Contact details

Dr Simon van Noort
Curator:  Entomology

Natural History Department
Iziko South African Museum
Box 61, Cape Town 8000
South Africa

Phone: +27 (0)21 481 3865
Fax: +27 (0)21 481 3993
e-mail: svannoort@iziko.org.za

Research interests

Systematics of fig wasps is a major interest, including unravelling the evolutionary intricacies of the 80 million year old mutualism between fig trees and fig wasps. We attempt to elucidate evolutionary processes, both at the macro and micro scale, through morphological and molecular phylogenetic reconstruction and phylogeographical analyses.

I am also interested in the systematics of other wasp groups such as the cynipoids and ichneumonids and insect groups such as the Heelwalkers (Mantophasmatodea). Elucidation of patterns of wasp species richness in a spatio-temporal context and development of bioinformatics resources for Afrotropical wasps is an ongoing passion of mine (see http://www.waspweb.org).

I am an avid collector, actively pursuing discovery and documentation of invertebrates. Field work in Africa has included expeditions to Mkomazi Game Reserve (Tanzania), Brandberg Massif (Namibia), Monts Doudou (Gabon), Dzangha-Sangha (Central African Republic), Kibale Forest (Uganda) and numerous excursions within southern Africa (Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa).

Afrotropical wasp diversity

A bioinformatics resource to facilitate the identification of wasps and to enable exploration of their diversity in the Afrotropical biogeographical region (Africa south of the Sahara and Madagascar and including smaller surrounding islands). Including E-typing (photographs of type specimens), identification keys, distributional and biological data.

Fig trees and fig wasps

Biology and bioinformatics of a fascinating interaction.

Biology of an African gall wasp

Van Noort, S., Stone, G.N., Whitehead, V.B. & Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. 2007. Biology of Rhoophilus loewi (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Cynipidae), with implications for the evolution of inquilinism in gall wasps. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 153-172. [PDF]

Heelwalker (Mantophasmatodea)

Picker, M.D., Colville, J.F. & Van Noort, S. 2002. Mantophasmatodea now in South Africa. Science 297: 1475.