Autor: Helmut F. van Emden

Ivo Hodek has worked on Coccinellidae for over 50 years with most of his career spent at the Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences. Here he was Head of the Ecophysiology Laboratory (1990-1998), and now holds an Emeritus Scientist position there. He has also researched and taught in The Netherlands, France and Japan. He was awarded the J.E. Purkinje Medal of the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2000. In 1965, he founded the „Ecology of Aphidophaga” series of symposia, and since 1985 has been the Editor of the European Journal of Entomology. Alois Honek has taught insect ecology since 1972, and since 1972 has been Senior Research Scientist, Crop Research Institute, Prague-Ruzyne, specializing in invertebrate and plant ecology with many research studies on Coccinellidae. He has also had periods of research in Russia and France. After a period of research at Imperial College, London, Helmut van Emden was appointed to the Department of Horticulture at Reading University where he was appointed Professor in 1976 and Head of the Department from 1986-1999. He is currently Emeritus Professor in the School of Biological Sciences. His research has focused on aphids, particularly host plant resistance and biological control. He has conducted several research projects in the tropics and has held visiting appointments at the Universities of California and Queensland. He received the Karl Escherisch Medal of the German General and Applied Entomological Society in 1993.