As an entomologist and curator at the Insectarium since its creation, my interest is in enhancing our knowledge of insects. I take part in the organization, development and conservation of the scientific collection, the exhibition collection and the live collection. I’ve enriched the museum by receiving numerous donations in support of the various projects of our community of researchers.
- Curator of the Insectarium
- Research associate at the University of Nebraska and “Team Scarab”.
- Founding member of “Team Phyllies,” the team tasked with doing a complete study of the family of leaf insects.
- Member of the Coleopterists Society
- Member of the Phasmid Study Group
- Member of the Phylliidae Committee of the Phasmida Species File
Areas of research and expertise
- Preservation and organization of entomological collections
- Systematic revision of the family Phylliidae (leaf insects) in collaboration with Mr. Royce Cumming, containing the description of three new genera and 32 new species
- Systematics work on Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) with Dr. Brett C. Ratcliffe, and description of new species and the monograph on the Dynastinae of Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay
- Systematics work on Phasmida with Dr. Frank Hennemann and description of new stick insect species (three new species in 2021)
- Work in paleoentomology with Mr. Royce Cumming involving the description of new insect genera and species conserved in amber from the Cretaceous period
About my work
Since the beginnings of the Insectarium I’ve worked primarily on the scientific collection, the exhibition collection and the development of the live collection.
I’ve been involved in most of the Insectarium exhibitions, and been the researcher or co-creator of a number of them, such as “Butterflies Go Free” and “So Many Tales: Insects in Human Cultures.” For the new Insectarium project I worked on the renewal of the live collection and the naturalized collection.
In research terms, my principal interest is in systematics. I’ve had the good fortune to discover and describe close to 75 new species, including longhorn beetles, scarabs and leaf insects. I’m the co-author of three books (Papillons et chenilles du Québec et des Maritimes, Papillons de nuit et chenilles du Québec et des Maritimes and The Book of Beetles) and over 50 scientific articles.
Why I love research
The discovery of a new species, identification, biogeography and the potential for new taxa are what I find especially exciting.
I love the teamwork, with everyone finding a significant and essential place in the matter of confirming these discoveries. I’m lucky to be part of an important network of researchers on an international scale and curators of other museums.
I’m happy that my work has added to the prominence of the Insectarium to some extent, both locally and beyond our borders.
