Research Interests

Systematics, phylogeny, biology, and evolution of Staphylinidae of the world, especially Omaliinae and other relatively basal taxa

Long-term primary emphases on Omaliini of the world and various southern hemisphere temperate zone staphylinid groups

Fossil Staphylinidae and other Staphylinoidea (mainly Mesozoic)

Faunal surveys: southern hemisphere temperate Staphyliniformia

Historical biogeography, especially with regard to austral regions

    Systematics, phylogeny, biology, and evolution of Staphylinidae of the world, especially Omaliinae and other relatively basal taxa

    Long-term primary emphases on Omaliini of the world and various southern hemisphere temperate zone staphylinid groups

    Fossil Staphylinidae and other Staphylinoidea (mainly Mesozoic)

    Faunal surveys: southern hemisphere temperate Staphyliniformia

    Historical biogeography, especially with regard to austral regions

For my papers, see "Publications" Field Experience Over three full years of total field experience in temperate and tropical regions, using a variety of collecting techniques (flight intercept, baited pitfall, and light traps; Berlese and other soil extraction methods; standard and non-standard hand-collecting techniques) in the following areas:

    United States & Canada (ca. 69 weeks, 1974–present): New England, California, Pacific Northwest, Arizona, New Mexico, Smoky Mts., Ouachita Mts., Rocky Mts., Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Texas. Includes directing and carrying out long-term sampling in Chicago area, 1996–2000 and leading 5-week western US expedition in 2006.



    Australia (36 weeks): 1980, 1986–87, 1993, 2004 [expedition leader], 2013)

    New Zealand (22 weeks): 1980, 1984–85; 2005 (expedition leader)

    Chile (17 weeks): 1982–83, 1996–97; 2002 (expedition leader)

    South Africa (5 weeks): 2004 (expedition leader)

    Laos (4 weeks): 2008

    Mexico (4 weeks): 1999

    Peru (2 weeks): 1983

    Costa Rica (8 weeks): 1974 (field assistant)

    Germany, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland (1-3 day excursions each, 2005–present)

Effectiveness of field work Over 280 new species and at least two new genera of arthropods (in 2 classes, 7 orders, and 42 families) and 6 species of parasitic fungi have been described (published by over 80 authors) based on holotypes from material collected in nine countries in my field work listed above, most of it done jointly with A. F. Newton (plus far more species with just paratypes of ours). Two-thirds of these taxa are known only from our collections. Many more new species and genera, as well as previously unknown larvae of at least 100 genera of Staphyliniformia, have been recognized among this material and are being described or await description by us or other workers. Our field work has also provided the first or only detailed locality, habitat, and/or ecological data for many already-described but poorly known taxa (e.g., Thayer 1985 [3 papers], 1987, 1997, 2003; Thayer et al. 2004; Newton et al. 2000; Navarrete-Heredia et al. 2002; Betz et al. 2003; Weide et al. 2010, 2014; countless papers by others); critical material for wide-ranging molecular and morphological studies (Lawrence et al. 2011; McKenna et al. 2015 [2 papers]) and has been critical to synthetic work as well (Newton 1984, 1985; Newton et al. 2000; Navarrete-Heredia et al. 2002; Thayer 2005, 2016).

South AmericaWorldwideMexicoGondwanaAfricaUSAIllinoisChicagoAustralia

Insect Collections