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Systematic Entomology Lab
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A lab that uncovers how the diverse forms and lifestyles of insects evolved.
AboutAbout the lab
Using insects to uncover the diversity of life.
The Systematic Entomology Lab studies how the diverse forms, lifestyles, and behaviors of insects have evolved.
Covering all insects (including some terrestrial arthropods), the lab conducts research and education in taxonomy, phylogenetics, morphology, and evolutionary biology.
Founded in 1896, it is a lab with a tradition of over 100 years, and is characterized by research that makes use of its large preserved specimen collection.
Working also with the Hokkaido University Museum, the lab takes a multifaceted approach, from field surveys to preparing specimens of tiny insects, rearing experiments, and DNA work.
Key terms
- Phylogenetics
- The study of tracing the relationships among organisms to clarify how they branched and evolved
- New species description
- Examining an organism that has no name yet, describing its characteristics in a paper, and giving it a scientific name
- Coevolution
- Evolution in which interacting organisms, such as a parasite and its host, influence each other as they evolve
ResearchResearch themes
Covering all insect groups, the lab conducts research and education in taxonomy, phylogenetics, and morphology. Student research topics over just the past decade or so span a wide range of taxa, from mayflies, dragonflies, and grasshoppers to wasps, beetles, moths, and spiders, and cover a broad range of work including descriptive taxonomy, molecular phylogenetics, and morphological evolution.
*Illustrative imageEvolution of genital form and function
To clarify why genitalia have evolved to be more diverse than external body shapes, the lab pursues research in functional morphology and biomechanics that links form to function. It also studies the evolution of other structures involved in reproduction.
*Illustrative imageSystematics of Zoraptera
The lab pursues Zoraptera around the world, an order thought to have branched off particularly early within the group that includes grasshoppers and cockroaches. It works on describing new species, conducting ecological surveys, and elucidating the evolutionary history of genitalia and mating behavior.
*Illustrative imageOrigin and evolution of parasitism in lice
The lab studies the origin and diversification of lice, unusual insects that spend their entire lives on the bodies of birds and mammals. It addresses many questions, including coevolution with hosts and the relationship with symbiotic microbes inside the body that support survival on an unbalanced diet.
*Illustrative imagePhylogeny and evolution of Paraneoptera
Targeting Paraneoptera, which comprise barklice and booklice, lice, thrips, cicadas, and stink bugs, the lab clarifies diversity through descriptive taxonomy and examines phylogenetic relationships from molecular and morphological data. It also explores the origins of specialized traits such as parasitism, mouthparts, and jumping.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Systematic Entomology Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students in the doctoral, master's, and undergraduate programs. Faculty from the Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere and the University Museum also take part in supervision.As of 2026
- ProfessorKazunori Yoshizawa
- Project ProfessorMasahiro Ohara
- Assistant ProfessorKoichi Arimoto
- Special Assistant ProfessorJuriya Okayasu
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Insect specimen drawer New Zealand Arthropod Collection” Siobhan Leachman / CC0 (cropped)
- Evolution of genital form and function: “Common blue damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) female dull green form mating wheel” Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Systematics of Zoraptera: “Zorotypus” Angal insect / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Origin and evolution of parasitism in lice: “Felicola subrostris” Uwe Gille / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Phylogeny and evolution of Paraneoptera: “Barklouse ( )” Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Animal Ecology Lab): “Salvelinus malma malma from Quicksilver Creek” Jim Gaither, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Botanic Garden Lab (Azuma)): “Hylotelephium cauticolum1” KENPEI / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Botanic Garden Lab (Nakamura)): “Callianthemum miyabeanum ( )” sunoochi from Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Plant Pathology Lab): “Leaf mosaic, green islands and shoestrings- Symptoms of papaya ringspot disease” Plant pests and diseases / CC0 (cropped)
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