American Entomologists Join Insect Scientists in Brazil

Annapolis, MD, August 27, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Representatives from the Entomological Society of America (ESA) will be taking part in the Entomological Society of Brazil's 25th Brazilian Congress of Entomology in Goiânia from September 14-18, 2014. Also, for the first time in its history, the Brazilian meeting will feature a version of the Linnaean Games, a quiz-show competition about science and insects that has been an important part of ESA annual meetings for more than 30 years (see http://www.entsoc.org/am/cm/linngame).

ESA President Frank Zalom will speak at the opening ceremony on Sunday, September 14. He will be followed by Dr. Walter Leal, a prominent ESA member who, along with Dr. Alvin Simmons, is the co-chair of the 2016 International Congress of Entomology (ICE 2016), which will be held in Orlando, Florida and promises to be the largest meeting of entomologists in history (see http://ice2016orlando.org).   

"I look forward to simultaneously meeting my Brazilian, Japanese, and American colleagues. The Entomological Society of Brazil will be holding a satellite symposium in Orlando during the 2016 International Congress of Entomology, so we will have lots of things to discuss for the future."

Dr. Walter Leal, Co-Chair of the 2016 International Congress of Entomology

In addition to a short presentation about ICE 2016, Dr. Leal will also present the opening plenary lecture for the third time -- he also gave plenary speeches at the 2004 Brazilian Congress of Entomology in Gramado, and at the 2008 Brazilian Congress of Entomology in Uberlandia.

A native of Brazil, Dr. Leal is a Fellow of the ESA and is a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of California, Davis. His international experience, which includes studying entomology in Japan, will be put to good use during the 2016 International Congress of Entomology, which will feature several related events from the Australian Entomological Society, the Entomological Society of Canada, the Entomological Society of China, the Union of Japanese Societies of Insect Sciences, the Entomological Society of Brazil, and others.

"I look forward to simultaneously meeting my Brazilian, Japanese, and American colleagues," said Dr. Leal. "The Entomological Society of Brazil will be holding a satellite symposium in Orlando during the 2016 International Congress of Entomology, so we will have lots of things to discuss for the future."

ESA Vice President Phil Mulder will also be in attendance and will provide assistance as student teams -- for the first time ever -- compete in the EntomoQuiz competition, the Brazilian version of the Linnaean Games. Dr. Mulder has served as Gamesmaster for many years at ESA meetings, and he was one of the first to compete in the Linnaean Games as a student in the 1980s.

In addition to Dr. Mulder's expertise, ESA will also present the Brazilian entomologists with a gift consisting of buzzers, timers, and other equipment needed for the competition.

"The Brazilian Congresses of Entomology are some of the largest gatherings of entomologists in the world, and usually more than 50 percent of the delegates are students," said Pedro Neves, President of the Entomological Society of Brazil. "Therefore, we greatly appreciate the gift and help from ESA."

"ESA is proud to present Linnaean Games equipment to the Entomological Society of Brazil for their EntomoQuiz competition," said ESA President Frank Zalom. "We hope that their games will be as fun and as successful as ours have been, and that they will carry on the tradition as we have for decades."

Dr. Zalom has also been invited to make a presentation on the North American invasion of Drosophila suzukii during a symposium on invasive insects. He and Dr. Mulder will later be joined by ESA Past Presidents Rob Wiedenmann and Grayson Brown, all of whom will speak at a symposium comprising a joint meeting between the American and Brazilian entomological societies. They, along with their counterparts from Brazil, will plan future projects and collaborations, including the identification of grand challenges for entomologists in the coming decade.

"This is one of the most important steps towards strengthening the relations between the two societies," said Antônio R. Panizzi, Past President of the Brazilian society and moderator of the symposium.

For more information about the Brazilian Congress of Entomology, visit http://www.cbe2014.com.br.

For more information about the 2016 International Congress of Entomology, visit http://ice2016orlando.org.

For more information about the Entomological Society of America, visit http://www.entsoc.org.

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