Project Title: Parasitic Wasp Diversity in a Restored Coastal Grassland in
Maryland

Description: I am seeking an Intern to participate in a survey of
parasitic wasps in a coastal grassland near Chestertown, MD. The
grassland, located at the Chester River Field Research Station
(http://www.washcoll.edu/centers/ces/crfrs/), was restored from
agricultural land in 1999.

Goals of the project are (1) discover and describe new species and
determine their spatiotemporal distributions, (2) assess the ability of
parasitic wasps to recolonize a grassland following restoration from
agricultural land, and (3) survey parasitic wasps in grassland habitat
adjacent to crop fields to determine if the former harbor species that
attack pests in the latter. The Intern will receive training to (1) sample
insects using flight traps, pan traps, and a sweep net; (2) sort samples
of field-collected insects for parasitic wasps; and (3) dehydrate, mount,
and label parasitic wasps. The Intern will spend two to four days per week
sorting samples and preparing specimens at the Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History. He/she will also spend one or two days
per week sampling insects at the field site. Fieldwork may also include
rearing parasitic wasps from hosts collected at the field site.

Qualifications: A minimum three month, 24 hours per week time commitment
is required. A major or minor in biology or a related field is also
required. Preference will be given to applicants with experience sampling
organisms in the field. Also, preference will be given to applicants
willing/able to drive their personal vehicle to the field site, located
~50 miles northeast of Annapolis, MD.

Timetable: May­August 2013
Award Package: None
Project Contact Name: Dr. Robert R. Kula
Phone: 202-633-4558
E-mail: [log in to unmask]