Floyd Shockley

Roles: Special Guest

Floyd Shockley is the chair of the Entomology Collections Committee and the Entomology representative on the NMNH Collections, IPM and Safety committees, as well as the 4th floor (East Court) representative on the Entomology Space committee. In addition to conducting many tours of the Entomology collections ranging in audiences from high level dignitaries to small children’s groups, he is also involved in Entomology public educational outreach and social media endeavors, frequently interacting with Education & Outreach and Public Relations staff. I am also responsible for development of new educational materials for tours of the insect collection and special exhibits. Floyd’s research interests focus on the taxonomy and systematics of the beetle family Endomychidae s.l. (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), a heterogeneous group of obligate fungus feeders. He reconstructs phylogenetic relationships of Endomychidae using molecular evidence, and use the resulting evolutionary hypotheses to explore patterns of change in physical, behavioral, and ecological characteristics.