7th Congress of the International Heteroptera Society (7IHS Meeting)
The congress will be held in Barcelona from 4 to 8 July 2022, in person and online, at the Residence for Researchers located in the historic centre of Barcelona (C/ Hospital, 64. https://goo.gl/maps/z9wCxSW9BtxMGeeN8 ).
What are Heteroptera?
Heteroptera, commonly known as “True bugs”, are insects in the order Hemiptera, with some 40,000 described species in the world and more than a thousand in Catalonia.
Their diet is varied. Most of them are phytophagous and feed on roots, leaves, flowers, pollen, buds, seeds, sap, fern fronds and fungal mycelia. Zoophagous species prey on prey by paralysing it with their beaks; they may also ingest blood (haematophagous) or be omnivorous.
They can occupy different ecological niches, mainly in vegetation, but also under bark, in leaf litter, on the ground, under stones, in mosses, inside houses, in fresh water and, in the case of some exotic species, also in the sea. But they can also be found in urban areas such as in urban parks, in balcony flowerpots, in abandoned places where spontaneous vegetation grows, on roadsides, in small urban gardens, etc., and they can also be captured near lighted lights.
What is the scientific and applied interest of True bugs?
Some species are beneficial because they prey on harmful insects in crops or forests. Others, on the other hand, are harmful to human interests, as they are pests of plants of economic interest, or have health importance due to their haematophagous diet, and can become vectors of diseases such as Chagas disease, which occurred on the American continent.
The 7th IHS Congress
Congresses are important for scientific communities to share results, experiences and knowledge of the object of study. They allow the creation of synergies and the search for solutions to problems obtained in both basic and applied research.
The International Heteropterist Society (IHS), based in Washington (USA), holds a meeting every four years (Quadrennials Meetings). This year's meeting is the 7th, after having been commissioned at the last one held in La Plata (Argentina).
This year around 50 oral communications and around 25 posters will be presented, with some seventy attendees representing the 5 continents and fifteen countries. The telematic participation facility, which is a new feature of this year's edition, allows for the attendance of 10% of the participants.
On Monday 4th, participants will be received in the atrium of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (C./ Carme, 47), where they will enjoy a small welcome drink and will be given the documentation.
The oral communications and posters will be presented from Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 included, in a tight schedule from 9 am to 7 pm. These events will be held at the Residència de Investigadors, the main conference venue.
As a special note, on Tuesday 5th the "Symposium on Gerromorpha in memory of Nils Møller Andersen" will be held, which will bring together the papers presented from 12.30 to 18 h., followed by a further hour of discussion. The Gerromorpha includes the popular cobblers and other water bugs, to which Nils Møller Andersen dedicated his research.
And on Wednesday 6th there will be the "Symposium of Pentatomoidea", with a series of papers from 15:00 to 18:00, and a further hour of discussion among the experts. The Pentatomoidea are the herons and other related species, some of them well known for their presence in orchards and gardens. On Thursday evening, the participants will enjoy a closing dinner in an establishment close to the congress venue.
On Friday 8th, the participants will go out into the countryside in search of Heteroptera in an environment of typical Mediterranean vegetation. The Collserola Natural Park has collaborated with the organisation, which has provided the appropriate permits for this activity. In addition to the scientific interest, field trips to congresses bring people together and are the cradle of future collaborations, or simply to get to know better those who share the same passion.
Also, as a special feature of this edition, the participation of young people (who have obtained their doctorate degree in the previous year at the latest) has been encouraged, facilitating their free registration. Around fifteen people have been able to benefit from this measure. For the entomologists of the country, it is an honour to welcome this group of researchers, whether they are novices or the most distinguished seniors.
All this organisation has been possible thanks to the contribution of several collaborators and sponsors, who have contributed to the realisation of this congress, either in kind or with money.
For more information: https://7ihs-bcn-2022.iec.cat/
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