Akira graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan in 1978 with a B. Sc. degree. His B. Sc. thesis concerned the comparative morphology of the mouthparts of Hymenoptera. In 1980 he received his M. Sc. degree from the same university, the thesis of which was the comparative morphology of the mouthparts of Pompilidae, as well as their phylogenetic relationships. Afterwards, he entered the doctoral program at the university, but, two years later, left it to become a biology teacher at a senior high school. He accumulated much experience as a teacher at a few prefectural and private senior high schools for 17 years. During this period, he also continued to study the systematics and biology of wasps and bees, especially that of the family Pompilidae, under the direction of his old professor, Prof. R. Ishikawa, and also with the help of Prof. H. E. Evans and Dr. Marius S. Wasbauer. In the summer of 1991, he visited Marius’ laboratory at The California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, California and his home for a month. The experience of examining many specimens of exotic species, especially those from the Americas broadened his horizons. Akira finally got a Ph.D. at Tokyo Metropolitan University in 1994, the thesis being the phylogenetics and systematics of the family Pompilidae. Then, he returned to the university as an assistant professor, and continued studying entomology and conducting educational activities for students. In 2004 Akira received a Treatise Award from The Entomological Society of Japan for his revisionary studies of the Japanese species of Dipogon (Deuteragenia), which was coauthored by Prof. Emeritus Ishikawa. From 2001 to 2019, every year for a few weeks to four months, he visited the Natural History Museum, London, UK and Mr. Raymond Wahis’ home with his huge collection of Pompilidae in Chaudfontaine, Belgium, and studied systematics and morphology of spider wasps from around the world. During this period, he deepened friendships with Mr. M. C. Day and Raymond, and has coauthored eight papers with Raymond in this time. In 2015 Akira began to contact Dr. James Pitts. He visited James’ laboratory and home in Logan, Utah trudging through the snow in February 2019 and January 2020, and studied specimens in his collection of the worldwide Pompilidae. He has published three papers with James. In 2020 Akira retired from Tokyo Metropolitan University, and then became a visiting researcher at the university, at The Research Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Inc., Tokyo, and at The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo. He enjoys studying systematics, biology, and evolution of wasps and bees, having many research plans in collaboration with James. To date Akira has published about 50 papers and coauthored two books.

Frank graduated from Allegheny College, Meadville, PA in 1958 with a B. S. degree and Departmental Honors in Biology. His B. S. thesis was on host spider selection in three mud-dauber solitary wasp species. From 1956–1958 he was Robert E. Bugbee’s Research Assistant on a taxonomic Revision of the Genus Eurytoma (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae). In 1958 Frank received a summer assistantship at The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, to work on parasitic wasps. In 1962 and 1964 he received his M. S. and Ph. D. degrees from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY in Entomology. From 1960–1964, while at Cornell University, Frank was mentored by and did field research with Howard E. Evans and Karl V. Krombein. His M. S. and Ph. D. research and theses comprised Comparative Behavior of Digger Wasps of the Genus Tachysphex (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). In 1964 and 1965 Frank was awarded N.S.F. and N.I.H. Postdoctoral Fellowships for research on solitary wasps under the supervision of Charles D. Michener at The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS. Concurrently, Frank accepted a Visiting Assistant Professorship at The University of Kansas to teach General Entomology and Insect Behavior. In 1966 he moved on to S.U.N.Y. College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY where he taught Insect Taxonomy, Insect Morphology and General Entomology, served as Curator of Insects after establishing their Insect Museum, and taught Insect Behavior at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station in the summers alternatively with summer N.S.F. Research Participation Programs for Undergraduates. Frank took an early retirement from S.U.N.Y. E.S.&F. in December 1999. From 2000 until present day as Emeritus Professor and Curator of Insects at that institution his research comprised Comparative Behavior and Host Selection of solitary wasps in the families Pompilidae, Sphecidae and Crabronidae. To date Frank has published 175 monographs, papers and book reviews in this subject area, producing the largest and most productive works following his retirement. Frank continues to do collaborative and cooperative research with various co-workers in this area of expertise.