Femi E Benny

Position: PhD Student

Project: Ecology and behaviour of Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia)

Research Interests: I’m passionate about exploring how insects behave and interact with their environment. I have a particular soft spot for wasps- especially hornets! I love heading out into under-explored places, looking for insects and maybe even discovering new species! I am a taxonomist by training, and I love hymenopteran taxonomy especially of Trigonalyidae, Vespinae and Anthophorini tribe.

Background:

I’m from India and I completed by Masters in Applied Zoology (Entomology) from Calicut University Campus, Kerala, India in 2018. I worked in ATREE Bangalore, India from 2019 where I conducted research on the importance of insects in the diet and livelihoods of indigenous communities of North East India.

2024 – Present: PhD Candidate, University College London, UCL-Research Excellence Scholarship (RES)

2020-2024: Project Associate — Insect Biosystematics and Conservation Lab, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore, India

2019 – 2020: Junior Research Fellow — Insect Biosystematics and Conservation Lab, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore, India

2016 – 2018: MSc. Applied Zoology (Entomology), University of Calicut, Kerala, India

2013 – 2016: BSc. Zoology, Providence Women’s College, Kerala, India

Contact:

E-mail: femi.benny.24@ucl.ac.uk

Bluesky: @femi-benny.bsky.social

Instagram: @femibenny

Publications:

Femi, E. B., Ranjith A.P., & Priyadarsanan, D. R. (2024). Addition to the Eumeninae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) fauna of India with the description of a new species from Northeast India. Entomon 49(3): 465-470. https://doi.org/10.33307/entomon.v49i3.1268

Femi, E. B., Ranjith, A. P & Priyadarsanan, D. R. (2024) Additions to the trigonalyid fauna of India with the description of a new species from south India. Zootaxa, 5419 (2), 265–274. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5419.2.5

Anoop, N. R., Femi, E. B., Yathumon, M. A., & Aswaj, Punnath. (2023). Butterflies with a taste for elephant dung: Puddling of adult butterflies on elephant dung in India’s Western Ghats. Food Webs. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00323

Ranjith, A., Burks, R. A., Femi, E. B., & Priyadarsanan, D. R. (2023). First report of two eulophid genera (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae) from India with the description of two new species. Zootaxa, 5231(4), 471-480. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5231.4.8

Kaimal, S. G., & Femi, E. B. (2019). Butterfly diversity of Vengalam mangroves, Calicut, Kerala. Perspectives In Life Sciences. ISBN: 978-93-88992-90-9. Published by The UGC – HRDC, University of Calicut, 319pp.

Popular Science Articles:

Femi E. B. (2025) Giant Water Bugs: Close Encounters with Toe Biters. Round Glass Sustain.

Femi E. B. (2024) Spot Me If You Can: Mimicry and Camouflage in Insects. Round Glass Sustain.

Femi E. B. (2024) Nature’s Artists: The World of Potter Wasps. Round Glass Sustain.

Femi E. B., & Amritha Jaiprakash (2024) Moving Beyond “Creepy Crawlies” Kerala Calling.

Femi E. B. (2024) Quest for the Himalayan Giant: A Journey to the Realm of Apis laboriosa. Round Glass Sustain.

Femi E. B. (2024) Climate change and insects: We don’t know enough. Antenna (Royal Entomological Society).

Femi E. B. (2024) Spider Wasps: The solitary hunters of your backyard. Round Glass Sustain.

Femi E. B. (2024) Beyond the Sting: Asian Giant Hornets as Food and Medicine in Nagaland. Round Glass Sustain.

Femi, E. B., & Priyadarsanan, D. R. (2023) [Commentary] As India faces an egg shortage, can insects be a potential solution for protein and nutrition? Mongabay.

Femi E. B. (2022) Neither a cow nor a buffalo: the curious case of Mithun aka Gayal aka Bos frontalis semi-domestication in NE India. The Morung Express.

Femi E. B. (2022) Facing Your Flying Fears. Youth for Nature.