Dr Marianne Horak: curating the Lepidoptera collection at the Australian National Insect Collection.

Dr Marianne Horak: classifying Australian butterflies and moths

Dr Marianne Horak studies the systematics, phylogeny and biology of Australian moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), especially the economically important sub-families Olethreutinae and Phycitinae.

• 8 January 2008 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements

Current activities

Dr Marianne Horak’s systematic research is focussed on the Oriental-Australian Lepidoptera fauna, particularly the economically important sub-families Olethreutinae and Phycitinae.

Dr Horak is responsible for Lepidoptera research at the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC).

With only 50 per cent of the Australian Lepidoptera species described, Dr Horak’s work is concentrating on the generic level.

The main focus of her work is the completion of a revision of the approximately 40 Australian genera of the Phycita group (Phycitinae) for a volume in the Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera series.

Dr Horak is also the editor-in-chief of this series.

Her current collaborative research projects include:

• barcoding Australian Lepidoptera with:
  • Dr Paul Hebert of the University of Guelph, Canada
  • Dr A Mitchell of New South Wales Department of Primary Industry (NSWDPI), Wagga Wagga
  • Mr Ted Edwards of CSIRO
• support for a study of the biology and taxonomy of scribbly gum moths by two honorary fellows of CSIRO:
  • Dr Max Day
  • Ms Celia Miller
• compilation of a preliminary phylogeny of tortricid tribes based on over 4 000 base pairs of DNA with:
  • Dr Felix Sperling of the University of Alberta, Canada
  • Dr Frances FitzGibbon of CSIRO
  • Dr Andreas Zwick of the University of Maryland, USA
• diagnostics of Lepidoptera pests, based on morphology and DNA sequences, undertaken within the framework of the Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) with Dr Andrew Mitchell, NSWDPI.

As well as curation of ANIC’s Lepidoptera collection, Dr Horak provides identification and advice to applied entomologists and overseas collaborators revising Australian groups (Gracillariidae, tortricid Grapholitini) and to Australian amateurs providing significant contributions such as the website Australian Moths Online, with over 3 000 images.

Background

After completing her doctorate, Dr Horak joined CSIRO in 1983 as a visiting scientist.

She was then awarded a CSIRO postdoctoral fellowship (1986-88), studying tortricid morphology and phylogeny with particular emphasis on pheromone evolution. 

She has since been extensively collaborating with the pheromone and biocontrol sections of CSIRO Entomology in her role as a taxonomist.

Academic qualifications

Dr Horak has been awarded a:

• Diploma in Natural Sciences, Entomology, from the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland
• Doctor of Philosophy also from ETH.

Achievements

Dr Horak recently published a revision of the 90 Australian genera of the horticulturally important Olethreutinae, including the codling moth and macadamia nut borer.

In January 2008, this monograph was awarded the first biennial JO Westwood Medal by the Royal Entomological Society and the Entomology Department of The Natural History Museum, London, for the best taxonomic work on a group of insects or related arthropods.

Her tortricid chapter in the Handbook of Zoology is accepted as the current standard classification for the family.

Find out more about the Australian National Insect Collection.