Our research program takes field based collections to local conservation action

Mapping Key Biodiversity Areas

We are describing Ant Biodiversity and mapping key biodiversity areas in the Malagasy region.

African Insect Atlas

The African Insect Atlas aims to unleash the potential of insects in conservation and sustainability research. The vision is to create a digital museum for targeted insect groups in Africa.

IPSIO

Insects and People of the Southwest Indian Ocean network will provide information, tools, and expert analysis to enable insect data to be used directly in local and regional conservation and restoration planning efforts.

MBC Program areas

Exploration and Collections

Developed over the last 20 years, the strength and breadth of MBC’s field collections provide an unparalleled opportunity to understand arthropod diversity. MBC field collections and expertise are at the heart of the science program. In tandem with our research vision, we are developing our collection as the National Entomological collections to support long term access by a wide community of researchers.
The work of the collections program is focused in the following areas:

• Ensuring representation of the arthropod diversity in Madagascar.
• Enhancing coverage of key biodiversity groups (ants, butterflies, dragonflies, edible insects).
• Further development of best practice in collection management in a tropical country.
• Digitization to increase access to, and use of, the collections. 
• Integration of data with external information resources (for example, AntWeb, GBIF).

Identification and Names

Accurate taxonomy forms the bedrock on which all our science is based.​

Priorities for the Identification and Naming:

• Continuing the regional inventory of species and the production of identification tools and species descriptions in collaboration with international partners.
• Working to complete a full account of known species for focal groups (ants) and to significantly increase the number of arthropods reported across the region.
• Driving forward new technologies for the discovery, description and identification of biodiversity.
• Improving the value of the environmental assessments and monitoring through optimizing accurate naming and curation.
• Improving the linkages between basic taxonomic knowledge of insects and its applications to conservation and ecosystem health.
• Developing user-friendly identification guides to key insect groups.

Conservation Science

We provide science-based tools  to diagnose and understand some of the critical conservation and sustainability challenges facing life in Madagascar. Our collections-based research includes comparative studies in an evolutionary context, enabling the identification of new species, evaluation of conservation status, predictive assessments of the impacts of global change on species, populations and communities, and assessments of ecosystem health. ​The conservation science outcomes of MBC cannot happen without the investment in bioinformatics and spatial analysis of specimen data. Key research and program priorities include mapping and analyzing arthropod populations and communities at greatest environmental risk.

Working with IPSIO network partners, we generate tools to enable monitoring and evaluation of the status of Madagascar’s arthropods and protected areas. We are currently focused on:​

• Provision of baseline science to underpin conservation policies for arthropods. Key activities comprise inventories, conservation assessments, mapping, collections and recommendations for conservation management.
• Conservation assessment and analysis is initially focusing at the species level, utilizing MBC’s field collections and employing novel techniques to scale-up the production of Red List assessments to better understand extinction risks in arthropods. Along with data on habitats, protected area networks and future climate scenarios, we will use spatial analytical methods to enable conservation prioritization of arthropods and ultimately a better understanding of the status of Madagascar’s ecosystems.
• In collaboration with international partners, undertaking phylogenetics using high-throughput sequencing technology (UCE) to ensure that conservation actions are based on sound genetic evidence.

Human benefit

We use our collections-based science to identify and evaluate the roles arthropods play in providing services and benefits to local communities. With IPSIO network members, our research focuses on arthropod silk production and entomophagy (raising insects for food and feed).

Learn

With only a small percentage of the Madagascar's insect diversity is formally described, it is more important than ever to train a new generation of taxonomists who will go on to describe, understand and conserve biodiversity. At MBC, we teach courses in entomology and train interns, volunteers, park guards, DEUA, and PhD students in vital ant identification skills in combination with a thorough grounding in field and lab techniques, systematics, and conservation practice in Madagascar.