, dedicated to the dissemination of impactful entomological research of medical, veterinary and forensic importance. The journal highlights transmission dynamics of vector-borne pathogens, arthropod ecology, behavior and development, and innovative control approaches. Emphasizing novel research with original articles, short communications, and reviews, excluding purely descriptive studies. Focusing on arthropod biology, and interactions with hosts and pathogens, the journal is a valuable platform for advancing medical, veterinary and forensic entomology research.

We are delighted to welcome Amoret Whitaker and Molly Mactaggart of the University of Winchester who are co-authors of a paper due to be published in an upcoming Special Issue on Novel Approaches and Advances in Forensic Entomology.

You can access the full paper here.

The session will be chaired by Zanthé Kotzé, Associate Editor of Medical and Veterinary Entomology and co-guest editor of the Special Issue.

Amoret WhitakerUniversity of Winchester

Amoret first became interested in entomology whilst studying the BSc (Hons) in Zoology at the University of Reading, resulting in a final thesis on hoverfly mimicry. She then studied the MSc Taxonomy and Biodiversity at Imperial College London, based at the Natural History Museum, completing a thesis on tiger beetle morphology and genetics. After a short stint writing papers on parasitic wasps at the NHM and Imperial Silwood Park, Amoret spent three years rewriting the Handbook of British Fleas. She then began a part-time PhD in Forensic Entomology with King’s College London, based at the Natural History Museum. As well as gathering data from fieldwork and labwork on piglet carcasses in London, a considerable portion of her PhD thesis was based on fieldwork carried out at the Anthropological Research Facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she studied insect colonisation and development on donated human cadavers, as well as carrying out pig comparison studies and thermal imaging. Since 2015 she has had a full-time post at the University of Winchester teaching on the BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation. Since 2004, Amoret has been carrying out forensic entomology casework for police forces and independent forensic providers throughout the UK. She is a regular contributor to television documentaries, consultant for artists and authors, and an invited speaker at national and international conferences.

Molly MactaggartUniversity of Winchester

At Exeter University Molly conducted her undergraduate dissertation on determining time of death of bats, using blow flies. She continued with a MSc from Harper Adams University in entomology and then a PhD in forensic entomology at Winchester University, based at the Natural History Museum in London. Molly then started and ran an entomophagy research business before taking a break from academia and entering the third sector, focusing on disaster response. Finally, after working as a detective in the Community Safeguarding Unit of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Molly has reentered the world of academia, as a forensics lecturer at the University of Winchester.

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.

Young Verrall Lecture 2025
2025-03-01 14:30 - 15:30
Saturday 1 March, 2024 The Catalyst Building, University of Staffordshire, Leek Rd, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF

Join the Amateur Entomologists’ Society and Royal Entomological Society for the Young Verrall Lecture taking place on Saturday 1 March in Stoke-on-Trent.

This free talk ‘Defend, Deal, or Depend? Plants and Insects in Partnership’ given by Dr Ben Clunie from Harper Adams University, 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 Iain Couzin will be giving the 2025 Verrall Lecture at Imperial College London, on Wednesday 5 March.

Dr Ben Clunie

Dr Ben Clunie is an applied entomologist with expertise in integrated pest management and agroecology. He has a PhD that explored novel solutions for biological control of wireworm from Swansea University and has developed experience in working with entomopathogenic fungi, biopesticides and plant-insect interactions. His research focuses on finding sustainable solutions for agriculture that reduce conventional pesticide inputs and developing environmentally friendly alternatives for pest management.

Verrall Lecture 2025
2025-03-05 16:30 - 17:30 | Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ
Wednesday 5 March, 2025 Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building

The Verrall Lecture is an annual public event organised by the Royal Entomological Society, open to all and free to attend. 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. The Verrall Supper is not an RES event.

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 1 March at Staffordshire University as part of the Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair. Further details will be announced soon.

We are pleased the 2025 Verrall Lecture will be hosted by Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy.

Verrall Lecture 2025

From Democratic Consensus to Cannibalistic Hordes: The Remarkable World of Insect Swarms

Professor Iain CouzinDirector of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Iain Couzin is Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and a Professor and Speaker of the Excellence Cluster “Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour” at the University of Konstanz, Germany. Previously he was a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, and prior to that a Royal Society University Research Fellow in the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, and Junior Research Fellow in the Sciences at Balliol College, Oxford.

His work aims to reveal the fundamental principles that underlie evolved collective behavior, and consequently his research includes the study of a wide range of biological systems, from neural collectives to insect swarms, fish schools and primate groups.

In recognition of his research he has been recipient of the Searle Scholar Award in 2008, top 5 most cited papers of the decade in animal behavior research 1999-2010, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Award in 2012, the Scientific Medal of the Zoological Society of London in 2013, a Web of Science Global Highly Cited Researcher 2018-2022, the Lagrange Prize in 2019, the Falling Walls Life Sciences Award and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (Germany’s highest research honor) in 2022, and the Rothschild Distinguished Fellowship at the University of Cambridge in 2023.

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.

Verrall Supper 2025 - External Event
2025-03-05 17:30 - 21:00 | The Rembrandt, 11 Thurloe Place, Knightsbridge, London, SW7 2RS, United Kingdom
RES is supporting The Entomological Club with the online registration and ticketing for the Verrall Supper 2025

Please note: This is not an RES event and all enquiries must be made to the Verrall Association. Contact Ed Turner here.

Applications for subscriptions with tickets to the Supper will be closed on 12 February 2025. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept any cancellations nor offer refunds after this date.

Subscribe to the Verrall Association and attend the Verrall Supper

The Verrall Supper 2025

The Verrall Supper (and annual meeting of the Verrall Association of Entomologists) is an annual dinner organised by the Entomological Club, to enable entomologists at all stages to meet, talk about insects, exchange ideas and learn from each other.

This year’s will be held on Wednesday 5 March 2025 at the Rembrandt Hotel, Cromwell Rd, London. Members gather from 5.30pm in the bar, and dinner is served at 7pm. Dinner includes wine or soft drinks if preferred.

A subscription to the Verrall Association and attendance at the supper is open to all entomologists, whatever their speciality and whether they are professional or amateur, retired or students. Many attendees also go to the annual Verrall Lecture, held before the supper at the Natural History Museum, given by a distinguished entomologist and organised by the Royal Entomological Society.

Subscriptions to The Verrall Association are for the year and entitle you to come to the Verrall Supper. The Verrall Supper is financed entirely from the annual subscriptions.

The amount paid as subscription is optional, but the ‘suggested subscription’ is calculated to cover the costs of the evening.

The Entomological Club recognises that not everyone can afford the recommended subscription, so people are encouraged to pay what they can afford. Traditionally some have chosen to pay more to allow this flexibility, and we invite everyone to consider this, and support the entomological community if they are able to. We also invite those who are unable to attend the Verrall Supper to pay a nominal amount (e.g. £10) to maintain their subscription – this money will also be used to subsidise others who cannot pay the full amount.

Please note that the venue of the Verrall Supper can only accommodate 180 people, so please do sign up early! Applications for subscriptions with tickets to the Supper will be closed on 12 February 2025. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept any cancellations nor offer refunds after this date.

For all matters connected with the Verrall Association and the Supper, please contact Ed Turner.

Annual Subscription 2025

Please choose the subscription you wish to pay below. We encourage everyone to pay the recommended amount or more, to allow students and others who are unable to pay the recommended amount to attend the Verrall Supper.

Bursaries Available

We encourage anyone just starting in the field of entomology, including students and those beginning with entomology as a non-professional, to apply for the Van Emden Bursary. This will cover the recommended subscription and up to £40 of travelling expenses to attend.

Please apply directly through The Entomological Club website and do not complete the form below until you are notified.

Subscription

By purchasing below, you are registering for a 12 month Subscription to the Verrall Association of Entomologists.

Pricing for 12 month Subscription and for attendance to the Verrall Supper displays a recommended value of £75. You do however have the option of offering more (or less) towards the event.

Your subscription confirmation and ticket to the Verrall Supper will be sent to you by e-mail. Please bring this and either a business card or name tag with you to place on a table and reserve your seat.

Please note that refunds and any bookings will not be possible after 12 February 2025.

Student Forum 2025
2025-03-31 10:00 - 2025-04-01 17:00 | University of Reading, RG6 6AH
Monday 31 March – Tuesday 01 April, 10:00 – 17:00 University of Reading and Online

We are delighted to announce details for our 2025 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 interactive workshops to help develop skills to help further your careers. Please note due to their interactive nature, workshop will only be available to those joining in person.

The 2025 event will be run both in-person at the University of Reading and the talks will also be live streamed online.

Invited speakers

We welcome the following invited speakers who will provide keynote talks and share their experiences and advice on careers in entomology.

Dave Goulson, University of Sussex

Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at University of Sussex, UK. He has published more than 350 scientific articles on the ecology of insects. He is the author of Bumblebees (OUP 2010), and of several bestselling popular books including A Sting in the Tale (2013), A Buzz in the Meadow (2014), The Garden Jungle (2019) and Silent Earth (2021), collectively translated in 20 languages. Goulson founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2006, a charity that has grown to 12,000 members. Awards: Zoological Society of London’s Marsh Award for Conservation Biology (2013); elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2013); British Ecological Society Public Engagement Award (2014); Zoological Society of London’s Clarivate Award for Communicating Zoology (2020). In 2015 he was named number 8 in BBC Wildlife Magazine’s list of the most influential people in conservation. In the 6 years 2018-2023 he was named as a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Thompson ISI. He is an “Ambassador” for the UK Wildlife Trusts.

Franziska Kohlt, University of Leeds

Franziska Kohlt is a historian of science, science communication scholar and practitioner, with a focus on environment, health, and children’s culture, and the interplay of rhetoric, narrative and science. Her entomological interests cover the perceptions of insects, the narratives that shape them, and their ideological histories. She is currently working on a monograph on how Victorian Psychology and Fantastic Literature a language in which to communicate new scientific knowledge, its implications.

Chris Foster, University of Reading

Chris Foster is a lecturer at the University of Reading with teaching and research in entomology and landscape ecology. He also leads work on the insect collections within the Cole Museum of Zoology at Reading and co-ordinates the UK ground beetle recording scheme. He is interested in how the involvement of students at all levels in insect science, recording and outreach can promote insect conservation, with a particular passion for getting out in the field. Chris is a fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and involved in the society’s committee work.

Programme

Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract. The deadline has now passed and the full programme is available below.

Programme – Student Forum 2025Download

Registration

Registration is now open at the bottom of this page and covers the cost of both days of the conference, including refreshment breaks, lunches, and a poster session with drinks.

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 7 March

In-personRES Student Member£40Non-member£60

Online registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Friday 21 March

OnlineRES Student Member£10Non-member£25

Social event

We welcome delegates to join us after the poster session on Monday evening for an insect themed pub quiz! Get ready for a night of buzzing brains and entomological excitement and join us for an engaging and light-hearted evening that will test your entomological knowledge, whilst continuing to network with others.

The social will take place at Zerodegrees, Reading and attendees are encouraged to order food in advance (a menu will be circulated to attendees closer to the date). Drinks maybe be purchased on the night.

Sponsors

Many thanks to Koppert for kindly sponsoring our 2025 Student Forum.

Thank you also to Watkins & Doncaster, nhbs and CABI for kindly providing prizes for the event.

RES Student representatives

Idris AdamsUniversity College London

Ben HawthorneNewcastle University

Vera KaunathUniversity of Potsdam

Big Give 2025
2025-04-22 12:00 - 2025-04-29 12:00
Green Match Fund 2025

Have your donation doubled between midday 22 and midday 29 April

Read more about the campaign

Help secure a future for the Large blue butterfly

Find out more and donate between 22 – 29 April

From midday 22 April until midday 29 April, we’re taking part in the Big Give Green Match Fund to raise £20,000 for conservation science.

About the Large blue

The iconic Large blue butterfly is a globally endangered species and was declared nationally extinct in 1979.

Thanks to the unique expertise of our conservation science team over the past 30+ years we have successfully reintroduced this rare species to Gloucestershire and Somerset, with new sites currently being identified. Seeing the Large blue fly across these landscapes has been a real conservation success story, one that truly bucks the trend of biodiversity decline.

However, over the course of the last ten years, there have been several extreme weather events which have seen the populations of these and associated species decline, making this iconic butterfly particularly vulnerable to climate change.

About the Big Give

The Big Give’s match funding campaigns offer a unique opportunity for you to double the difference you can make in the world for the causes close to your heart.

Their Green Match Fund is committed to amplifying the impact of every donation, doubling the difference for global efforts to protect and preserve our planet, making your support twice as powerful in driving meaningful change.

Help us raise £10,000 which will be match funded via Big Give – That means your contributions will be DOUBLED, giving us £20,000

The RES have a membership of over 5,000 entomologists and insect enthusiasts. Just £1 from each member takes us half way to our target.

Your kind donation will help to fund monitoring and vital equipment to carry out survey work:

A donation of £20 could help to train new people to monitor Large blue butterfly populations.

A donation of £50 could enable our team to undertake more ecological surveys on the current sites and research potential new sites for the species to thrive.

A donation of £100 could support us with installing additional temperature data loggers on Large blue sites to monitor the impact of extreme weather events.

A donation of £200 could pay towards the establishment of a new Large blue colony.

Have your donation doubled between 22 – 29 April

Find out more and donate between 22 – 29 April

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on this and other RES research projects

Subscribe to our newsletters

Insects and Culture
2025-05-20 10:00 - 16:00 | Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London, SW7 5BD
Tuesday 20 May, 10:00 – 17:00 Natural History Museum (Neil Chalmers Lecture Theatre), London

Do you have an interest in the ways that insects have influenced art, culture and wider society?

Have you ever worked with artists, performers, musicians, writers or anyone in the creative sectors? Or had a desire to do so?

If so, you are invited to a FREE meeting at the Natural History Museum where the group of artists who exhibited work in the Insect Odyssey exhibition in 2022 (see Antenna 46/3) will meet to discuss their coming exhibition in February 2026 in Bath and explore possible collaborations.

There will be a morning of short talks from entomologists and artists, including Dr Erica McAlister Hon.FRES and after lunch there is a look behind the scenes of the Diptera and Lepidoptera departments.

The event will be capped at 40 to ensure everyone is able to attend a behind the scenes tour.

If this meeting is a success, the Society is considering holding more meetings in this vein.

Programme – Insects and CultureDownload

The event is exclusive to RES Members and Fellows only.

The event is free to attend but if you wish to make a donation towards the cost of our events, you can do so here:

Donate to the RES

Royal Entomological Society Photo Exhibition 2025
2025-06-16 10:00 - 2025-07-20 17:00 | World Museum Liverpool, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EN
Visit World Museum Liverpool for the Royal Entomological Society Photo Exhibition

Organised by the Royal Entomological Society, celebrate Insect Week at World Museum Liverpool with this photographic exhibition featuring a selection of stand out images from the Royal Entomological Society’s annual photography competition, which is open for entries until 31 October 2025.

Insect Week, which runs between 22 – 29 June 2025, is organised by the Royal Entomological Society and supported by partner organisations throughout the UK and Europe. Wherever you live, it’s an opportunity to take part in insect science, get to know insects, learn from experts, and have fun.

Find the exhibition between 16 June and 20 July 2025 in the Museum’s Bug House gallery.

The Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holidays.

Exhibition supported by Mitie

Read more

Accessibility

Museum Website

RES Insect Week photo exhibition at World Museum Liverpool

Insect Week 2025
2025-06-23 00:00 - 2025-06-29 23:59
Stand tall for the small this Insect Week

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 #InsectWeek25 – Let’s do our best this week to share our love, respect and knowledge of insects.

#StandTallForTheSmall

Our socials:

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

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

Explore insects at Stratford Cross - Insect Week 2025
2025-06-28 10:00 - 16:00
Celebrate Insect Week at the Royal Entomological Society’s Insect Garden at Stratford Cross, East London

Take part in interactive activities around the garden about insects, explore the different habitats, and meet insect scientist members of the Royal Entomological Society.

Location

Royal Entomological Society insect gardenEndeavour SquareLONDONE201JNUnited Kingdom

Accessibility

The garden has flat pathways around and through. There are some gravelly areas that may not be suitable for wheelchair users.

Contact

For any questions, contact Francisca Sconce at fran@royensoc.co.uk

Event activities around the garden

Pollination (led by Joshua Sammy)

Pollinators, and bee or not to bee activity on mimicking

Display of different flower shapes and importance for insect mouthparts

POMS FIT survey on flowers in the garden

Which insects pollinate different food types

Decomposition/Soil invertebrates (led by Victoria Burton)

Minibeasts hunt in leaf litter

Specimen display of insect in soil

White trays, pots and lenses.

Biocontrol (led by Jasper Hubert)

Predator & prey insects under the microscope, ladybirds, parasitoid wasp, lacewings

Why tolerating a little pest damage is important to maintain predator populations

Importance for agriculture/horticulture and the food we all eat

Gardening for insects (led by Hayley Jones)

What you can do for insects in small and large spaces

Hoverfly nectar feast display and information leaflet

Design your insect garden activity with poster, pens and paper

RES information (led by Fran Sconce)

About the RES

RES Books and bug hunting kit display

Drawer of pinned UK insect specimens

Insect Week 2025 leaflets

Evaluation (led by Kevin Burchell)

Kevin from Resources for Change will be evaluating our activities

Visitors can answer in person questions, or do an online survey

We will have self evaluation questions for after the event

Ento25
2025-09-09 00:00 - 2025-09-11 23:59
9 – 11 September 2025Technology & Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

We are delighted to invite you to Ento25, 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 #Ento25

In-person registration

Online registration

Abstract submission

Plenary speakers

Accommodation & Travel

Exhibition & sponsorship

AGM 2025

Thank you to everyone who attended Ento25 and made this conference incredible.

Did you catch the Wigglesworth Memorial Lecture and all of the Plenary talks?

Watch them back on YouTube now

In-person registration

Registration for Ento25 is now closed. Please contact fran.fleming@royensoc.co.uk for any late registration or conference dinner requests.

Thank you to Glasgow Convention Bureau for their support of Ento25.

Ento25 Convenors

Gail Jackson, University of Edinburgh

Ali Karley, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee

Mauro Pazmino Betancourth, University of Glasgow

Fiona Highet, SASA, Edinburgh

Meet the convenors

Registration

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

Ento25 Programme

Ento25 FINAL PROGRAMME (higher Res)Download

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

Three days immersed in the current themes across insect science

The chance to present your work to the global entomological community

Four 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

Civic Reception hosted by The Rt Hon The Lord Provost of Glasgow

Option to attend conference dinner and cèilidh (additional cost)

Civic Reception

At 6pm on Tuesday 9th September, we are delighted to invite you to a Civic Reception at Glasgow City Chambers, hosted by The Rt Hon The Lord Provost of Glasgow or one of their Bailies (Senior Councillors).

Glasgow City Chambers is a very short walk from the conference venue.

Join us for a welcome drink and introduction to Glasgow!

Conference dinner

Join us on Wednesday 10 September at the Ento25 conference dinner and cèilidh! Enjoy an evening socialising and dancing with colleagues old and new, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central, a 20-minute walk from the main conference venue.

Spaces are limited so book now to save disappointment. Tickets can be added to your registration booking and are priced at £65 per person and include:

An arrival drink

Dinner from a selection of street food stations

Half a bottle of wine

Tea & coffee

Dancing with a traditional Scottish cèilidh!

EntOlympics

We are delighted to welcome back EntOlympics – an entomology quiz for student and early career insect scientists. This is a pub quiz style activity where teams compete using their entomological general knowledge and insect ID skills for a team prize (kindly provided by NHBS)

Please tick to indicate your interest in taking part when you register. You will be assigned teams on the night. Committee Room 9 is a short walk from the main conference venue and you can purchase food and drinks at the venue.

Want to know more about the history of Ento?

Visit the Ento conference hub

Registration Fees

Early bird registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Sunday 13 JulyStandard registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Monday 25 August

Earlybird Prices (Valid up to Sunday 13 July)Student member – Full£110Member/Fellow– Full£220Associate member – Full£350Non-member – Full£350Student member – 1 day£55Member/Fellow – 1 day£115Associate member – 1 day£185Non-member – 1 day£185

Standard Prices(From 4 July – 15 August)Student member – Full£160Member/Fellow – Full£290Associate member -Full£440Non-member – Full£440Student member – 1 day£95Member/Fellow – 1 day£185Associate member – 1 day£265Non-member – 1 day£265

Not a RES Member or Fellow yet?

To join the Society as a standard Member, our 2025 membership fee is £68. Taking advantage of the Ento25 earlybird rate of £220 brings your full registration costs to £288 (a saving of £62 – plus discounted attendance to all of our conferences for the rest of the year and additional membership benefits)

Membership rates 2025

Student Membership£16 (first year free, proof of studentship required)Standard Membership£68Concessionary Membership(Resident of Low Income Countries)£25Concessionary Membership(Retired/Over 65 or resident of Middle Income Countries)£33Fellowship£91Concessionary Fellowship(Resident of Low Income Countries)£36Concessionary Fellowship(Retired/Over 65 or resident of Middle Income Countries)£49

Join our international community and save on registration to all RES events

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 RES Member or Fellow?

Log in to your membership account for access to discounted tickets.

The Ento25 In-person registration deadline has been extended – Final Deadline 25 August 2025.

There’s still time to take part – Want to join us for Ento25 Online?

Register here for Ento25 Online

Refund policy

If cancellation is received before 17:00 (BST), Friday 18 July, the full registration fee will be given.

If cancellation is received after 17:00 (BST), Friday 18 July, but before 17:00 (BST), Friday 15 August, 50% of the registration fee will be refunded.

No refunds will be given after 17:00 (BST), Friday 15 August

Ento25: Online
2025-09-09 10:00 - 2025-09-11 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/ento25-online/
9 – 11 September 2025Technology & Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

We are delighted to invite you to Ento25, 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 #Ento25

In-person registration

Online registration

Abstract submission

Plenary speakers

Accommodation & Travel

Exhibition & sponsorship

AGM 2025

Online registration

Online registration for Ento25 is now open! Join entomologists from around the world to present your work, meet new contacts, and build on your career! To register, please select from the tickets at the bottom of this page.

Ento 25 Convenors

Gail Jackson, University of Edinburgh

Ali Karley, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee

Mauro Pazmino Betancourth, University of Glasgow

Fiona Highet, SASA, Edinburgh

Meet the convenors

Registration

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

Registration deadline: 17:00 (BST), Sunday 7 September

Online registrationStudent member£40Member£80Associate member£200Non-member£200

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.

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

In-person Registration

Programme

Ento25 FINAL PROGRAMME (higher Res)Download

Note: Ento25 Online is a live stream of the conference talks and will not be recorded for later viewing.

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 3 September, 50% of the registration fee will be refunded.

No refunds will be given after 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 3 September.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2025
2025-09-09 13:00 - 14:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/annual-general-meeting-agm-2025/
The Royal Entomological Society AGM to take place as an in-person and online event during Ento25

Find out more about Ento25

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

View the AGM papers using the following links.

2024-2025 Annual Report

RES Annual Report 2025 Final V 2 AGM 2025Download

AGM 2025 Agenda

AGM 2024 Minutes

RES AGM Bye-law Updates

RES draft Amended Bye-Laws 2025

Read more about the RES AGM

Read the latest RES Strategy

We will also welcome our new Trustees

Please don’t forget to vote for our new Trustees and Committee Chairs.

The voting process

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

Voting will close on 26 August 2025.

Vote for RES Trustees

Candidates will be notified of the results before the AGM. Council will announce the results at the AGM on 9 September 2025, taking place during Ento25.

How to attend

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

Green Planet Design Conference 2025 - External Event
2025-09-25 10:30 - 15:30
Green Planet Design Conference

25 September 2025 – 10:30 – 15.30

Kingfisher Suite, Camley Street Natural Park, Kings Cross, London

Join us alongside Mitie, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Plantlife for our Green Planet Design Conference

Click here to read more and register

The Event

Join us for a day of interactive workshop sessions exploring how estate owners can create nature-positive assets.

We will look at how to support biodiversity while delivering real value for business.

The day will be led by Mitie’s Green Planet Design team alongside leading environmental charities, Plantlife, The Royal Entomological Society and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The Venue

This year’s conference will take place in the heart one of London’s hidden gems, the Camley Street Natural Park near King’s Cross. The park is a unique natural reserve with woodland, grassland and wetland habitats.

The Event

10.30 – 15.30. Arrivals from 10.00 for a 10.30 start. Lunch and refreshments provided.

The day will be split into 4 workshop sessions, including a short walking tour.

Workshops led by:

Plantlife is best known for its hugely successful and impactful No Mow May initiative that’s struck a chord with millions of people across the UK, and does great work to raise the awareness of the importance of grasslands as a habitat to increase and maintain biodiversity nationally. Find out more

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is best known for it’s Bee the Change initiative, raising awareness of how we can all become part of conservation our pollinating insect population across the UK. Find out more

Mitie transforms places for customers with technology, innovation and their passion for excellence. Founded in 1987, Mitie are the UK’s leading facilities management and professional services company. Find out more

Who is attending?

Director of Estates and Building Services

UK Property Director

Global Head of ESG, Property Management

Group Sustainability Director

Director of Sustainability

Director of Supply Chain & Head of Charity

Environmental & Energy Manager

UK Head of Sustainability

Environment Advisor

Head of Forestry

Strategic Director

Head of Commercial and Supply Chain

Insects as Food and Feed (SIG) 2025
2025-10-09 09:15 - 16:30 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/iaff25/
Insects as Food and Feed: delivering sustainable protein to the food system

Date: Thursday 9 October 2025 (09:15 – 16:30)

Venue: Elm Grove Conference Centre, The University of Roehampton: Home – Roehampton Venues

Listen to informative talks around the subject of insect protein, the benefits, ethics and issues surrounding the rearing of insects, their uses in pathology, industry, agriculture & farming, cattle feed and protein for human and non-human animal consumption.

Topics include:

Ethics of entomophagy: insect protein within the UK landscape

Nutritional value of insect protein in animal feed and human food

Application of insects/insect protein in food and feed formulation

The Insects as Food and Feed Special Interest Group (SIG) is slightly different from other SIG’s as it aims to offer a focus for an emerging industry rather that an area of study. As part of the Society’s Grand Challenges in Entomology, the Insects as Food and Feed SIG brings together a diverse range of people from across this embryonic industry such as scientists, farmers, food technologists, lawyers and chefs to examine the vast range of possibilities offered by insects as a novel source of protein for both human and livestock consumption and more.

This annual event will report on current research and industry innovations, plus offering open discussions with informed panels and opportunities for informal talks and networking. Anyone with an interest in the area is welcome to attend.

There will be an opportunity to meet informally for drinks and food after the event, and more information will follow closer to the date.

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.

Programme

Programme – IAFF 2025Download

Keynotes speakers:

Prof. Jonathan Birch, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, the LSE

Talk title: The Minds of Insects and Why They Matter

Jonathan is a Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience at the LSE. In 2021, he led a Review of the Evidence of Sentience in Cephalopod Molluscs and Decapod Crustaceans that led to invertebrate animals including octopuses, crabs and lobsters being included in the UK government’s Sentience Bill.

In 2024, Jonathan published The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI.

Dr. Jo Gould, Assistant Professor in Food Sciences, The University of Nottingham

Talk title: Talk Title: Insect protein functionality for structuring food products

Jo holds a BSc in Food Science and Nutrition and a Ph.D in Food Science from the University of Nottingham. Her Ph.D research focused on understanding the functionality and applicability of cocoa particles as a natural particulate emulsifier. Following on from her Ph.D, in a postdoctoral research role with the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacture in Food, Jo continued research into natural particulate emulsifiers confirming the role of lignin in the emulsifying properties of cocoa particles and utilising existing processes in the bioenergy industry to create hydrophobic natural Pickering particles from food waste.

Jo was appointed as an Assistant Professor in Food Science at the University of Nottingham in September 2017 and is part of the Food Materials Science Group. Research focuses on incorporating sustainable sources of protein – insect and plant proteins – into food microstructures, by understanding the relationship between processing – functionality – safety of an ingredient.

Prof. Tim Parr, Professor in Nutritional Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Nottingham

Talk title: The nutrient composition of insects: determining factors that influence nutrient composition for feed and food

Tim is a Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry from School of Biosciences and the Food Systems Institute at the University of Nottingham. His research examines metabolic adaptations which production animals can undergo to enhance nutrient production efficiency and quality.

His most recent published research has been working on projects examining how manipulation of insect’s diet effects their growth and their nutrient body composition, and how adaptable this is.

Ben Brown, Co-Founder & COO, InsectBiotech

Talk title: Optimising Black Soldier Fly larvae use: waste residue conversion as the future of feed

Ben is a seasoned entrepreneur and operational leader with over 20 years of experience as Chief Operating Officer across multiple industries, including healthcare tech, manufacturing, and CRM. He successfully built and exited several start-ups, combining strategic insight with deep financial expertise.

Originally trained as a marine biologist, Ben brings a unique blend of scientific rigor and operational acumen. Ben holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi, and B.Sc & B.Comm from the University of Western Australia.

Exhibition

If you are interested in exhibiting at this event, please contact fran.fleming@royensoc.co.uk

Convenors

Daniel Amor – daniel.amor@bristol.ac.uk

Kieran Robertson – krobertson05@qub.ac.uk

Read more about the Food & Feed SIG

Registration

Registration for in-person attendance is now closed, but there are still a few places available. Please contact fran.fleming@royensoc.co.uk for more information. There are significantly discounted rates for RES members, 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.

Attending the Insects as Food and Feed Conference qualifies for 6 BASIS CPD points, supporting your continued professional development. A sign-in sheet will be available at the event.

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Monday 29 September 2025

In-personRES Student Member£25RES Member/Fellow£55Standard Registration (Associate members and Non-members)£100

Online registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Thursday 9 October 2025

OnlineRES Student Member£10RES Member/Fellow£20Standard Registration (Associate members and Non-members)£70

External - XII International Symposium on Aphids
2025-10-13 08:00 - 2025-10-17 17:00
XII International Symposium on Aphids

13-17 October 2025, Yongpyong, Korea

Organized by Prof. Seunghwan LEE, Laboratory of Insect Biosystematics, Division of Entomology, Seoul National University (SNU), Korea.

For more information and details of how to register, please visit the official ISA website here.

New Scientist Live 2025 – External Event
2025-10-18 10:00 - 2025-10-20 17:00
New Scientist Live 2025

Sat 18 – Sun 19 October 2025, Mon 20 Oct Schools’ Day.

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

Come and see the RES at New Scientist Live

Visit us at the Royal Entomological Society stand at New Scientist Live 2025.

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

Orthoptera Special Interest Group (SIG) 2025
2025-11-05 12:00 - 17:00 | https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/orthoptera-2025/
Orthoptera Special Interest Group (SIG) 2025

Join us at The Natural History Museum, London 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. The programme includes around ten short talks, with posters and livestock presented during refreshment breaks. The meeting is followed by an optional supper and drinks in the NHM common room.

We welcome contributions from all enthusiasts, students, academics, and other professionals.

Abstracts

Please contact one of the SIG Convenors below directly if you would like to present a talk or poster, or bring along some live specimens.

SIG Convenors

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

Judith Marshall j.marshall@nhm.ac.uk

Ed Baker: edward.baker@nhm.ac.uk

Beulah Garner: b.garner@nhm.ac.uk

Programme

Programme – Orthoptera SIG 2025Download

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.

We welcome those attending in person to join after the event for a buffet dinner at NHM. Tickets can be added when registering for an additional £15.

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Monday 27 October

In-personRES Student Member£5RES Member/Fellow£10Standard Registration (Associate members and Non-members)£15

Online registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Monday 3 November

OnlineRES Student MemberFreeRES Member/Fellow£5Standard Registration (Associate members and Non-members)£10

ESA 2025 - External Event
2025-11-09 08:00 - 2025-11-12 17:00
Say Hello to the Royal Entomological Society Team at the Entomological Society of America (ESA) meeting 9-12 November 2025 in Portland, Oregon

Heading to the Entomological Society of America (ESA) meeting in Portland, Oregon?

Come and meet the Royal Entomological Society team at Booth 206!

We’d love to connect, chat about all things entomology, and share what’s new at RES.

See you there! 🪲

Why This Year is Unmissable:

Innovative Ideas: Dive into groundbreaking research and cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future of insect- science.

Legacy of Knowledge: Honor the rich history and contributions of entomologists who have paved the way for today’s advancements.

Passionate Community: Connect with a vibrant network of professionals who are as enthusiastic about insects as you are.

Exclusive In-Person Experience:

No Virtual Presentations: Immerse yourself fully in the live, interactive sessions and hands-on workshops.

Networking Opportunities: Forge new friendships and professional connections that will last a lifetime.

Memorable Moments: Create lasting memories with fellow entomologists in the beautiful city of Portland.

Read more on the ESA website

Outreach, Culture & Education SIG 2025
2025-11-22 09:00 - 17:00
Outreach, Culture & Education Special Interest Group (SIG) 2025

We are excited to invite you to the next RES Outreach SIG meeting at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh on 22 November. Come and join us and…

Be inspired…

By our guest speakers:

Entomologist, farmer and conservationist Dr Sarah Beynon, shares her experience of Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm and her latest conservation projects

Naturalist, ecologist and TV presenter Nick Baker, who is embarking on a new Scottish wood ant project

Be creative…

In workshops with:

Curator Ashleigh Whiffin, Engagement Manager Ashley Mackenzie-White, and Artist Ed Harrison will share how the Wild Wings of Hope project was delivered at NMS and give delegates a taster of these creative workshops.

Jessica Symons, the anthropologist and digital consultant who brought us Giant Insect World, will be guiding us to create modern, dynamic experiences

Be collaborative…

Throughout the day, with:

A dedicated poster session to network, chat and see what exciting entomology outreach projects have been going on

Opportunities to meet like-minded people and plan your next outreach venture, whether it’s a small local project or a major event for Insect Week!

If you love entomology outreach, this is the place for you!

Read more about the RES SIGs

Programme

Programme – Outreach, Education and Culture SIG 2025Download

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 Fees

In-person registration deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Friday 14 November

In-personRES Student Member£20RES Member£40Standard Registration (Associate members and Non-members)£60

Irish Entomologists' Meeting 2025
2025-12-01 09:30 - 16:30
Irish Entomologists’ Meeting

The Royal Entomological Society and the Student Entomological Society of Ireland are delighted to host an Irish Entomologist’s Meeting on 1st December 2025. This full day meeting will be hosted at University College Dublin, where we will hear from those involved in, using or supporting entomological research. Whether you’re an entomologist working in Ireland, interested in Irish entomology, or interested in a trip to Dublin – everyone is welcome! Lunch and refreshments will be provided on the day.Abstract submissions are now closed.

Programme

Programme – Irish Entomologists Meeting 2025 v2Download

Registration

Registration is now closed.

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

Deadline for registration: Friday 21 November

In-personRES Student Member£8RES Member£15Standard Registration (Associate members and Non-members)£30
