User:WaspWatcher

I'm Tom Saunders (tomsaunders.co.nz, @TomSaundersNZ on Twitter), a PhD student at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. My research aims to improve the way classical biocontrol agents are screened for their potential non-target risks before they are released. In particular, I'm interested in using chemical ecology to better understand the host range of biocontrol agents. For my case study I've chosen Trissolcus japonicus, or the samurai wasp, which is a tiny species of egg parasitoid being considered for release in New Zealand against the brown marmorated stink bug, a serious horticultural pest.

I'm interested in entomology and taxonomy, particularly relating to parasitoid wasps, a group I find fascinating. I'm also interested in science communication and scholarly publishing.

Pages I've created:

 * Hypsithocus hudsonae
 * Monteithiella humeralis
 * Trissolcus basalis
 * Trissolcus oenone
 * Dictyotus caenosus
 * Cuspicona simplex