Rob Cannings
Curator, Entomology
Tel: 250-356-8242, Fax: 250-356-8197
E-mail: rcannings@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Mailing Address: 675 Belleville Street
Victoria, BC, Canada 
V8W 9W2

Research Interests  

Rob studies insect systematics, especially the taxonomy, phylogenetic reconstruction, biogeography and faunistics of dragonflies (Odonata) and robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae). His main focus in robber fly research is the evolution of the genus Lasiopogon around the Northern Hemisphere. However, he has published on groups in all the major orders of insects. He is the author or co-author of several books, including The Dragonflies of British Columbia (1977), The World of Fresh Water (1998), Introducing the Dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon (2002) and The Systematics of Lasiopogon (Diptera: Asilidae) (2002). Other printed publications.  On-line publications.

Rob has been the RBCM entomologist since 1980. From 1987 to 1996 he also lead the Natural History Section at the museum. He has been active on the Scientific Committee of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) and in the Entomological Society of BC. He started the ESBC newsletter Boreus in 1981 and was editor until 1991. Rob is a member of the Arthropod Subcommittee of COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) and the British Columbia Invertebrate Recovery Team. In former lives, Rob worked as a biologist and nature interpreter for BC Parks and the Canadian Wildlife Service and served as a lecturer and museum curator at the University of BC. He earned a BSc and MSc from the University of BC; his PhD comes from the University of Guelph.

Present Research

Robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae): The systematics of the robber fly genus Lasiopogon; taxonomic studies in the genus Efferia; production of an annotated checklist of the robber flies of British Columbia; the Asilidae of Canadian grasslands.

The Odonata of British Columbia: Inventories examining the status of dragonflies in BC with emphasis on rare species and species at risk; specimen locality mapping; documentation of habitat requirements; field keys to BC species; photography.

Insect families of British Columbia: Three-volume publication providing illustrated keys for the identification of the more than 500 insect families in the province together with brief descriptions of the diagnostic features, biology and diversity of the families.

Documentation of insect diversity in BC: Miscellaneous projects on insects such as lampyrid beetles (fireflies), Meconema thalassinum (Drumming Katydid) and others.