Goliath Birdeater By Piotr Naskrecki

Piotr Naskrecki is a Polish-born entomologist, photographer and author, currently at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA). He received his M. Sc. degree in Zoology from the A. Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland (1990), and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (2000). Between 2002 and 2009 Piotr served as Director of the Invertebrate Diversity Initiative at the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation International, Washington, D.C. His research focuses on the evolution of katydids and related insects, and the theory and practice of nature conservation.
As a photographer, Piotr strives to promote appreciation and conservation of invertebrate animals – insects, arachnids, and their kin – by capturing both their beauty and roles as vital, often critically important members of the Earth’s ecosystems. He is one of the founding members of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP).
Piotr is the author of over 30 scientific, peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and his photographs and nature writing have been published in a number of national and international publications, including The Smithsonian Magazine, Natural History, National Wildlife, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, BBC Knowledge, Terre Sauvage, Time magazine, Ranger Rick, and many others. His book “The Smaller Majority” (Harvard University Press 2005) illustrates a multitude of threats faced by invertebrate animals, whereas his upcoming book “Relics” (University of Chicago Press 2011) will explore ancient organisms and ecosystems of the globe. Piotr’s photography has also been exhibited in a number of venues, including the American Museum of Natural History in New York, The Natural Museum in London, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Aquamarine Fukushima (Japan), and many others.