Spencer K. Monckton

Diversity of Northern nematine sawflies (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae)

Presently, the primary focus of my research is to document and understand the diversity of Nearctic sawflies, particularly in the genus Pristiphora. The sawfly subfamily Nematinae is more diverse in northern regions than in the tropics, and there are still many undescribed species yet to be recorded. My doctoral dissertation (completed at PCYUPacker Lab) consisted of a partial revision of the Nearctic members of the genus accompanied by a molecular phylogenetic analysis. I also analyzed genomic DNA from museum specimens in an effort to understand the phylogeographic history of the holarctic species Pristiphora cincta. My postdoctoral work (at CBGCentre for Biodiversity Genomics) is focused on building a high-quality reference library of DNA barcode records for Canadian sawflies, enabling quicker, easier, and more precise identifications for these important insects. I am also using Nanopore sequencing to explore alternative approaches to molecular taxonomy in sawflies and Hymenoptera in general.

Revision of Chilicola (Heteroediscelis), a subgenus of bees endemic to Chile (Master's thesis)

My Master's thesis focused on the systematics and biogeography of a subgenus of bees in the genus Chilicola (Colletidae, Xeromelissinae). These are small, slender bees that nest in plant stems and are found throughout much of Chile, having apparently diversified via north-south disjunctions roughly corresponding with Chile's varied biogeographic regions. I described 8 of the 17 species of Heteroediscelis, and produced a thoroughly-illustrated ID key. You can see the finished work here ZooKeys (open access).