ISSN 2372-2517 (Online), ISSN 2372-2479 (Print) METALEPTEAMETALEPTEA THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ORTHOPTERISTS’ SOCIETY TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message (Clicking on an article’s title will take you By DAVID HUNTER to the desired page) President [email protected] [1] PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE hat a wonderful [2] SOCIETY NEWS [2] RECAP of the 13th International Congress we have Congress of Orthopterology by D. just had at Agadir! HUNTER Sincerest thanks to [5] 2019 D.C.F. Rentz Award Acceptance Speech by D. OTTE Amina Idrissi and [8] 2019 D.C.F. Rentz Award Acceptance WW Michel Lecoq and Speech by M. LECOQ all those on the Organising and Sci- [12] The 2019 Theodore J. Cohn Research entific Committees that made the 13th Grants Funded by M. LECOQ [13] Call for speakers for ICE2020 by D.A. International Congress of Orthopter- WOLLER ET AL. ology such a success. We had one of the largest Congresses ever with 240 [14] REGIONAL REPORTS [14] Western Europe by G.U.C. LEHMANN participants including accompanying [15] South Asia by R. BALAKRISHNAN persons. The theme of the Congress [16] Latin America by M. LHANO “Challenges in Front of Climate and [16] East Africa by C. HEMP Environmental Changes” led to a vari- [17] T.J. COHN GRANT REPORTS ety of types of presentation on a wide [17] Response of grasshoppers’ communi- variety of topics. And the Locust Op- ties to forest destruction and habitat con- era presented the effects of environ- live and work, and here I have a much version in the savanna-forest transition zone in the center region of Cameroon by mental change on the Rocky Moun- fuller appreciation of Africa and all W.J. CHRISTEL tain Grasshopper extinction in a most of its opportunities. I am glad the [21] How heavy transmitters can be used entertaining and novel way. There Orthopterists’ Society has been able to on small ground-dwelling Orthoptera spe- were over 250 presentations including play a small part in helping Africa re- cies by O. KALÁB ET AL. posters at the Congress, which meant alize its potential first of all by having [24] OSF GRANT REPORTS that there were plenty of opportunities our first ever Congress in Africa and [24] Photographic database of Tafalisci- to see and discuss the latest research also by welcoming our new Executive nae sensu Desutter, 1987, Podoscirtinae and Phalangopsidae (Ensifera, Grylloidea) and developments in Othopterology Director Mohamed Abdellahi Ould type specimens deposited in the Academy not only at the time of presentations Babah EBBE, who has worked on of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia but also afterward during lunches and locusts in Mauritania for many years (ANSP) by L.D. DE CAMPOS [26] A photographic safari to Southern at coffee breaks where some very de- and who now is the Director General and Central Tanzania by C. HEMP & H. licious “petit fours” were served. And of the Institut du Sahel (INSAH/ ROWELL the Gala Dinner was a real highlight CLISS) in Bamako Mali. that helped us all to appreciate Mo- Let me say one of the aspects I like [32] MEETING REPORTS [32] Orthoptera Physiology: Symposium roccan food and culture through the most about our society is how a num- presented at ICO2019 by A. AYALI ET AL. many forms of entertainment - who ber of endowments and gifts allow us [35] Workshop Recap: First Training in can forget the skill and artistry of the to fund so many worthy endeavours Systematics and Identification of Orthop- tera at Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Moroccan horsemen, the dancers, and in Orthopterology. It gave me great campus Rio Paranaíba, Minas Gerais, the entertainers? pleasure that the Orthopterists’ Soci- Brazil by D.SANTOS MARTINS SILVA I write these remarks from Cam- ety was able to fund 12 students and eroon, where my son and his family young professionals to come to the [37] EDITORIAL Volume 39 (2) / May 2019 1 METALEPTEA Congress and for many it was a first assets management by the Treasurer, ing the Orthoptera Species File onto opportunity to expand their horizons Pamm Mihm. The substantial earn- a new platform, TaxonWorks, Hojun in ways they could not otherwise af- ings of these investments has not only Song who amazingly provides a better ford. The many awards presented at allowed us to present many awards and better Metaleptea in each issue, the Congress and the recent allocation and travel grants but it has also been and I would like to very much wel- of research grants to support students instrumental in allowing us to move come to the Board our new President and young professionals throughout our Journal of Orthoptera Research Elect, Axel Hochkirch. And to our re- the world as part of the Theodore (JOR) to Pensoft, as part of it becom- gional representatives - many thanks Cohn Research Fund emphasize the ing open access and making it an for your support in our regions, both advantages of being a member of impact-factor publication. The JOR the continuing representatives: Ger- our Society. Equally important is the Editor, Dr. Corey Bazelet, with able lind Lehmann, Battal Çiplak, Michael mentoring of students both locally assistance from Nancy Morris and the Sergeev, Haruki Tatsuta, Long Zhang, and internationally by members of our editorial team, are to be congratulated Rohini Balakrishnan, Claudia Hemp Society which provides guidance and in the rapid progress made. Articles and Vanessa Couldridge as well as our networking opportunities for young published in JOR are being viewed new representatives Kathleen King, Orthopterists. A full report on the often as the switch to Pensoft has Michael Kearney, Amina Idrissi, and Congress and the Awards presented helped boost the profile of our jour- Martina Pocco. follows my opening remarks (see my nal: so I urge Society members to One final thanks to Amina Idrissi report on the congress and the sepa- publish in JOR, which offers a fast with able assistance from Michel rate report on the Research Grants by and competent peer-review of Orthop- Lecoq and the rest of the 13th Inter- Michel Lecoq in this issue). tera-related manuscripts. national Congress of Orthopterology During the Board meeting, the cur- At this time I would like to thank team. And thanks to all of you who rent state and future directions of the all the members of the Board for their came to the Congress - your participa- Society were discussed. The finan- diligent work: Derek A. Woller for tion is what made it such a success. cial situation of the Society is quite his continuing revisions and updating As for the 14th Congress, the congress robust, thanks to the generous bequest of the website (and assistance with committee is considering Paris! More of its former President, Ted Cohn, Metaleptea), Maria Marta Cigliano information on the next Congress will and the diverse and sophisticated for her tireless efforts on the updat- be made available as it comes to hand. RECAP of the 13th International Congress of Orthopterology: “Challenges in Front of Environmental and Climate Changes” (March 24-28, 2019, Agadir, Morocco) By DAVID HUNTER President [email protected] hat an amazing presenters, and accompanying persons Locust Opera under the overall theme Congress it was! in about 30 separate events, there was of “Challenges in Front of Climate From my first entry plenty of opportunity to learn about and Environmental Changes.” These into the Palais des and discuss the latest in orthopterol- many presentations meant there were Roses I was im- ogy. And those discussions continued often 2 or 3 simultaneous events - WW pressed with the at such a pace over the delicious many thanks to the chairs of these choice of venue with its large open offerings during coffee breaks that at events in ensuring that they ran area perfect for gathering together times it was difficult to return to the smoothly and on time. for discussions, and when Amina sessions! The opening Plenary Lecture by showed me the Conference rooms and The Congress had a very full pro- Thami Ben Halima (Morocco) on facilities – excellent! Amina and her gram of nearly 250 presentations in “Desert Locust Management: A Suc- team are to be congratulated on their 4 Plenaries, 11 Symposia, 5 Oral and cess Story” was a most appropriate organization at such a venue. With 5 Poster Sessions, and 3 Workshops, opening presentation that outlined the 240 participants, including delegates, and, of course, the most entertaining successful implementation of the pre- Volume 39 (2) / May 2019 2 METALEPTEA ventive management strategy of this important pest problem in the region. In keeping with the African theme, Claudia Hemp (Germany) presented the latest work on “Speciation Mecha- nisms of East African Orthoptera” and the speciation theme was continued by Kerry Shaw (U.S.A.), who elabo- rated on the evidence for the various mechanisms of speciation in Orthop- tera. And Tony Robillard (France) presented a multidisciplinary explora- tion of the evolution of systems of communication in crickets. There were 11 symposia of invited papers covering a wide range of sub- jects on a number of general themes. Closely related to the overall Con- gress theme “Challenges in Front of Audience listening to a lecture at ICO 2019 in Agadir, Morocco (photo credit: ICO2019) Climate and Environmental Changes” were symposia on the “Effects of with symposia on the latest directions cal aspects of Orthopterology. There Climate and Environment Change on in taxonomy including “Speciation was a Workshop on the Orthoptera Orthoptera” and “Orthoptera Con- and Adaptation in Polyneoptera” and Species File which has been recently servation.” There were symposia on “Population and Landscape Genomics updated to TaxonWorks - a valuable aspects of locust and grasshopper of Orthopterans”.