Academy Research in Africa

Research in Africa

	Charles Griswold, Schlinger Curator of Arachnology, studies spiders that live on cloudy mountain heights in Africa and Madagascar.
		In his pursuit to determine how these spiders came to live there and nowhere else, Griswold has discovered more than 100 new spider species, including micro- tarantulas, lace-web builders, trap-door spiders and tropical wolf spiders.
micro-tarantula (Microstigmata longipes), Karkloof, South Africa

Wojciech Pulawski, Curator of Entomology, is one of the world's few authorities on the solitary wasp family, Sphecidae.
He travels to Africa at least once a year to study the taxonomy and behavior of the little-known wasp genus Tachysphex. There are about 400 species worldwide; about half of them occur in Africa.
				Pulawski explains his work to a Pokot youth, Marich Pass, Kenya

	Gary Williams, Associate Curator of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, specializes in octocorals (soft corals, sea fans and sea pens).
		His field research involves SCUBA diving in shallow water and dredging in deeper waters. He has worked extensively along the southern African coastline, and is currently focusing his research efforts in the tropical Indo-Pacific.
Soft coral (Eleutherobia variabile), Cape Province, South Africa