Australian Native Wasp Naming Rights Auction

Biology Society of South Australia
START
06
October 2022
09:00 AM ACDT
END
14
October 2022
09:00 PM ACDT

About Our Auction

Welcome to the Australian Native Wasp Naming Rights Silent Auction! This auction is brought to you by the Biology Society of South Australia (BSSA), as part of the BSSA 2022 quiz night with our generous sponsors, University of Adelaide YouX, University of Adelaide Environment Institute and BioR. (quiz night info page: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/annual-bssa-quiz-night-fundraiser-tickets-407811423947)

For this auction, BSSA is in partnership with Alana McClelland, PhD candidate from the University of Adelaide working on Psyllaephagus wasps to raise funds for the annual field research grant to help conserve Australian biodiversity. Find out more about this group of native wasps and how you can participate in the auction below from Alana!

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Psyllaephagus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) (AKA extremely tiny, incredibly pretty and very important chalcid wasps)

Psyllaephagus are a beautiful, tiny genus of parasitoid wasps which naturally parasitise on the populations of another group of insects, called lerps, which you can find on gum trees all over Australia, and around the world. They are the natural pest controllers of these lerps, and are especially important where Eucalypts have been introduced outside of their native range, where lerp populations often reach such high levels that the trees become stressed to a point where they can no longer support other organisms, and can even lead to the death of the tree.

These tiny gem-like wasps can prevent lerp outbreaks on Eucalypts and support healthy ecosystems, but like many groups of insects, the majority of species are more or less unknown to science. Research like mine discovers and documents new species, and tells us exactly which wasps can be used to control these lerps. As the heart of Eucalypt associated fauna, Australian ecosystems are the key to understanding and informing biological control amongst these groups. By being a part of this discovery, you are helping to bring much needed awareness to important groups such as Psyllaephagus so that the science of taxonomy can continue to discover, document and protect our precious species.

The Auction

This auction will close at the BSSA 2022 quiz night event on 14th October (Friday) and we will announce the highest bidder at 9pm ACDT during the event. By being the successful bidder, you will get to provide a name for a new species of Psyllaephagus wasp from South Australia. This will happen through the process of formally describing a new species in a scientific publication. It is important to understand that this isn’t a quick process, and from the time that we decide on a new name, it may be at least 12 months before the name is officially published. There are also nomenclatorial rules and guidelines that we must adhere to in choosing the name, so while it is perfectly ok to name it after yourself (as the winning bidder), a loved one, your dog, your favourite band or TV character, or a highly sophisticated Latin interpretation of how the wasp looks, it’s not ok to use profanities or any kind of hateful or religious language. As the species authority, I do get the final say in what the species is called, so while this can be a really fun collaborative process, I do have the authority to veto it if the system is abused. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature will be adhered to. Here’s how the official species name will look when published:

Psyllaephagus whateveryoucallit, McClelland 2024

There aren’t many (probably any) times in your life that you will get to name a new species, so BID HIGH and get creative!

Alana

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Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any enquiries,
For questions related to the wasp, please contact Alana at 0417011136
For questions related to the auction, please contact Eilish at 0427158481


About Biology Society of South Australia

The Biology Society of South Australia (BSSA) is a place for people with an interest in biodiversity, bio-discovery, and bio-conservation.

The BSSA runs events throughout the year for members to gain practical experience in field biology, and hone their natural history knowledge. The society is also about sharing an interest in biology and science, which we explore with our talks with industry professionals, researchers, and in our podcast series. And, of course, one of our main activities each year is teaming up with the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia for our Field Research Grant.

Learn More