A hunt for the parasitic wasps of Norway
This collaborative project will join efforts of the main Norwegian museums with expertise of two internationally recognized taxonomists and substantially expand our knowledge of a poorly known group of parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae).
The experts will examine and identify pinned specimens and sort samples in ethanol deposited at the Natural History Museum (University of Oslo), Vitenskapsmuseet (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim), Bergen Museum (University of Bergen) and Tromsø University Museum. A major source of new data will be the field work (2011), in collaboration with two research institutes (Bioforsk and Skog og Landskap) and one regional museum (Randsfjordmuseene). Up to 100 species could be added to the Norwegian insect fauna, including 10–15 species new to science. All newly collected specimens will be deposited in museum collections. The information associated with the specimens (including highly accurate geographic coordinates) will be digitized, recorded in the existing database, and provided to GBIF and Artskart.
Project leader: Vladimir Gusarov, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
Project period: Februar 2011- Juni 2012
Collaborating partners: Bioforsk, Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, The Muesums of Randsfjorden, NTNU University Museum, University Museum of Bergen, Tromsø University Museum