PBI team members from the US, Canada, Russia & Australia attended the International Congress of Entomology 15-21 August 2004.

The congress was held in sunny Brisbane Australia.

PBI participants met with other Heteropterists including President of the International Heteropterists Society Jocelia Grazia (far left).

Included are: Micheal Schwartz, Fedor Konstantinov, Randall (Toby) Schuh, Dimitri Forero, Christiane Weirauch and Denise Wyniger.

Peter Raven Director of Missouri Botanical Garden USA presented a plenary address at the Congress.

PhD candidate Dimitri (center) is seen discussing the presentations/ seminars with postdocs (from left to right) Michael Wall, Denise, Christiane & Fedor.

Christiane, Denise & Dimitri mingle at the opening cocktail event at the Congress.

Lunchtime was a great opportunity to catch up with fellow team members and discuss the new ideas and concepts acquired during the Congress.

Here we see from left to right Co-PI Gerry Cassis, Senior Investigator Thomas Henry & PI Toby.

Most of the PBI team gave lectures at the Congress.

Shown here is Tom Henry presenting “Recognition and Identification of Supergeneric Groupings in the Miridae.”

Gerry chaired the Systematics & Phylogeny session titled “Origins & Diversification of Heteroptera, with particular emphasis on the Australasian Fauna”. He also presented “Biodiversity, host plant associations & biogeography of Heteroptera of continental Australia”.

Toby discussed the PBI project and recent launch of the website during his presentation titled “Plant bugs & the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory initiative”.

Michael Wall answered some questions at the end of his presentation titled “Phylogeny & biogeography of the stinkbug tribe Halyini (Heteroptera:Pentatomidae:Pentatominae)”. The Congress provided an opportunity for the postdocs & PhD candidates to present their Dissertation (PhD Thesis) & Masters Thesis studies.

Shown left: Denise presented “Phylogenetic studies of the plant bug genus Psallus Fieber, 1858 (Heteroptera:Miridae)”.

Shown Right: PhD Candidate Nikolai Tatarnic presented “Systematics & biogeography of the genus Mictis (Heteroptera: Coreidae)”.

Christiane’s presentation concluded the Wednesday morning session with “Structural diversity in Reduviidae (Heteroptera), with a contribution to the phylogenetic system of the group”.

PBI participants joined other members of the International Heteropterists Society at their biennial meeting.

Before we knew it, the Congress was over and we said goodbye to beautiful Brisbane.