Karim Vahed Explained

Karim Vahed
Fields:Entomology
Orthopterology
Workplaces:University of Derby Buglife
Alma Mater:University of Exeter
University of Nottingham
Thesis Title:The evolution and function of the spermatophylax in bushcrickets (Orthoptera:Tettigoniidae).
Thesis Url:https://web.archive.org/web/20200229035053/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fee1/b61ba850dca4c48fca58ba9e4fda1820bfda.pdf
Academic Advisors:Francis Gilbert
Thesis Year:1994
Partner:Kate Bellis
Children:1
Website:https://www.derby.ac.uk/staff/karim-vahed/

Karim Vahed FRES is a British entomologist. He is a professor of entomology and England manager at invertebrate conservation charity Buglife, and is an expert in crickets and bushcrickets (katydids).[1] [2]

Education and career

Vahed has been fascinated by insects since childhood. He studied biological sciences at the University of Exeter and did a PhD at the University of Nottingham on the function and evolution of nuptial feeding in bushcrickets, focusing on the role of the spermatophylax.[3] In 1993 he joined the University of Derby, eventually becoming Professor of Entomology.[4] and Programme Leader for the masters programme in conservation biology. In 2022 he moved to Buglife to become England Manager.[5]

Research

Vahed's research looks in particular at the sexual behaviour of the Orthoptera order of insects, the crickets and bush crickets and related groups.

He discovered a group of bushcricket species Anonconotus sp. that are able to mate many times without need to recover.[6] He has studied the behaviour of giving nuptial gifts in insects.[7] His team also discovered a cricket species Platycleis affinis in which the testes accounted for 14% of the insect's body mass, the largest percentage of any animal at the time of the study.[8] The large testes enable the insect to mate more frequently.[9]

Vahed is involved in conservation of rare orthopterans and monitors the rare scaly cricket (Pseudomogoplistes vicentae) on the UK mainland[10] as well as on the Channel Islands including a potential new colony of the species on Guernsey.[11] [12] On Guernsey he performs surveys of the cricket with volunteers from La Societe Guernesiaise. He has campaigned against making the Guernsey site a waste dump.[13] He also studies the mating behaviour of the scaly cricket.

In 2014 Vahed was interviewed on BBC Four television documentary Spider House by Tim Cockerill,[14] in 2019 he appeared on The British Garden: Life And Death On Your Lawn with Chris Packham.[15]

Awards and honours

Vahed is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society,[16] of the Royal Society of Biology, of the Linnean Society and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.[1]

Personal life

Vahed and his partner, Kate Bellis, a photographer, have one son.[17]

Selected publications

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Professor Karim Vahed. www.derby.ac.uk. en-GB. 2020-01-16.
  2. Web site: Staff . 2022-11-19 . Buglife . en-GB.
  3. Web site: The evolution and function of the spermatophylax in bushcrickets (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae). Vahed. Karim. 1994. eprints.nottingham.ac.uk. en. 2020-01-16.
  4. Web site: BBC Four - The British Garden: Life and Death on Your Lawn - Expert profile Professor Karim Vahed. July 2019. BBC.co.uk. en-GB. 2020-01-16.
  5. News: Price . Jo . 22 September 2022 . MEET THE SCIENTIST Karim Vahed . BBC Wildlife . 19 November 2022.
  6. News: Tireless cricket is ready to mate every 18 seconds. Editor. Roger Highfield, Science. Daily Telegraph. 2005-05-31. 2020-01-16. en-GB. 0307-1235.
  7. Web site: Love Bugs. www.ft.com. 2020-01-16.
  8. Book: Braun, David. National Geographic Tales of the Weird: Unbelievable True Stories. 2012-10-23. National Geographic. 978-1-4262-0966-6. en.
  9. News: Largest testicles of any species? That would be the bush cricket. Sample. Ian. 2010-11-10. The Guardian. 2020-01-16. correspondent. science. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  10. Web site: Insect expert's young son beats him to rediscovering endangered bug. phys.org. en-us. 2020-01-16.
  11. Web site: Could Guernsey be a hotspot for endangered crickets?. ITV News. en. 2020-01-16.
  12. Web site: Scaly cricket expert joins local amateurs in hunt for insect. www.guernseypress.com. 25 April 2019 . en. 2020-02-01.
  13. Web site: "Incredible that Spur Point could be filled with waste" - Entemologist. Bailiwick Express. en. 2020-02-01.
  14. Web site: BBC Four - Spider House, How do spiders mate?. BBC.co.uk. 17 October 2014 . en-GB. 2020-01-16.
  15. Web site: The British garden: Sex and death in your back garden. Petty. Moira. 2017-07-08. Express.co.uk. en. 2020-01-16.
  16. Web site: Royal Entomological Society Recognition for Dr Karim Vahed Postgrad.com. www.postgrad.com. 2020-01-16.
  17. Colour captured in black and white. ArtsBeat. April 2016. 10–11.

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