George Waldren

Ph.D. (Recently Defended!)

George Waldren studies the systematics, biology, and biogeography of the aculeate Hymenoptera with emphasis on Mutillidae, a little-known family of insects commonly known as velvet ants. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas where as a child he developed a love for insects, especially aculeate wasps. Skilled in illustration and design, he decided to pursue architecture as a career path while continuing to research wasps on the side. He earned both a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 2008 and a Master of Architecture in 2010 from Texas Tech University. Following graduation, he worked professionally for several architecture firms in Texas. In 2014, he decided to switch gears to pursue a Ph.D. in Biology at Utah State University in order to study aculeate wasps—his lifelong passion—at a more advanced level.

In his research, he prefers to work at the monographic scale wherein all known and novel information about a broad subject is comprehensively synthesized into a user-friendly product that is useful to both specialists and laypersons. He enjoys teaching in both written and oral formats and he is always looking to hone his skills to more effectively translate, organize, and present massive amounts of information into a more easily digestible form for students and other researchers.

Outside of his studies he enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring the outdoors, reading, and writing.

Publications

2019

Williams, K.A., Cambra T., R.A., Waldren, G.C., Quintero A., D., & Pitts, J.P. (2019) Silvorientilla, gen. nov. Un género nuevo Neotropical de hormiga terciopelo (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Folia Entomológica Mexicana (nueva serie), 4(3): 91−109. https://socmexent.org/folia/revista/Num%202018_3/FEMns_4(3)_91-109.pdf

2018

Cambra T., R.A., Quintero A., D., Waldren, G.C., Bartholomay, P.R., & Williams, K.A. (2018) Taxonomic revision of the genus Timulla Ashmead, 1899 of Panama (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Tecnociencia, 20(2): 23–57. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329782084_TAXONOMIC_REVISION_OF_THE_GENUS_Timulla_ASHMEAD_1899_OF_PANAMA_HYMENOPTERA_MUTILLIDAE

2017

Bartholomay, P.R., Waldren, G.C., & Oliveira, M.L. (2017) Observation of a mixed-sex, mixed-species aggregation of velvet ants, genus Timulla Ashmead, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) in the Brazilian Amazon, Roraima, with a new synonymy. Zootaxa, 4362(1): 135–140. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4362.1.8

2016

Lohrmann, V., Waldren, G.C., Reiß, M., & Engel, M.S. (2016) An anocellar polistine wasp (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae) from Texas. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 92(2), 251–255. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.92.10548

Luz, D.R., Waldren, G.C., & Melo, G.A.R. (2016) Bees as hosts of mutillid wasps in the Neotropical region (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Mutillidae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 60: 302–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2016.06.001

Auko, T.H., Bartholomay, P.R., Luz, D.R., Waldren, G.C., & Williams, K.A. (2016) First records of the genus Allotilla Schuster, 1949 (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) in Brazil. Check List, 12(3): 1–3. https://doi.org/10.15560/12.3.1898

2015

Bartholomay, P.R., Williams, K.A., Waldren, G.C., & de Oliveira, M.L. (2015) Corrections on the biology of Traumatomutilla André, 1901 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Zootaxa, 3920(1): 198–200. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3920.1.10

2010

Pitts, J.P., Tanner, D., Waldren, G.C., & Parker, F.D. (2010) Facultative size-dependent sex allocation in Sphaeropthalma pensylvanica Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) with further host records. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 83(1): 68–75. https://doi.org/10.2317/JKES0812.15.1

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