74th Entomological Society of New Zealand Conference
2 -4 September 2026

Haere mai – Welcome

The organising committee are excited to welcome you to Kirikiriroa Hamilton this September. We will be hosting you at our beautiful flagship building, The Pā, on the Hamilton campus of the University of Waikato. The talks will be held in the University wharenui ‘Ko Te Tangata’ (meaning ‘for the people’), a special place for learning, listening, and reflection.

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SUBMIT ABSTRACT

Key dates

  • 5th May 2026: Registration and abstract submission opens
  • 19th June 2026: Abstract submission closes
  • 26th June 2026: KJ Fox Award submissions close
  • 9th July 2026: Early bird registration closes
  • 19th August 2026: Conference registration closes
  • 1st September 2026: Illustration workshop & social event for students
  • 2nd September 2026: Conference begins
  • 4th September 2026: Conference close (at lunchtime)
  • 4th September 2026: Field trip to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari (afternoon)

Sponsors

Gold

Prizes

Silver

Bronze

Registration

Conference registration includes: morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea each day, the evening poster session (canapes and drinks), and the conference dinner. Registration also includes attendance at the illustration workshop and social for students. Additional conference dinner tickets can be purchased during registration ($100) if you wish to bring a guest. Please note that all presenters must attend in person – there will be an online option to watch talks remotely but no option to present talks online.

Early-bid registration (closes 9th June 2026)
 – Full: $395
– Student/unwaged : $290

Late registration (10th June – 19th August 2026)
– Full: $455
– Student/unwaged: $350

Flat registration
– Single day: $280
– Online/virtual: $40 for all days of the conference

Schedule

Coming soon…

Plenary speakers

Dr Ang McGaughran

Ang McGaughran is a Senior Lecturer in ecology and evolution at the University of Waikato, where she leads the Invasomics Lab. She is broadly interested in understanding how species survive when their environment changes, with a special focus on invasive species. She uses a mix of ecological and genomic tools in her research.  

Ang has almost always (fortuitously!) focused on the response of invertebrates to change – initially researching how Antarctic springtails and mites survive the cold and then warming things up significantly with a focus on tropical nematodes and then Australian pest moths. Since returning home to Aotearoa, Ang has built a new model system of differentially invasive blowflies, which she uses to answer a range of questions in evolutionary ecology – simulating invasion scenarios to better understand what makes invaders so good at rapidly responding to new environments. 

Dr Neil Birrell

Neil Birrell is a Research Fellow at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. His background is in insects as food and feed, where he has worked on what insects can offer more sustainable food systems and on the ecological, social, and data-related obstacles that complicate their uptake. His research mixes experimental work with broader questions about how society perceives insects as food.

More recently, through a Mana Tūāpapa Fellowship, Neil has been working on the taxonomy and distribution of a gorgeous group of giant weevils in Aotearoa, Anagotus. This involves describing several new species, and using computational methods to predict the distribution of these species under different scenarios. 

He enjoys talking about insects with non-specialist audiences, and is drawn to questions where fundamental entomology meets applied problems like food production.

Giselle Clarkson

Giselle Clarkson is an awarding-winning writer, illustrator and cartoonist based in South Wairarapa. She is a regular contributor and cartoonist for New Zealand Geographic, designer of RNZ’s Critter of the Week merchandise, and works with scientists to turn papers and reports into comics for public engagement.

Her 2023 non-fiction children’s book The Observologist introduced a new scientific discipline – observology, the study of looking really, really closely. With a focus on invertebrates accessible to the young, the book draws attention to the wonder of creatures often reviled or ignored. Through illustration and humour, her aim is to never shy away from hard science and technical language. Together with her 2025 follow-up on ornithology – Omnibird – Giselle’s books have been published in over 10 languages. 

In 2025 she was unexpectedly thrust into the global media spotlight after finding a left-coiling snail in her garden, named Ned.

Presentations

Oral presentations
Full talks are 15 minute slots (12 mins + 2 min question time + 1 min transition)
Speed talks are 5 minute slots (3 mins + 1 min question time + 1 min transition)

Speed talks are good for presenting a key idea or result and its meaning/implication. Three slides should be sufficient to allow you to get your point across during this style of presentation, but it is at your own discretion to decide how many slides you want to use. Keep in mind that session chairs will be very strict about the time limit.

Posters
Posters should be printed in A0 or A1 size and mounted on the poster boards on the first morning of the conference. The poster session will be held on the first evening of the conference (Wednesday 2nd September).

Prospective symposia/session topics

  • Taxonomy & Systematics
  • Biosecurity
  • Ecology
  • Conservation and Restoration
  • Mātauranga Māori
  • Collections and Collections Care
  • Physiology & Behaviour
  • Genes & Genomes
  • Outreach
  • Global Change

Events

Pre-conference Illustration workshop & student social – 1st September

We are excited to offer a free-of-charge scientific illustration workshop delivered by Giselle Clarkson, a celebrated New Zealand illustrator and cartoonist, open to all student attendees. This will be in addition to Giselle’s plenary talk during the conference itself. The workshop will run from 3-5pm on the 1st September and will be followed by a catered evening social at The Don, at the University of Waikato, providing students with the opportunity to develop creative and science communication skills while networking with peers.

Images credit Giselle Clarkson/NZ Geographic

Poster session – 2nd September

This will be held on the first evening of the conference in Te Kōpūroa, within The Pā at the University of Waikato. There will be canapes and drinks on offer and your attendance is automatically included in your conference registration.

Conference dinner – 3rd September

The conference dinner will be held at the Ibis Hotel, and the price is included in registration. Extra dinner tickets for guests can be purchased at registration.

Field trip to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari – 4th September

Immediately following the close of the conference on Friday 4th September, guests will be transported to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari for a specially organised reduced-rate tour created exclusively for our group. A packed lunch and snacks will be provided.

The visit will include Bodie Taylor’s Moa Hunter cultural tour, offering an immersive experience through the ngahere guided by traditional bush lore and cultural knowledge. There will also be time to explore the Sanctuary’s Southern Enclosure and experience this unique environment.

Places are limited so please consider securing your place during registration. *Please note that collecting is not permitted in the reserve without prior consultation with Sanctuary staff, mana whenua and Waipa District Council.

Awards and Competitions

KJ Fox Awards

The KJ Fox Award is open to current members to provide financial assistance to attend the annual conference. Applications must be received by the secretary by 26th June 2026.  Successful applicants will be notified in advance of the conference. More information on the awards, including the application form, can be found here.

Photograph & Art Competition

This year, we’re excited to invite conference attendees to share their love of entomology through photography or art. Outstanding entries in each category will receive prizes. Stay tuned for more details!

Accommodation

The conference is held on the University of Waikato campus, which is an approximately 10-minute drive from the centre of Hamilton City. The accommodation options listed below are in the central city, from which you can easily travel to the conference venue via bus, Uber or personal car – or even a leisurely stroll! You can also check out options closer to the university on AirBnB. Note that the conference dinner will be held at the Ibis Hotel.

Novotel
Location: Novotel Hamilton Tainui
4.5km from conference venue
Website:  https://accorevents.com/offers/new/zealand/entomological/society/conf?preview=true
Rate code: See above website landing page
Rate valid: 1st – 5th September 2026
Offer: Discount of 10% off

Ibis
Location: Ibis Hamilton Tainui
4.5km from conference venue
Website: https://accorevents.com/offers/new/zealand/entomological/society/conf?preview=true
Rate code: See above website landing page
Rate valid: 1st – 5th September 2026
Offer: Discount of 10% off

Distinction
Distinction Hotel Hamilton
7.8km from conference venue
Website: https://www.distinctionhotelshamilton.co.nz/
Rate code: #212200
Rate valid: 1st – 5th September 2026.
Offer: $190.00 Incl. GST per room, per night on Superior King and/or Twin rooms. Guests will need to contact the hotel directly – via email (reservations@distinctionhamilton.co.nz) or call (07 849 0860) and quote the reference #212200.

VR Hotel
Hamilton VR Hotel in Hamilton
5.1km from conference venue
Website: https://vrhotels.co.nz/vr-hamilton/
Rate code: “New Zealand Entomological Society conference”
Rate valid: 1st – 5th September 2026
Offer: 10% discount when booked directly with hotel using above code

Transport & Parking

If you stay in Hamilton city you’ll need to travel out to the University of Waikato each day for the conference. The most reliable bus option is The Meteor, which operates 3-4 times each hour and drives directly from the Hamilton Transport Hub to the University. Other buses that stop close to the University are 13 University, 17 Hamilton Gardens Uni and 20 Cambridge. You can you use a Bee Card or cash on the buses.

If you’re bringing a vehicle to campus, you can park at Gate 1 off Knighton Road for $3 a day using the PayMyPark app.

Activities

We will be putting together a range of suggested activities that you can do in Kirikiriroa Hamilton during your stay, which will be provided in the program closer to the time.

For those arriving early into Kirikiriroa, you may like to check out the Microsculpture exhibition at Te Wharetaonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery, which closes on the 2nd September 2026.

Contact

For any enquiries or further information please email the conference organisers – Chrissie Painting (chrissie.painting@waikato.ac.nz) and Andrew Barnes (andrew.barnes@waikato.ac.nz).