Insect Biodiversity Topic of April 16-17 Entomology Conference

For 79 years, professional and amateur insect enthusiasts from the Great Plains have gathered for an annual conference. Chartered as the Kansas Entomological Society, the group now known as the Central States Entomological Society will convene its 80th annual conference April 16 and 17 in Lincoln.

Conference director Mary Liz Jameson, research associate professor and curator in the division of entomology at the University of Nebraska State Museum, said this year's conference topic is "Insect Biodiversity on the Prairies." Session topics include conservation of insects on the prairies, insect-plant interactions, effects of introduced species on biodiversity, endangered species, and effects of pesticides on insect biodiversity.

"This conference attracts a wide variety of people interested in insects," Jameson said. General entomologists, amateur entomologists, conservationists, agriculturalists and evolutionary biologists will find topics of interest at the conference, she said.

The keynote lecture is free and open to the public. Steve Buchmann, of The Bee Works in Tucson, Ariz., will speak from 7-10 p.m. April 16 in the Great Plains Art Collection, 1155 Q St. His topic is "Pollinators in Peril: Protecting the Birds and the Bees." Buchmann is the author of "The Forgotten Pollinators," a best-selling work on the importance of bees and other "buzz pollinators" to the ecosystem. He is the author of two additional books: "Pollinator Conservation Handbook" and "The Conservation of Bees." Buchmann stresses the importance of recognizing, protecting, and conserving native bees and native plants around the world.

For additional information contact Jameson (mjameson1@unl.edu, 402-472-2664) or visit the meeting Web site.

CONTACT: Mary Liz Jameson, Research Assoc. Professor, NU State Museum, (402) 472-2664