Monthly Meeting: Discovery of a New Insect Species on Red Mulberry in Hamilton

In 2023, an exciting discovery was made along the Hamilton escarpment: a new species of insect! But finding a new species is only the beginning. This talk follows the journey from that first observation to writing the species description paper, exploring how someone with zero experience in taxonomy and insects navigates the surprisingly complex process of describing a species new to science. There was a lot to learn, plenty to figure out, and, appropriately for an insect, much of it happened on the fly!

Serina Tourangeau is a MSc student studying the ecology of freshwater turtles. Her background is in species-at-risk conservation, with experience working across a diverse range of taxa, including turtles, trees, rare plants, and insects. Her work uses spatial analysis to better understand ecological patterns and processes, with the goal of informing effective conservation and management strategies. She also has a well-established habit of saying “yes” to side projects, a skill that has resulted in an ever-growing collection of research interests.