Entomologist
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Unit 0948
APO AA 34002-0948
roubikd@tivoli.si.edu
Research Interests
I have studied insects for 45 years. In the past 35 years I have concentrated on equatorial forest ecology and tropical insects, primarily bees, and on pollination ecology. Strictly speaking, my training is in population biology, entomology, and natural history. I am a tropical field biologist and naturalist.
Current Research Projects
I work on the biology, ecology, systematics and population dynamics of euglossines, meliponines and apines. Often I identify bees and other insects for museums. Primarily, I am concerned with the ecological impact of honey bees as exotic organisms, with the systematics of meliponines (with J. Camargo) and with palynology and pollen identification (with E. Moreno) as a tool for ecological studies. Other projects include the pollination ecology of achiote (Bixa), coffee, and native trees and shrubs in the equatorial forests, especially Ecuador, Boreno, Gabon, Yucatan, French Guiana and Panama. Collaborative projects include thrips pollination and floral ecology (with F. Gattesco), the aggregating fungus beetle Stenotarsus subtilis (with P. Skelley) and pollen viability and germination (with A. Dafni).
Recent Publications
D. W. Roubik,T. Inoue, A, Hamid, and R. Harrison. 1999. Height communication by Bornean honey bees. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society
72:256-261.
D. W. Roubik. 2000. Deceptive orchids with Meliponini as pollinators. Plant Systematics and Evolution 222:217-279.
D. W. Roubik. 2000. The de-flowering of Central America: a current perspective. In: Proceedings of the sixth international bee researchconference on tropical bees (in press) IBRA, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
D. W. Roubik and J. E. Moreno. 2000. Generalization and specialization by stingless
bees. In: Proceedings of the sixth international bee research conference on tropical bees. IBRA, Cardiff, Wales, UK. (in
press)
D. W. Roubik. 2000. Potential pollination outcrossing distances flown by honey bees in a Congo forest. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society(in press)
R. M. Rincon, D. W. Roubik, B. Finegan, D. Delgado, and N. Zamora. 2000.
Regeneration in tropical rain forest managed for timber production: understory bees and their floral resources in a logged and silviculturally
treated Costa Rican forest. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society (inpress)
D. W. Roubik, and H. Wolda. 2000. Do competing honey bees matter? Dynamics and abundance of native bees before and after honey bee invasion. Population Ecology (in press)
D. W. Roubik. 2000. African honey bees augment neotropical coffee yield. in press. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Pollination, 1998. P.G. Kevan and V. L. Imperatriz- Fonseca, eds.
D. W. Roubik. 2000. Pollination system stability in tropical America. Conservation Biology (in press)
D. W. Roubik. 2000. Ups and downs in pollinator populations: When is there a decline? Conservation Ecology (in press)