CE Integrative Insect Ecology

Join us at the 10th International Barcode of Life Conference in the vibrant city of Bangkok, Thailand. This in-person conference provides a unique opportunity to exchange and disseminate cutting-edge scientific knowledge about the latest DNA barcoding and metabarcoding advancements for species identification.

😊 NatGeo wasp 😊

Get to know Heinrichiellus natgeo: A Tiny Wasp Discovery – Chulalongkorn University Heinrichiellus natgeo is a small, slender-bodied ichneumonid wasp which plays a crucial role in regulating insect populations.

Early bird registration is now open!!!

2-6/11/2026 Kempinski hotel

Home - iBOL 2026 Save the Date – Bangkok, Thailand 2-6 Nov 2026 Join our mailing list! A Global Mission Established in 2010, iBOL is a research alliance involving nations with

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to share an update on the 10th International Barcode of Life Conference (iBOL 2026), taking place 2-6 November 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Since our initial save‑the‑date announcement last fall, we are happy to confirm that the conference venue has been secured at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, providing an outstanding setting for this milestone international meeting.

We have launched a new conference website, which will serve as the central hub for iBOL 2026 information as it becomes available. While the site is still under development, it will be the primary resource going forward and currently includes a mailing list sign‑up for others wanting future announcements directly.

👉 Conference website:
https://dnabarcodingconference.com/

Please find attached an updated conference announcement poster, which we encourage you to share within your networks. Additional details, including registration information and pre‑conference workshop opportunities, are being finalized and are expected to be released by the end of this month.

We look forward to welcoming the global iBOL community to Bangkok in 2026 and will be sharing further updates very soon.

Sincerely,
The iBOL 2026 Organizing Committee

+++Latest paper from our group+++

We modeled the global distributions of four Diolcogaster wasp species using MaxEnt and evaluated their ecological niches, phylogenetic relationships, and haplotype diversity.

All species showed strong model performance, with D. claritibia exhibiting the broadest and most suitable habitats. Environmental variables strongly shaped species ranges, revealing that D. claritibia and D. mayae are highly adaptable across diverse climates and elevations.

Although currently concentrated in temperate zones, all four species are predicted to expand into subtropical regions under future climate scenarios. These findings highlight the ecological flexibility and biocontrol potential of Diolcogaster wasps and provide an integrated ecological and evolutionary framework that supports their strategic rearing and targeted use in pest management.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/CYEN75FWRMXSVY3KBJPR?target=10.1002/ece3.72547

"A second unicorn Darwin wasp has been discovered in Thailand.
𝐺𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑎 Chansri, Kerkig & Reshchikov sp. nov."

Our second paper has been published in a special issue to celebrate HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's 70th birthday.

The unicorn Darwin wasp genus, 𝐺𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛 Reshchikov & van Achterberg, 2018, is characterised by a distinct facial projection resembling a unicorn horn. The genus was previously known from several localities in Southeast Asia (𝐺. 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠).

Our research group has now discovered a second species of unicorn Darwin wasp, 𝐺𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑎 Chansri, Kerkig & Reshchikov sp. nov., from Khao Yai National Park (NP permit no. 0907.4/18722), Thailand. Additionally, 𝐺. 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠 has been recorded for the first time from the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station.

The distribution map and identification key of the genus 𝐺𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛 have been updated. Both morphological and molecular analyses (mitochondrial COI gene) have confirmed the distinctiveness of this species. Molecular data further indicate that 𝐺. 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑎 is a sister species to 𝐺. 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠 with 100% bootstrap support.
This discovery highlights Thailand’s rich biodiversity, where many species remain waiting to be discovered, studied, and conserved.

The species is named in honour of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for her remarkable contributions to science, education, and environmental conservation.

We sincerely thank Professor Somsak and his team for inviting us to contribute to this special issue. We are deeply honoured to be part of it.

++++Latest paper from our research unit++++

Sugar feeding by adult ichneumonoid and stephanoid wasps (Hymenoptera) in dry evergreen forest, Thailand
Journal: Insect Conservation and Diversity (Tier1)

Our latest study provides the first insight into the nutritional ecology of tropical parasitoid wasps.

Over 2,000 specimens of ichneumonid and stephanid wasps were collected from the dry evergreen forest at Sakaerat Environmental Research Station, northeastern Thailand.

Each specimen was identified using both morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding.

To understand how sugar feeding relates to the biology of these wasps, we used two complementary sugar detection methods — the cold anthrone test and HPAEC-PAD (high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection), in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry, Chulalongkorn University.

Our results revealed that sugar feeding is strongly linked to both body size and seasonality — larger individuals were significantly more likely to contain sugar.

Moreover, sugar-feeding prevalence differed according to life-history strategies in both ichneumonoid families (Braconidae and Ichneumonidae), but in opposite directions.
This study marks an important first step toward understanding the nutritional ecology of tropical parasitoid wasps in their natural habitats.

Many thanks to Ajarn Rath Pichyangkura and Ajarn Karan Wangpaiboon from the Department of Biochemistry for this valuable initial collaboration.

Special thanks also to the Second Century Fund (C2F) for supporting KC in publishing this Tier 1 paper.

Full paper: Chansri, K., Pichyangkura, R.,Wangpaiboon, K., Quicke, D.L.J. & Butcher, B.A. (2025) Sugar feeding by adult ichneumonoid and stephanoid wasps (Hymenoptera) in dry evergreen forest, Thailand. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 1–15. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.70031
doi.org