Insectes Sociaux, Paris 1987, V o l u m e 34, n ~ 3, p. 227

�9 M a s s o n , Pa r i s , 1987

INSECTES S O C I A U X - n ~ 3 / 1987

INFORMATION

Centro de Estudos Sobre Insetos Socials (CESIS) / Center for the Study of Social Insects

Instituto de Bioci~ncias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) 13500 Rio Claro, Sd~o Paulo, Brazil

Approval was recently gran ted by UNESP for the creat ion of the CESIS, which is to be implan ted in Rio Claro. The CESIS will br ing together the 19 faculty m e m b e r s which actively work in the field of social insects, and to cover key areas no t present ly available in the Neotropics, such as taxonomy and systematics, b iochemist ry , including pheromones , defensive secret ions and pharmacology, pa tho logy , especially for honey bees, and modelling. The CESIS will be actively engaged in in tegrat ive research on bo th beneficial and pest i ferous social insects, as well as cont inuing basic research in the areas of excellence of the faculty. A center of documenta t ion , social insect museum, and compute r center will serve to facil i tate research and to fill large voids in the cu r ren t in f ras t ruc tu re of social insect research in the tropics. The center will also facil i tate agreements w i th Brazi l ian and foreign research centers to promote cooperat ive exchanges, and to provide l:esearchers wi th the mechan i sm and home base necessary for research in Latin America. Inqui res concerning the center , possible cooperat ive agreements , and let ters of suppor t are welcomed.

H.G. FOWLER, O. MALASPINA.