DAVIS--It's official. There's a new wasp species named “The Bockler Wasp,” thanks to a concerted drive to memorialize a beloved science teacher, and the taxonomy work of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, and its nonprofit BioLegacy Program.  

When award-winning biology teacher Donald “Doc Boc” Bockler of Arlington (Mass.) High School, died at age 65 of an apparent heart attack on Sept. 2, 2008 at his home, two of his former students from the Class of 1993--Tabatha Bruce Yang of the Bohart Museum and Margaret Dredge Moore of Arlington--launched a fundraising drive to name an insect after him.  

They selected a newly discovered species in the genus Lanthanomyia--being described by Bohart Museum senior museum scientist Steve Heydon. They sought the name, Lanthanomyia bockleri.   

Heydon recently published his work on Lanthanomyia bockleri Heydon in Zootaxa, a worldwide mega-journal for zoological taxonomists and the name is now official. 

“Once an article goes through the scientific review process and is published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, the name of the new species is official and immortalized in the scientific literature,” explained Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum and professor of entomology at UC Davis.

Kimsey described species-naming as “a unique, lasting form of dedication” and “a great honor both for the person giving the name and for the individual or other honoree whose name is being given to the species.”

Heydon said Lanthanomyia is a genus whose species are restricted to central and southern Chile and adjacent parts of Argentina. The new species is found in the Nothofagus forests of Patagonian Chile, including Chiloe Island. It belongs to a family of parasitic wasps called the Pteromalidae.  “Unlike other related species, this one has a unique dorsal attachment of the head to the thorax. If you see a specimen of Lanthanomyia with the neck attaching close to the top of the head, you know it is bockleri,” Heydon said. “Adults are reared from galls on Nothofagus and are thought to be parasites of gall-forming weevils.” 

 “Donald Bockler was fascinated by evolution and nature and he would have been proud,” said Yang, education and outreach coordinator at the Bohart Museum. Like many other Bockler students, she credits him for influencing her decision to pursue a career in science. 

Bockler, a member of the Massachusetts Hall of Fame for Science Educators, taught science for 35 years, including a short time in Peru and Puerto Rico before joining the Arlington High School faculty in 1972. He retired in 2003. 

His former students and teaching colleagues said the naming of the insect is a fitting tribute to a teacher who lived for and loved science and instilled the enthusiasm in his students. Wrote one colleague in an email to Yang and Moore: “His students were blessed by his passion and devotion to inquiry learning.  As a friend and mentor, he left an indelible mark on my career as a teacher and scholar… Most importantly, he helped us all believe in the value of our work.” 

Bockler's obituary in the Boston Globe related that he “found his place among the subjects he loved and the students he taught. During his career he led classes in all levels of biology, environmental science, and earth science.” 

“...He was past president of the Massachusetts Association of Biology Teachers (MABT), was a reader for the AP biology and Environmental Science exams, and presented at state and national conferences… He received an award for Excellence in Environmental Education in 2003 and was recognized by Tufts University for excellence in mentoring practice teachers.

“Once retired in 2003, he continued working in science education, writing curricula for the Urban Ecology Institute, home-schooling science students, and becoming a teaching assistant at Harvard University Extension. Recently he had begun working with the Encyclopedia of Life Project.

“His essence is reflected in comments made by students and teachers: "The learning community has lost one of its greats." "A gentleness is passed." "He was loved by all and will be sorely missed as our world has lost one of its finest teachers and human beings."  

He and his wife, Marzina, had no children.  

MABT established a memorial scholarship in his name and wrote on its website:  “Don's energy and enthusiasm for teaching were an inspiration to us all.  Don was a dedicated educator who taught for over 30 years at Arlington High School and before that as a Peace Corps volunteer in South America. His students learned their lessons to a high standard because of his outstanding teaching.  In addition to his dedicated service to MABT, he chaired the Massachusetts Outstanding Biology Teaching Award Committee for years.   Don was an avid reader; his personal library held more than 5000 volumes, the diversity of which reflected his many varied interests and his inquisitive mind.   

The Bohart Museum, located in Room 1124 Academic Surge on Crocker Lane, established its BioLegacy program  “to support species discovery and naming, research and teaching activities of the museum through sponsorships,” Kimsey said.  

 “At a time when support for taxonomic and field research is shrinking, researchers find it increasingly difficult to discover, classify and name undescribed species. Yet there are thousands yet to be discovered. Taxonomy is the basis of all biology and without species discovery and naming much of the world's biodiversity will remain unknown and therefore unprotectable.”

Agriculture and human settlement are expanding, and according to conservative estimates, around 17,500 species become extinct every year. “Most of these have not even been discovered, let alone researched or exploited,” Kimsey said. “This loss has ecological and economic consequences which, though difficult to measure, are undoubtedly of major significance. Extinction is forever!”

The Bohart Museum of Entomology posts information about naming rights and insects needing names on its BioLegacy website. A minimum sponsorship of $2,500 is requested. Participation in the BioLegacy Program is open to the public (of legal age) and scientists in research organizations. Taxonomists are expressly invited to join the BioLegacy Program. The Bohart Museum is a non-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible.

The BioLegacy Program:

• provides donors the opportunity to sponsor and give a scientific name to a newly discovered insect species; 
• provides researchers responsible for identifying the new species with names provided by donors;
• ensures that names provide by donors are used in a scientifically sound and scientifically correct manner in accordance with International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature rules;
• provides donors with documentary proof of their name for the new species in question; ensures that donated funds go to the support of taxonomical research in the Bohart Museum of Entomology;
• publishes donor-named species and information about the research on its website

The Bohart Museum, dedicated to teaching, research and public service, houses nearly eight million specimens and is the seventh largest insect collection in North America.  It is named for noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007).

DAVIS--The Bohart Museum of Entomology is planning its fifth annual Moth-er's Day celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 4 at its location, Room 1124 of Academic Surge, Crocker Lane. It is free and open to the public.

"We will be celebrating the diversity of moths and making moth-inspired cards in advance of Mother's Day," said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator. "We'll have a cloth and light set-up to show people how moths are collected and we will have displays about the differences between moths and butterflies."

Most moths are nocturnal, unlike butterflies, which fly during the day. Moths of all sizes, shapes, colors and patterns will be displayed.

One of the moths displayed may well be one of the smallest moths in the world. Bohart Museum senior museum scientist Steve Heydon was sorting through his collection of unmounted insects from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, central Africa, when he noticed a moth about 1mm long, the size of the period at the end of this sentence.

The moth is a new species, yet to be described, Heydon said. “We don't even know what genus it is. We are guessing it is a Nepticulidae since this family contains the smallest moths. Their caterpillars are leafminers--they actually live between the top and bottom layers of a leaf, eating out the middle.”

 “It has a wing span of 2 to 2.5mm,” Heydon said.  “Insects that have a wing span of 3mm are considered tiny, but this one is really tiny—the smallest moth anyone ever seems to have found.”  

Heydon collected the moth in April of 2006 on an expedition to the village of Kikongo Mission, located about 45 minutes by air east of  Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He caught the moth on forested land, near a river, in a Malaise trap, a mesh tentlike structure commonly used to trap flying insects such as flies and wasps.

Also at the open house, visitors can hold such live specimens as Madagascar hissing cockroaches, a rose-haired tarantula and walking sticks and browse the gift shop, which includes T-shirts, jewelry, insect nets, posters and books, including the newly published children's book, “The Story of the Dogface Butterfly,” written by UC Davis doctoral candidate Fran Keller and illustrated (watercolor and ink) by Laine Bauer, a 2012 UCD graduate.

The 35-page book, geared toward kindergartners through sixth-graders, also includes photos by naturalist Greg Kareofelas of Davis, a volunteer at the Bohart Museum. The book tells the untold story of the California dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice), Keller said. Bauer's illustrations depict the life cycle of this butterfly and the children who helped designate it as the California state insect. The net proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to the education, outreach and research programs of the Bohart Museum. The book also can be ordered online.

The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, a professor of entomology at UC Davis, houses a global collection of nearly 8 million insect specimens and is the seventh largest insect collection in North America. It is also the home of the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity. Noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) founded the museum.

Bohart officials schedule weekend open houses throughout the academic year. The museum's regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The insect museum is closed to the public on Fridays and on major holidays. Admission is free.

DAVIS--The Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, is planning “The December Event” from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 in Room 1124 of Academic Surge, Crocker Lane. It's free and open to the public. 

Visitors are invited to “come look at our collection, hold live insects and browse our gift shop,” said Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum and professor of entomology at UC Davis.

The Dec. 7th event is an extension of the weekday hours, said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator. “We will have some Oh, My! drawers pulled (called “Oh, my” because that’s what visitors say when they first see them), and live animals to hold.” These include Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks, tarantulas and praying mantids. Visitors can also see newly emerged praying mantids.

Attendees can test out Lizard Island, a new ecological videogamebeing developed by Budding Biologist (http://www.buddingbiologist.com/about.html), an educational publishing company owned by Kristine Callis-Duehl, a post-doctoral associate housed in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. This game is loosely based on ecological research being conducted by Louie Yang, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Walter Hsiao, the video game developer , will be on hand to answer questions about game design.

Hsaio earlier designed a fly fishing simulation game that included input from Louie Yang and Sharon Lawler, professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology: http://www.flysim.com/flysim/flysim_features.html

The Bohart Museum, housing nearly eight million specimens, is the seventh largest insect collection in North America. It is also the home of the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of insect biodiversity. Noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) founded the museum in 1946.

The year-around gift shop (also online) offers t-shirts, jewelry, insect nets, posters and books, including the newly published children’s book, “The Story of the Dogface Butterfly,” written by UC Davis doctoral candidate Fran Keller and illustrated (watercolor and ink) by Laine Bauer, a 2012 graduate of UC Davis. The 35-page book, geared toward kindergarteners through sixth graders, also includes photos by naturalist Greg Kareofelas of Davis, a volunteer at the Bohart.

Bohart officials schedule weekend open houses throughout the academic year. Upcoming open houses are:

Sunday, Jan. 12
Theme: "Snuggle Bugs"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 8
Theme: "Biodiversity Museum Day"
Hours: Noon to 4 p.m.
This event will be held in conjunction with the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Herbarium, Botanical Conservatory, Anthropology Collection and Geology and will take place at each of those locations.  (All are free and open to the public.)

Sunday, March 2
Theme: "Garden Heroes!"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 12:
Theme: “UC Davis Picnic Day: 100 Years”
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, May 4
Theme: "Moth-er's Day"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, July 26
Theme: "Arachnids: Awesome or Awful?"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.

The Bohart Museum’s regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.  The insect museum is closed to the public on Fridays and on major holidays. Admission is free. More information is available from Tabatha Yang at tabyang@ucdavis.edu.

Those who would like to join the Bohart Museum Society, a campus and community support organization dedicated to supporting the mission of the museum, can do so by accessing http://bohart.ucdavis.edu/html/about_society.html.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology will host an open house on "The Beauty and the Beetles" on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m.

The museum, which houses nearly eight million insects, is located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge building on the UC Davis campus, Crocker Lane.

The event is free and open to the public. It's a family friendly event.

"Beetles," said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator at the Bohart," are incredibly diverse from the  dung beetles to the shiny wood-boring beetles to the mighty rhinoceros beetles. They are also spectacularly beautiful. Besides specimens from around the world, we also be displaying (not selling!) jewelry made from the wings of beetles--this was common practice in South America's indigenous populations."

In addition to displays of beetles, "we will have a fun hands-on craft, something involving sequins and another craft involving 'dung balls,' " Yang said.

The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis and housing nearly eight million specimens, is the seventh largest insect collection in North America. It is also the home of the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of insect biodiversity. Noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) founded the museum in 1946.

Special attractions at the Bohart include a live "petting zoo," with critters such as Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks, tarantulas and prayingmantids. Visitors can also shop at the year-around gift shop (or online) for t-shirts, jewelry, insect nets, posters and books, including the newly published children’s book, “The Story of the Dogface Butterfly,” written by UC Davis doctoral candidate Fran Keller and illustrated (watercolor and ink) by Laine Bauer, a 2012 graduate of UC Davis. The 35-page book, geared toward kindergarteners through sixth graders, also includes photos by naturalist Greg Kareofelas of Davis, a volunteer at the Bohart.

Bohart officials schedule weekend open houses throughout the academic year. Regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.  The insect museum is closed to the public on Fridays and on major holidays. Admission is free. More information is available from Tabatha Yang at tabyang@ucdavis.edu.