\n Free Public Lecture: The critical role of taxonomy in carabid conservation and biosecurity

\n \n

\n \n Date: \n 02 APR 2026\n Time: \n 10:30 AM to\n 12:00 PM\n \n \n Location:\n\n Boola Katitjin Lev el 3\, room 360.3.002 \n \n \n Website:\n \n Rese rve your spot \n \n \n Add to Calendar:\n \n \n

\n University of California's Professor Kip WIll explores why taxon omic science is critical to carabid beetle conservation and biosecurity.

\n\n

\n $\"Guest$ \n

Professor K ip Will\, from the University of California\, Berkeley is visiting Austral ia as part of a partnership between the Western Australian Museum\, Fortes cue\, and the Foundation for the WA Museum involving research on carabid b eetles in the Pilbara region. Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute is delighted to host a guest lecture with Professor Will exploring his dee p knowledge of carabid beetles and why fundamental taxonomic science is cr itical to modern conservation efforts and biosecurity.

Abstract\n
Carabid beetles are a hyperdiverse lineage\, with particularly hig h species richness in Australia. This presentation will provide an overvie w of the group and highlight current research spanning phylogeny\, chemica l ecology\, fossil taxa\, life-history evolution\, and conservation biolog y. Drawing on selected case studies\, the talk will demonstrate why rigoro us\, professional taxonomy is essential for understanding species boundari es\, assessing conservation status\, and setting management priorities. Da ta deficiencies and undocumented diversity can distort distributional patt erns\, obscure endemism\, and compromise threat assessments. It will concl ude by outlining our ongoing Pilbara-focused initiative and discuss how it can serve as a scalable model for strengthening taxonomic capacity.
\n

About the \;speaker

Kip Will is a professor and Insect Sy stematist at the University of California\, Berkeley\, a co-author of the Carabidae of Australia - covering the more than 320 genera\, the Field Gui de to California Insects\, over 100 other scientific publications that mos tly centre on various aspects of carabid beetles worldwide\, and his child ren's book about bombardier beetles. His work ranges from fossils and morp hology to genomes. He has a passion for fieldwork and collecting\, and his efforts have taken him around the world. In recent years\, his work has f ocused on western North America and Australia.

Lecture details\n
Time and Date: \;Thursday 2 A pril 2026\, 10:30am-12pm
\n
Format: \ ;In-person lecture followed by Q&\;A
\n
Venue: \;Murdoch University Boola Katitjin Level 3\, room \;360.3.002
\ n
Cost: \;Free

\n
\n \n \n
\n

~~\n \n\n~~

~~\ n~~

\n Free Public Lecture: The critical role of taxonomy in carabid conservation and biosecurity

About the \;speaker

Lecture details\nTime and Date: \;Thursday 2 A pril 2026\, 10:30am-12pm\nFormat: \ ;In-person lecture followed by Q&\;A\nVenue: \;Murdoch University Boola Katitjin Level 3\, room \;360.3.002\ nCost: \;Free

Lecture details\n
Time and Date: \;Thursday 2 A pril 2026\, 10:30am-12pm
\n
Format: \ ;In-person lecture followed by Q&\;A
\n
Venue: \;Murdoch University Boola Katitjin Level 3\, room \;360.3.002
\ n
Cost: \;Free