Moths in our Midst: What They Do and Why It Matters

Christian Schmidt has been fascinated by moths and butterflies since childhood. His formative years were spent chasing insects in the grasslands and mountains of western Canada, and for the past 18 years he has worked as a research scientist at the Canadian National Collection of Insects in Ottawa (Agriculture and Agri-food Canada). His research focuses on the taxonomy, systematics and faunistics of North American moths – what species are found where, how to identify them, their evolutionary relationships, and describing species new to science. He is also interested in insect conservation and served on the Committee of the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. His education background includes insect systematics and evolution (Ph.D., University of Alberta), insect ecology (M.Sc., University of Alberta) and terrestrial ecology (B.Sc., University of Calgary). His scientific publications are found at www.researchgate.net/profile/B-Schmidt/research. He also has a personal interest in native plant gardening and other urban practices that increase insect biodiversity.