Seminar: The role of Diptera in plant- pollination in the Afrotropical Region

Presenter: Dr. Kurt Jordaens, Head, Entomology Section Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA, Belgium)

Date: 18th December 2018

Time: 14:00-15:00 hours

Venue: BOT/ZOO Lecture Theatre, Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University

Short profile of the presenter:

Dr. Kurt Jordaens began his career as a malacologist in 1993 at the University of Antwerp (Belgium). In 2012 he became the work leader in the Entomology Section of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA, Belgium). Kurt’s research interests are systematics, taxonomy, phylogeny and ecology of the dipteran family Syrphidae (hover flies or flowerflies) of the Afrotropical Region. He thereby combines morphological (external and genital morphology, stacking photography) and molecular techniques (DNA barcoding and sequencing, whole mitochondrial DNA sequencing). Ultimately, one of his major aims is to improve identification keys for the family, and for the genera, of the Afrotropical Region and to make the keys publically available. This will allow an easier and more accurate identification of the hover flies of the Afrotropical Region and will allow to study the ecology of the various species, of which many are significant pollinators of a large number of fruits and vegetables. Kurt has extensive field experience in Africa and organizes training courses in entomology for young and emerging African entomologists.