The Wonderful World of ‘Gwentomologist’ Gwen Erdosh – Bug Squad

UC Davis entomology main Gwen Erdosh with a vinegaroon, also referred to as a whip scorpion. She collected the scorpion in Tucson.

“It is wasp time! It is a beewolf! Have you ever ever heard of beewolves? Nicely, neither had I till I found a bunch of them nectaring on Queen Anne’s Lace flowers close to my condo complicated! Have you ever seen a sample within the bugs I put up? A variety of them prey on bees. Bees have to be fairly tasty and nutritious!”

So started Gwentomologist on her Instagram account.

“Beewolves are within the genus Philanthus,” she continued. “This species is Philanthus multimaculatus. They’re within the household Crabronidae. This species is native to the west coast of the US. Beewolf wasp adults eat nectar from flowers, however the larvae are carnivores! The females dig out tunnels within the soil for his or her younger. They catch and sting bees, then convey them into the nest. They lay their eggs on this little nest and block it off so it’s protected. The wasp larvae feed on the provisions their mom offered for them, after which emerge in the summertime as adults, to start out the cycle once more!”

She added: “I simply love their inexperienced eyes so fairly! These wasps are necessary pollinators, similar to bees, they usually management the bee populations. As bees decline in inhabitants measurement, these wasps additionally undergo.”

Who’s Gwentomologist? 

She’s 21-year-old Gwendolyn “Gwen” Erdosh, a UC Davis entomology main and undergraduate researcher with greater than 22,000 followers on Instagram, the place she shares her fascination, ardour and rising scientific data of entomology with the depth of a moth heading for gentle. 

UC Davis entomology main Gwen Erdish on a gathering journey. (Photograph by Greg Kareofelas)

Erdosh, president of the UC Davis Entomology Membership, a scholar within the campuswide Analysis Students Program in Insect Biology (RSPIB), the recipient of a Provost’s Undergraduate Fellowship (PUF) analysis award,  and a volunteer on the Bohart Museum of Entomology, brims with enthusiasm.  nd rising scientific data of entomology with the depth of a moth heading for gentle. 

Gwen launched her Instagram account in 2013 to share her ardour for moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera).  “Again then, it was certainly one of just a few accounts that centered on such a distinct segment curiosity,” she stated. “It shortly grew in recognition and a group of insect-obsessed teenager fashioned, all with comparable objectives. Via social media, we had been in a position to make wonderful connections, which I nonetheless have at this time. Ultimately, my ardour expanded from simply Lepidoptera to a fascination with each kind of arthropod on the planet!” 

On her account, she posts “my very own macro-photographs with detailed captions in regards to the featured insect. My aim is to not solely train others, but additionally be taught quite a bit myself. I additionally put up enjoyable and interesting movies to encourage others to pursue entomology. Many occasions, folks have informed me that my web page helped them determine that they needed to pursue entomology as a profession! I like having the ability to unfold the love of bugs to others, and can proceed to be energetic on my web page.” Moreover, she maintains a YouTube account as “gwentomologist.” 

She captures the pictures with both her Nikon D3200 with a Sigma105 mm f/2.8 EX macro lens, or her Iphone 11.   

A 2018 graduate of Los Gatos Excessive College, Santa Clara County, and a UC Davis pupil since 2019, Gwen anticipates receiving her bachelor’s diploma in 2023. In February 2020, she utilized for—and was accepted—into the extremely aggressive RSPIB program, which goals to offer undergraduates with carefully mentored analysis experiences in biology. She research with group ecologist and professor Louie Yang, UC Davis Division of Entomology and Nematology, one of many three RSPIB founders. 

“I really first met Gwen when she was nonetheless in highschool,” stated Professor Yang. “She was doing a analysis undertaking with monarch butterflies and emailed me with a number of questions. Even then, I used to be impressed along with her data, focus and dedication, and was glad to listen to when she got here to UC Davis. She utilized to the Analysis Students Program in Insect Biology early on, and was a stand-out pupil in my ENT 105 Insect Ecology class in 2020. It has been nice to have Gwen in our lab, and to see her persevering with to develop as a scientist.”  

Gwen Erdosh’s Instagram account has greater than 22,000 followers.

Gwen’s curiosity in entomology started with caterpillars. 

“Ever since I can bear in mind, I’ve all the time cherished caterpillars,” Gwen stated. “As a bit child, I might acquire any caterpillar I noticed and lift it to maturity.” Amazed {that a} caterpillar might “magically change” right into a moth or butterfly, she determined “to make a e-book matching each caterpillar to its grownup. I did my very own analysis on-line and in books I had, and shortly was fairly educated about Lepidoptera.”

“The summer season earlier than ninth grade, I attended Bio Boot camp, the summer season camp for youths led by the Bohart Museum, and Tabatha Yang (schooling and outreach coordinator). “This was the expertise that led me to decide on entomology as a profession. Throughout this camp, I discovered all the pieces about entomology and had an opportunity to satisfy actual entomologists at UC Davis, and do subject work. I fell in love with it and saved coming again every summer season for the camp.”

Gwen stated she is most all for 4 insect orders: Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera. “I additionally actually like Mygalomorphs. I’m actually fascinated by parasitoids, and hope to do analysis with parasitoids (wasps, flies, and so forth.) sooner or later.”  

Following her UC Davis commencement, she plans “to work overseas for a yr in South America doing analysis. I then need to apply for graduate college in the US. I’ll determine to get my masters first in systematics, after which determine if I need to get my PhD in insect ecology or insect systematics. I can not determine between the 2. Nonetheless, I positively need to pursue a profession as a professor and researcher.”

Her pre-UC Davis life contains:

• 2016. As a 15-year-old highschool pupil, Gwen traveled to the Bohart Museum in 2016 for its annual Moth Evening and conferred with most of the scientists. 
• 2017. At age 16, she served an entomology internship at Cornell College, the place her work included figuring out microlepidoptra within the household Tortricidae; sampling monarch butterflies for Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) spores; catching and tagging the grey petaltail dragonfly (Petalurid) at an area state park; and gathering, figuring out and presenting moths for a Moth Evening program on the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Pure Historical past. 
• 2018. At age 17, Gwen gained expertise at a five-week internship in the summertime of 2018 on the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens in Costa Rica, the place she studied bugs, carried out excursions, and cared for the arthropods within the insectarium.

Though typically mistaken for a teenager–“I look younger for my age and I am 5′ 1”–Gwen would not let that cease her. “I now have accepted who I’m and I don’t let what others consider me have an effect on me or my objectives. I’m glad that I’m distinctive!” 

“Gwen is a type of college students who immediately exhibits you her enthusiasm and pleasure of entomology and it’s simply this sort of one who we hope will proceed on this necessary subject of science,” stated entomologist Jeff Smith, who curates the Bohart Museum’s Lepidoptera assortment. “For these of us wanting forward on the oncoming ‘golden years’ we have to be sure that there can be competent younger scientists who will proceed the analysis and who will uncover so many extra fascinating issues in regards to the world of ‘bugs.’ Gwen clearly can be certainly one of these, and I’m proud to be related along with her.”