Department of Taxonomy of Entomophagous Insects and Ecological Principles of Biocontrol

Main area of research:

Systematics, taxonomy and ecology of parasitic Hymenoptera

Research areas:

• systematics and taxonomy of parasitic Hymenoptera

• entomophagous entomofauna of Ukraine (chiefly parasitoids)

• parasitoid-host interactions as a background of biological pest control in agriculture and forestry

The Department History:

Department of the Taxonomy of Entomophagous insects and Ecological Principles of Biocontrol was established in 1986 as a laboratory (with the same name) of the Department of General and Applied Entomology. Since the foundation until 2011 the Department was headed by its founder, Prof. M.D. Zerova, who has also founded the Ukrainian scientific school of parasitoid studies (as a continuation of the earlier research of M.I. Kurdjumov, M.N. Nikolskaya and M.A. Telenga).

3 researchers have obtained Dr.Sci. and 14 students have obtained Ph.D. degrees as the results of their Ph.D. and Dr.Sci. fellowships in the Department. The unique collection of parasitic and predatory Hymenoptera (ca 7,000 specimens of almost a thousand genera), was established in the Department. The collection represents main parasitoid (Ichneumonoidea, Chalcidoidea, Platygastroidea, Proctotrupoidea and Cynipoidea) and predatory (Formicoidea) hymenopterans, including more than 900 type specimens.

Since the foundation, the studies of the Department were focused on the following main research areas: systematics and taxonomy of parasitic Hymenoptera, entomophagous entomofauna of Ukraine and studies on the parasitoid-host interactions as a background of biological pest control in agriculture and forestry. The results of the hitherto conducted fundamental research are the 19 monographs on biodiversity, evolution and taxonomy of main groups of entomophagous insects, i.e. the "Fauna of the USSR" (3 volumes) and "Fauna of Ukraine" (3 volumes), monographs on parasitoid associations of dendrophilous Lepidoptera (2 issues) and insect gall-formers (3 issues), and also the respective chapters in the "Keys to identification of the insects of Far East Russia" (5 issues).

The Department was also involved in the elaboration of the background principles of sustainable use of entomophagous insects in environmentally-friendly technologies in plant protection, e.g. against the greenhouse and fruit crops’ pests. The studies resulted in two books and five brochures.

Department today:

December 2019

Since 2011 the Department of the Taxonomy of Entomophagous insects and Ecological Principles of Biocontrol is headed by Dr. Alex Gumovsky. The department continues its traditional studies, but now also expands its scope to alpha-taxonomic and phylogenetic studies based on molecular data and computer-assisted methods.

PEOPLE:

	GUMOVSKY Alex Head of Department, Dr.Sci., Ph.D. Research interests: chalcid wasps of “eulophid lineage” (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae, Tetracampidae) of the World, life history traits of parasitoids, physiology of egg-larval parasitoids, chalcids of Afrotropical regions. More than 60 papers, incl. one monograph. Personal page >> e-mail: gumovsky[et]izan.kiev.ua
	RADCHENKO Alexander Leading research scientist, Dr.Sci., Ph.D., Professor Research interests: ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Palearctic (fauna, taxonomy, zoogeography). More than 225 papers, incl. 8 monographs. e-mail: rad[et]izan.kiev.ua, agradchenko[et]hotmail.com
	FURSOV Victor Senior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: chalcid wasps of the families Trichogrammatidae and Mymaridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Palearctic and the World (fauna and taxonomy). More than 50 papers. e-mail: ufensia[et]gmail.com
	SIMUTNIK Sergei Senior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: chalcid wasps of the family Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Palearctic and the World (fauna and taxonomy). More than 50 papers. e-mail: simutnik[et]izan.kiev.ua
	KLYMENKO Svitlana Junior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: parasitoids (Chalcidoidea) of cynipoid gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) associated with herbaceous and shrub vegetation. 15 papers. e-mail: klymenko[et]izan.kiev.ua
	KALIUZHNA Maryna Research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: parasitoids of the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea, Braconidae) and other Braconidae of Ukraine (fauna, taxonomy); ecological principles of biocontrol and its application in organic agriculture; GIS technologies application in biodiversity and agricultural research and nature conservation. 27 papers and over 50 conference abstracts. e-mail: kaliuzhna.maryna[et]gmail.com
	NUZHNA Ganna Junior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: parasitoids of the subfamily Anomaloninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea, Ichneumonidae) of Ukraine (fauna and taxonomy). 3 papers. e-mail: ganna.nuzhna[et]gmail.com
	VARGA Alexander Junior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: ichneumonid parasitoids (Ichneumonoidea, Ichneumonidae) of the subfamilies Acaenitinae, Campopleginae, Cryptinae, Pimplinae, Poemeniinae, Rhyssinae та Xoridinae. More than 20 papers. e-mail: sancho.varga[et]gmail.com
	MARTYNOVA Katherine Junior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: species diversity, taxonomy and parasitoid-host associations of cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) and other groups of Chrysidoidea. 12 papers. e-mail: martynova_kv[et]ukr.net
	STETSUN Halyna A. PhD-student, junior research scientist Research interests: functional morphology, comparative morphology, sting morphology of digger wasps of family Crabronidae 1 paper e-mail: halyna.stetsun[et]gmail.com
	STETSENKO Irina Leading engineer Catalogization of the type specimens in the Department’s collection; technical and laboratory assistance. e-mail: irynarosoha[et]gmail.com
	BAZHENOVA Tatiana Leading engineer Research interests: species composition of parasitoid associations (Chalcidoidea, Ichneumonoidea); technical and laboratory assistance. e-mail: bazhenowa.tanya[et]yandex.ru
	SIMUTNIK Olena Engineer Research interests: species composition of parasitoid associations (Chalcidoidea, Ichneumonoidea); technical and laboratory assistance.
	LAZARENKO Svitlana Senior technician Research assistance and support, maintenance of equipment, management of research consumables

FORMER STAFF MEMBERS
experts in taxonomy, contributors to the main collection of the Institute

	ZEROVA Marina (1934-2021) the founder of the Department, Principal research scientist, Dr.Sci., Ph.D., Professor Research interests: chalcid wasps of the families Eurytomidae, Torymidae, Ormyridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Palearctic (fauna and taxonomy). More than 200 papers, incl. 15 monographs. e-mail: zerova[et]izan.kiev.ua
	KONONOVA Svitlana (1940-2016) Dr.Sci., Ph.D. Research interests: parasitoids of the superfamilies Platygastroidea and Proctotrupoidea (Hymenoptera) of Palearctic (fauna and taxonomy). More than 80 papers, incl. 6 monographs.
	KLJUTSCHKO Zoya (1933-2016) Dr.Sci., Ph.D. Research interests: noctuid moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea, Noctuidae) of Palearctic (fauna and taxonomy). More than 130 papers, incl. 12 monographs.
	KOTENKO Anatoly Ph.D. Research interests: parasitoids of the family Braconidae, chiefly Microgastrinae, Cardiochilinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) of Palearctic (fauna and taxonomy). More than 100 papers, incl. 4 monographs. e-mail: kotenko[et]izan.kiev.ua
	DYAKONCHUK Liubov Ph.D. Research interests: cynipoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea), chiefly gall-formers. More than 40 papers, incl. 1 monograph.
	CHERVONENKO Oksana Ph.D. Research interests: parasitoids of the subfamily Aphelininae (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae), aphid parasitoids. 4 papers.
	SERYOGINA Liudmila Senior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: chalcid wasps of the families Eurytomidae, Torymidae, Ormyridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Palearctic (fauna and taxonomy). More than 100 papers, incl. 5 monographs. e-mail: seryogina[et]izan.kiev.ua
	TOLKANITZ Valentyna Senior research scientist, Ph.D. Research interests: parasitoids of the family Ichneumonidae, chiefly Metopiinae, Tryphoninae (Phytodietini) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) of Palearctic (fauna and taxonomy). More than 80 papers, incl. 7 monographs. e-mail: tolkanitz[et]izan.kiev.ua
	NAROLSKY Nikolai Research interests: parasitoids of the subfamily Cremastinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) of Palearctic (fauna and taxonomy). More than 30 papers, incl. 1 monograph.
	ZAVADA Andrei PhD Research interests: chalcid wasps of the family Torymidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea. 4 papers
	VASKO Bogdan Junior research scientist Research interests: parasitic wasps of the families Scoliidae and Tiphiidae and their associations with scarabeoid beetles; taxonomy of Scarabeoidea. More than 20 papers. e-mail: bogdan.vasko[et]gmail.com