Terence Bellingan (Pr. Sci. Nat.)Professional Profile
Mr Terence Bellingan is the current curator and head of the Department of Entomology and Arachnology at the Albany Museum. He oversees the maintenance and management of the insect collection housed within the department, which consists of roughly 250 000 insect specimens. This collection is made up primarily of aculeate wasps and bees (Hymenoptera), the primary research focus of his department. This collection is of international significance, and Mr Bellingan assists scientists and researchers from around South Africa and the world over in accessing the material housed in his department, through hosting visitors to his department and co-ordinating specimen loans to other museums and research facilities.
The Entomology and Arachnology department also houses significant thrips, cicada, beetle and butterfly collections, most of which have been donated to the department to be maintained and cared for. As part of Mr Bellingan's duties, he is also involved in outreach and teaching work facilitated by the Albany Museum at local schools and at Rhodes University, where he is assists with practical classes and field work, as well as supervising undergraduate and post-graduate students.