Dancing in the Dark: Identification of Platygastrid Parasitoids for Use Against the Blueberry Gall Midge Complex by Monique Raymond

In taxonomy "dark taxa" are hyperdiverse clades which have relatively low rates of formal description. In our efforts to identify biocontrol agents of pests, this "dark" status stands in the way of finding biocontrol candidates, or understanding pests themselves. Our exploration of platygastrid (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea) parasitoids of the Blueberry Gall Midge Complex (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) has uncovered heightened levels of complexity in blueberry systems in Maine and New Hampshire, producing many lessons (and many more questions!) along the way.

Monique Raymond

Monique Raymond currently serves as a research technician at the University of New Hampshire Collection of Insects and Other Arthropods, where she will soon be defending her master's thesis. Her passion for entomology traces back to her early years, with memories of keeping caterpillars in her preschool cubby. This affinity persisted fueled by years of outdoor education and biological coursework. Monique's entomological journey gained valuable experience during her tenure as a collections technician at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu and as an assistant curator at the UNH Collection upon returning home. Her research focuses on the convergence of integrated pest management and taxonomy, with a specific interest in micromorphology, insect rearing, and integrative research methods. Looking ahead, Monique aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in entomology to further advance her career in this field.