Insect Conservation

Michael Samways is Professor and Chair of the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University. He has published widely in the field of insect conservation, and in recent years has been recipient of the Stellenbosch University Award for Research Excellence, the Senior Captain Scott Medal of the South African Academy of Sciences and Arts, the John Herschel Medal of the Royal Society of South Africa, and the Gold Medal of the Academy of Science of South Africa for this work. He continues to work with his team of dedicated research students and several international bodies towards putting insect conservation into practice both locally and globally.


Melodie A. McGeoch trained as an entomologist and received her PhD in insect community ecology and the use of insects as bioindicators. She has published across the fields of insect conservation, spatial ecology, biodiversity monitoring and assessment, and the impacts of biological invasion and climate change on biodiversity. After 12 years in an academic environment (at the Universities of Pretoria and Stellenbosch, South Africa), she recently joined South African National Parks to establish and head the Cape Research Node, responsible for providing science support and research direction to Fynbos, Succulent Karoo and Marine Protected Areas under the Node.

Tim New is an entomologist with wide interests in insect conservation, systematics and ecology and has published more than 400 reviewed papers/book chapters, and about 30 books. He is Professor of Zoology at La Trobe University, Melbourne. He serves/has served on a number of conservation advisory committees and editorial boards, and his work on insect conservation has been recognised by the Marsh Christian Trust Award for insect conservation (Royal Entomological Society) and the Henry Aates Award (Association for Tropical Lepidoptera) amongst others.