Museum and Field Research:

China Expedition - Summer 2002 - In contrast to the past several years in which we conducted our major field research in South America, in 2002 Jim Whitfield and Sydney Cameron (with Paul Williams from the Natural History Museum in London) headed to China for nearly a month. The first part of the trip was in Beijing, attending the International Society of Hymenopterists Congress, and visiting the Zoological Institute at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. We also found some time to collect bees and wasps in the hills west of Beijing.

Chinese Academy of Sciences, compactor room.

Chinese Academy of Sciences, insect collection.

Paul Williams at Badaling, near the Great Wall.

The next portion of the trip was to Zhejiang province, farther south on the east coast. In addition to visiting the home university of one of our hosts, Dr. Xuexin Chen, in Hangzhou, we spent a few days with Xuexin and colleagues in the Tianmu Mountains collecting in subtropical forest (see photos below). The nights there were full of spectacular large insects attracted to lights, and many species of cicadas singing.

Bamboo forest, Tianmu Shan.

Jim collecting along road, Tianmu Shan.

The final, and largest part of the trip was to Sichuan Province, in southwestern China. Here we also visited Dr. Tang Ya at the Chengdu Institute of Biology, who had helped arrange our field itinerary based on his extensive fieldwork on pollination of Pedicularis. We hired a jeep and experienced local driver, and traveled for two weeks in northern Sichuan up through steep-walled valleys (pictures) and over passes (picture) up to valleys of the very eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau (pictures). The group collected at least 37 species of Bombus on the trip, in addition to a variety of parasitoids and other wasps, and a number of solitary bees. Other highlights included the tremendous cultural and culinary diversity we experienced, and the spectacular scenery of alpine valleys (picture), yak herding, and Buddhist shrines.

Xuexin Chen collecting along river, Qionglai Shan.	Mountain torrent, northern Sichuan.
Sydney on steep slope going up Mt Zhegu.	Processing the day's catch, Miyaluo.

Sydney and Sun Hui, collecting at 4000m, Min Shan.

Sydney and Paul collecting in mass of wildflowers.

Many thanks to our Chinese hosts, especially Drs. Tang Ya, Xuexin Chen and Sun Hui, who made our trip possible and enjoyable and (in terms of collecting and export permits) legal!

Dr. James B. Whitfield, Department of Entomology, 320 Morrill Hall, University of Illinois,
505 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
phone: 217-333-2910, fax: 217-244-3499, e-mail: jwhitfie@life.uiuc.edu

webmaster: jrodriguez@life.uiuc.edu