Annual General Meeting
Join us at our 2026 Annual General Meeting!
At this meeting, we will welcome our new 2026 ESQ Council members, hear a summary of the annual reports for 2025, and the new incoming President, Brendan Trewin, will introduce the seminar which will be presented by the outgoing President, Owen Seeman.
Owen's talk is entitled: "Five mites that changed the world":
Some spiders and scorpions provide a modicum of danger or biochemical curiosity, but among the arachnids, only mites can hold a candle to insects as having species that have affected the health and prosperity of millions of people. By way of introduction, I will begin with an extant exemplar of the very first mites, which from their origins in early Devonian soil have now become all pervasive, being found in more habitats than any other group of arthropods. But once familiarities are dispensed with, I will delve into four villainous acarines: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, one of the most important house dust mites, discomforts multitudes, and on a phylogenetic level nestles deep within a lineage of parasites of birds and mammals; Leptotrombidium deliense, a significant vector of tsutsugamushi fever, which played a noisy second fiddle to malaria in the Pacific theatre of World War II; Tetranychus urticae, the most polyphagous of all mites, notoriously resistant to chemicals, and the primary instigator of the biocontrol industry; and of course Varroa destructor, the most recent unwelcome mitey guest to our shores. Despite their thrilling works of evil, I hope to communicate that mites are also fascinating, important, and deserving of far more attention than the show-ponies of the arachnid world!
We'll also be planning for any upcoming events for the year. It's certain to be an interesting seminar and meeting, with a chance to connect with other ESQ members again. Hope to see you there!!
Visitors are welcome! Tea & coffee following
Venue:
Ground floor Seminar Room, EcoSciences Precinct, Boggo Rd. Just a short walk from the Boggo Rd/Park Rd train station or bus station!
Want to attend virtually, but aren't an ESQ member? Contact us for the zoom link.
Abrolophus mite. Photo credit: L. Kumpe
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Regular Meetings
ESQ general meetings are held every second Tuesday of the month* at 1pm at the Ecoscience Precinct in Dutton Park, Brisbane (see maps below). There is no need to sign in to the ground floor Seminar Room 1.
There is limited street parking available so Public transport is highly recommended. Visitors are always welcome.
*except January, February and July
Location Map (Click to enlarge)
Building Map (Click to enlarge)
