Forty years ago, the First International Symposium of Carabidology (ISC)
was held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. as a satellite
meeting of the XV International Congress of Entomology (ICE).
It was a hugely successful meeting bringing together the giants of the field
(e.g., C. H. Lindroth, P. J. Darlington, G. R. Coope) with an enthusiastic
bunch of younger carabidologists. This inspiring meeting lead to publication
of a classic landmark book, Proceedings of the First International Symposium
of Carabidology [Erwin, TL et al. (Eds.)], in 1979 that crystallized the
international focus on carabid beetles as a topic for study.
Much has happened since in all aspects of carabidology.
We suggest that it is time to convene another International Symposium
of Carabidology, a 4th by our count. The timing of the upcoming
ICE in Orlando, FL, that will bring many entomologists to the southeastern
USA provides an excellent opportunity to do so. In addition to being the
40thanniversary of the first ISC, 2016 is perfect for such a meeting because
two of today's giants of the field, George E. Ball and Piet den Boer, mark
their 90th birthdays in 2016. Although Prof. den Boer is unable to travel,
Prof. Ball is determined to attend the meeting.
Thus, we are organizing a meeting to be held on the University of Georgia
campus in Athens, GA, in close association with the Warnell School of
Forestry and Natural Resources, 20-23 September, 2016, just before the
ICE opens in Orlando. Dr. Kamal Gandhi and her associates at the University
of Georgia are handling local arrangements and registration. It appears that
we will be able to put on an excellent two-and-a-half-day session of science
and discussion about ground-beetles. Drs. Pietro Brandmayr
(University of Calabria), Lucija Seric Jelaska (University of Zagreb),
David Maddison (Oregon State University) and John Spence
(University of Alberta) will organize the scientific program of oral
presentations and posters. Details about each of these matters are provided
below.
The registration fee must be paid in advance no later than 1 September and
submitted together with the 'Registration Form' provided below to
Brittany Barnes
brittanybarnes8@gmail.com