With all these stories flying around, I figured it’d be a good time to introduce my travel companions for the trip.

Gil Goncalves Miranda

Gil is a PhD. candidate in our lab who works on the systematics of Neotropical (Central and South America) Syrphidae, specifically the genus Ocyptamus. As you might be able to tell, Gil does everything the heavy metal way, including pinning insects! He’s also been our translator this trip, and the butt of plenty of jokes (all in good fun of course)!

Joel Kits

Joel is the other PhD. candidate in the lab, and works on the systematics of the Archiborborini, a basal tribe of lesser dung flies (Sphaeroceridae). Joel is also an avid birder and naturalist, and makes sure to keep fastidious notes of his sightings each day.

Nichelle Lomas

This is Nichelle’s first time collecting flies, as she comes to dipterology from the agricultural sector. She’s researching the utility of Musca domestica, amoung other flies, to efficiently break down chicken manure into dried fertilizer. Here, she’s decided to stick around a little longer, mostly because the vine has grabbed hold of her head!

Andrew Young

Finally, we have Andrew Young, who you technically met the other day. Andrew is working on the genus Platycheirus (Syrphidae) in North America, writing a key to species and matching the males and females of each species to one another for the first time.