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1961-1962 - American Museum of Natural History

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dition, the newly appointed director <strong>of</strong> the planetarium now under<br />

construction in St. Louis, Missouri, spent two weeks here on<br />

an orientation visit.<br />

All members <strong>of</strong> the staff took active parts in the work <strong>of</strong> the<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essional societies in which they have memberships. The<br />

influence <strong>of</strong> the staff was also expressed through numerous<br />

outside lectures, appearances on television and radio, and by<br />

participation in panels and workshops for the National Science<br />

Foundation, the <strong>American</strong> Association for the Advancement<br />

<strong>of</strong> Science, and several other agencies <strong>of</strong> the museum, planetarium,<br />

and astronomy pr<strong>of</strong>essions.<br />

DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY<br />

Jerome G. Rozen, Jr., Chairman<br />

The new direction that the Department <strong>of</strong> Entomology is<br />

gradually taking was evidenced this year by considerably increased<br />

activity in three areas-research productivity, curatorial<br />

accomplishments, aiid exhibition.<br />

Dr. Rozen, working under a National Science Foundation<br />

grant, continued the biosystematic study <strong>of</strong> the parasitic bees<br />

in the genus Oreopasites. All species in this genus are obligatory<br />

parasites in the nests <strong>of</strong> the non-social bee genus Nomadopsis.<br />

Having previously completed the initial taxonomic<br />

work, Dr. Rozen devoted his attention this year to a study <strong>of</strong><br />

the behavior and biology <strong>of</strong> the various species. During three<br />

field trips to the western and southwestern United States (in<br />

spring, summer, and early fall), he worked out comparative<br />

life histories and host associations, performed nutritional<br />

experiments in order to determine the nature <strong>of</strong> the intraspecific<br />

variation in these bees, and made extensive collections which<br />

included over-winter immature stages <strong>of</strong> eight different forms.<br />

In addition, Dr. Rozen brought to completion an anatomical<br />

and systematic study <strong>of</strong> the larvae <strong>of</strong> the beetle family Nitidulidae,<br />

an investigation that was initiated by the late Dr.<br />

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