We are delighted to announce that the third edition of Hymathon, the Society 24 hour online symposium dedicated to Hymenoptera, will take place on 30 November – 1 December 2023.
Hymathon takes place over 24 hours, so wherever you are you can opt to join sessions in the middle of your day or the middle of your night – or indeed both! This year we will have four sessions:
| Session 1 | 30/11/2023 17:00 UTC | Hosted by Miles Zhang |
| Session 2 | 30/11/2023 23:00 UTC | Hosted by Jessica Awad |
| Session 3 | 01/12/2023 05:00 UTC | Hosted by Erinn Fagan-Jeffries |
| Session 4 | 01/12/2023 11:00 UTC | Hosted by Cristina Vasilița |
(all dates and times given in UTC; conversion from UTC to local time zones can be done e.g. here: https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/)
There will also be keynote presentations and socials, and the ISH 2023 business meeting will be taking place during one of the sessions.
Program
Keynote talks
Our keynote talks are confirmed!
Session 1 : Catherine Linnen, University of Kentucky
From genes to species: how ecological divergence causes reproductive isolation
Session 2: Ellen O. Martinson, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
Venom evolution in parasitoid wasps
Session 3: Ros Gloag, University of Sydney
The ecology and genetics of a honey bee invasion
Session 4: Petr Janšta, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague
Evolution of unusual life histories of Torymidae (Chalcidoidea)
Hymenoptera Showdown – run by José Fernández-Triana
Brand new for #Hymathon2023! The Showdown is an opportunity to tell all ISH members why your group is the best (or at least the best loved…) – in three minutes and three slides.
GET READY TO RUMBLE!! See the entries and vote here! (you must be logged into the website to view the page)
Do you think that your study group is the best in the entire Hymenoptera order? Is there one taxon so amazing you want to tell everyone about it? Then it is your time to shine and embrace some friendly showdown!
Here are the rules:
Participants will have 3 minutes to demonstrate why their group is the best in the entire Hymenoptera, backing up that assertion with a mix of fun, cool and scientific facts; presentations will be 3 slides maximum. Anything can be used: beautiful images of specimens, amazing biological traits, astonishing species diversity, a unique distribution, body size, fossil record, cool names, importance, society recognition… the sky is the limit to brag about your group!
Taxa can be chosen at any level (from suborder to species); depending on the number of participants some categories may be established, for example, entries at family level or higher versus entries at genus level or lower, to guarantee fair comparisons and competition.
The winners will be selected by popular vote and will have the prize to boast about their group to the entire Hymenoptera society!
For more information please contact José Fernández-Triana
Art competition – run by Taisuke Kawano and Cristina Vasilița
All ISH members were invited to take part in an art competition (photography & illustration). Now it is your task, as the Hymathon community, to vote for your favourites!
You must be logged in to the website to view the entries and vote!
Images were entered in the following categories:
• Photography – Specimen :Specimen images of Hymenoptera.
• Photography – Live Hymenoptera :Live Hymenoptera images photographed in the field or in the indoor studio.
• Photography – Hymenopterists in action :Field work pictures, humorous or intriguing pictures of hymenopterists at work.
• Illustration – Scientific illustrations: Detailed and accurate drawings that represent the morphology and anatomy of Hymenoptera. These illustrations should be designed to provide a clear understanding of the species, highlighting specific features that may be of scientific interest, and can be used in research papers, taxonomic keys, or educational materials.
• Illustration – Fun & Artsy Hymenoptera/Hymenopterists: Creative and imaginative artworks that showcase Hymenoptera or Hymenopterists in a playful, artistic, or unconventional manner. These can be abstract interpretations, cartoons, or any other artistic renditions that bring out the fun and whimsical side of Hymenoptera and their researchers.
For inquiries, contact Taisuke Kawano: eupelmidae@gmail.com
Taisuke Kawano and Cristina Vasilița, #Hymathon2023 Art Competition organizers.
Student presentation prizes
There will be a student prize for best standard-length talk in each session, and a prize for the best speed talk throughout all of Hymathon. Students are judged on scientific content and presentation. See here for the scorecard used for the 15 minute talks and here for the scorecard used for 5 minute talks.
Please advertise this event widely, in particular among hymenopterists who may not be ISH members yet. Note that ISH membership is required to attend and present at #Hymathon2023.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
#Hymathon2023 Organising Committee