Contact details

Curator of Entomology
Natural History Division
South African Museum
Iziko Museums of Cape Town
PO Box 61, Cape Town, 8000
South Africa
Tel: +27 21 481 3865
Fax: +27 21 481 3993

svannoort@iziko.org.za

Research Interests

Systematics of fig wasps is a major interest, including unraveling the evolutionary intricacies of the 60 million year old mutualism between fig trees and fig wasps. We attempt to elucidate evolutionary processes, both at the macro and micro scale, through morphological and molecular phylogenetic reconstruction and phylogeographical analyses.

I am also interested in the systematics of other wasp groups such as the cynipoids and ichneumonids and insect groups such as the Heelwalkers (Mantophasmatodea). Elucidation of patterns of wasp species richness in a spatio-temporal context and development of bioinformatics resources for Afrotropical wasps is an ongoing passion of mine (see www.waspweb.org).  

I am an avid collector, actively pursuing discovery and documentation of invertebrates. Field work in Africa has included expeditions to Mkomazi Game Reserve (Tanzania), Brandberg Massif (Namibia), Monts Doudou (Gabon), Dzangha-Sangha (Central African Republic), Kibale Forest (Uganda) and numerous excursions within southern Africa (Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa).

Afrotropical wasp diversity

A bioinformatics resource to facilitate the identification of wasps and to enable exploration of their diversity in the Afrotropical biogeographical region (Africa south of the Sahara and Madagascar and including smaller surrounding islands). Including E-typing (photographs of type specimens), identification keys, distributional and biological data.

Fig trees and fig wasps

Biology of an African gall wasp

VAN NOORT, S., STONE, G.N., WHITEHEAD, V.B. & NIEVES-ALDREY, J.L.  2007. Biology of Rhoophilus loewi (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Cynipidae), with implications for the evolution of inquilinism in gall wasps. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 153-172.

Heelwalkers (Mantophasmatodea)

PICKER, M.D., COLVILLE, J.F. & VAN NOORT, S. 2002. Mantophasmatodea now in South Africa. Science 297: 1475.

Collaboration

Matt Buffington (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA/ARS). Cynipoidea.

Jaco Greeff (University of Pretoria). Evolution of fig wasps.

Norm Johnson (Ohio State University). Platygastroidea NSF PBI project.

Emmanuelle Jousselin (INRA, France). NICE fig project – ecology and evolution of the fig and fig wasp mutualism.

Jose-Luis Nieves Aldrey (Spain). Cynipoidea, Ormyridae.

Massimo Olmi (University of Tuscia, Italy). Inventory of parasitic wasps in South Africa with a view to using species in biocontrol programs.

Jean-Yves Rasplus (INRA, France). NICE fig project – ecology and evolution of the fig and fig wasp mutualism.

Graham Stone (University of Edinburgh). Cynipidae.

Krystal Tolley (SANBI, Kirstenbosch Research Center). Evolution of the fig and fig wasp mutualism.

Current students

Michael McLeish (Postdoctoral associate). Molecular phylogenetics, co-evolution and biogeography of figs and fig wasps.

Publications

Notton, D.G., Buffington, M.L. & van Noort, S. In press. The status of the type material of Pycnostigmus rostratus Cameron (Hymenoptera, Figitidae, Pycnostigminae). Journal of Natural History.

Jousselin E., Van Noort S., Berry V., Rasplus J.Y., Rønsted N., Erasmus J.C. & Greeff, J.M.  2008. One Fig to bind them all: host conservatism in a fig wasp community unravelled by cospeciation analyses among pollinating and non pollinating fig wasps. Evolution.

JOHNSON, N. F., MASNER, L., MUSETTI, L., VAN NOORT, S., RAJMOHANA K., DARLING, D.C., GUIDOTTI, A., POLASZEK, A. 2008. Revision of world species of the genus Heptascelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Platygastridae). Zootaxa 1776: 1-51.

van Noort S., Gardiner, A.J., Tolley K.A. 2007. New records of Ficus (Moraceae) species emphasize the conservation significance of inselbergs in Mozambique. South African Journal of Botany 73: 642-649.

Lee, J. E., Slabber, S., Jansen van Vuuren, B., van Noort, S. & Chown, S. L. 2007. Colonisation of sub-Antarctic Marion Island by a non-indigenous aphid parasitoid Aphidius matricariae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Polar Biology 30: 1195-1201.

ERASMUS J. C., VAN NOORT, S., JOUSSELIN E., & GREEFF, J. M. 2007. Molecular phylogeny of fig wasp pollinators (Agaonidae; Hymenoptera) of Ficus section Galoglychia. Zoologica Scripta 36: 61-78.

BUFFINGTON, M.L. & VAN NOORT, S. 2007. A world revision of the Pycnostigminae (Cynipoidea: Figitidae) with descriptions of seven new species. Zootaxa 1392: 1-30.

VAN NOORT, S., STONE, G.N., WHITEHEAD, V.B. & NIEVES-ALDREY, J.L. 2007. Biology of Rhoophilus loewi (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Cynipidae), with implications for the evolution of inquilinism in gall wasps. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 153-172.

VAN NOORT, S. & VAN HARTEN, A. 2006. Fig wasp (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Agaonidae, Pteromalidae) species richness of Yemen. Fauna of Arabia 22: 449-472.

VAN NOORT, S., PENG, Y.Q. & RASPLUS, J.Y. 2006. First record of the fig wasp genus Diaziella Grandi (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae: Sycoecinae) from the Asian mainland with description of two new species from China. Zootaxa 1337: 39-59.

JOUSSELIN, E., VAN NOORT, S., RASPLUS J.Y., & GREEFF, J. 2006. Patterns of diversification of afrotropical otiteselline fig wasps (Pteromalidae; Chalcidoidea): evolution of host use and ecological niches. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19: 253-266.

VAN NOORT, S. & RASPLUS, J.Y. 2005. Revision of the Papua New Guinean fig wasp genus Robertsia Bouček (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae, Sycoecinae). Zootaxa 929: 1-35.

HUNTLY, P.M., VAN NOORT, S & HAMER, M. 2005. Improving the conservation value of invertebrates through ecotourism. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 35: 53-62.

VAN NOORT, S. 2004. Ichneumonid (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) Diversity Across an Elevational Gradient on Monts Doudou in South-Western Gabon. California Academy of Sciences Memoir 28: 187-216.

VAN NOORT, S. 2004. Fig Wasp (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Agaonidae, Pteromalidae, Eurytomidae & Ormyridae) and Ficus (Moraceae) Species Richness and Biogeography of Monts Doudou in South-Western Gabon. California Academy of Sciences Memoir 28: 217-233.

VAN NOORT, S. 2004. How fig trees are pollinated – the ultimate challenge. Veld & Flora  90: 13-15.

JOUSSELIN, E., VAN NOORT, S., GREEFF, J. 2004. Labile male morphology and intraspecific male polymorphism in the Philotrypesis fig wasps. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33: 706-718.

GREEFF, J., VAN NOORT, S., RASPLUS, J.-Y. & KJELLBERG, F. 2003. Dispersal and fighting in male pollinating fig wasps. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences 326: 121-130.

VAN NOORT, S. 2003. Fig wasps and the pollination of figs, pp 12-21. In Burrows, J. & Burrows, S. Figs of southern & south-central Africa. Umdaus Press, Hatfield, 379pp.

KLAUS-DIETER KLASS, MIKE D. PICKER, JAKOB DAMGAARD, SIMON VAN NOORT,  KOJI TOJO. 2003. The Taxonomy, Genitalic Morphology and Phylogenetic Relationships of Southern African Mantophasmatodea (Insecta). Entomologische Abhandlungen 61: 3-67.

ROBERTSON, H.G. & VAN NOORT, S. 2003. Effects of agricultural practices on ants and other Hymenoptera in four farming areas of South Africa. GEF Conservation Farming Project Report. Pp 1- 125.

RATSIRARSON, H., ROBERTSON, H.G., PICKER, M.D. & VAN NOORT, S. 2002. Indigenous forests versus exotic eucalyptus and pine plantations: a comparison of leaf litter invertebrate communities. African Entomology 10: 93-99.

PICKER, M.D., COLVILLE, J.F. & VAN NOORT, S. 2002. Mantophasmatodea now in South Africa. Science 297: 1475.

VAN NOORT, S. & STONE, G. 2000. Species richness, biogeography, conservation and pollination ecology of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea & Papilionoidea) in Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania.  Metamorphosis 11: 77-103.

VAN NOORT, S., PRINSLOO, G.L. & COMPTON, S.G. 2000. Hymenoptera excluding Apoidea (Apiformes) & Formicidae (Insecta) (pp. 289-364). In Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Marais, E. (eds). Dâures - biodiversity of the Brandberg Massif, Namibia. Cimbebasia Memoir 9, National Museum of Namibia, Windhoek, 1-389 pp.

RUSSELL-SMITH, A., STONE, G.N. & VAN NOORT, S. 1999. Invertebrate biodiversity of Mkomazi. In Coe, M. J., McWilliam, N. C., Stone, G. N. & Packer, M. (eds). Chapter 10: 171-184.  Mkomazi: the ecology, biodiversity and conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna. Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers), London

VILLET, M.H. & VAN NOORT, S. 1999. Cicadas (Hemiptera, Homoptera, Cicadoidea) of Mkomazi. In Coe, M. J., McWilliam, N. C., Stone, G. N. & Packer, M. (eds). Chapter 12: 223-234. Mkomazi: the ecology, biodiversity and conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna. Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers), London

MANSELL, M.W. & VAN NOORT, S. 1999. Lacewings (Neuroptera) of Mkomazi. In Coe, M. J., McWilliam, N. C., Stone, G. N. & Packer, M. (eds). Chapter 13: 235-248. Mkomazi: the ecology, biodiversity and conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna. Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers), London

LONDT, J.G.H. & VAN NOORT, S. 1999. Hangingflies (Mecoptera, Bittacidae) of Mkomazi. In Coe, M. J., McWilliam, N. C., Stone, G. N. & Packer, M. (eds). Chapter 15: 269-276. Mkomazi: the ecology, biodiversity and conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna. Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers), London

VAN NOORT, S & STONE, G. 1999. Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea & Hesperioidea) of Mkomazi. In Coe, M. J., McWilliam, N. C., Stone, G. N. & Packer, M. (eds). Chapter 17: 281-298. Mkomazi: the ecology, biodiversity and conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna. Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers), London

VAN NOORT, S. & COMPTON, S.G. 1999. Fig wasps (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera) and fig trees (Moraceae) of Mkomazi. In Coe, M. J., McWilliam, N. C., Stone, G. N. & Packer, M. (eds). Chapter 18: 299-320. Mkomazi: the ecology, biodiversity and conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna. Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers), London

VAN NOORT, S. 1999. Sasol First Field Guide to Butterflies and Moths of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 57 pp.

VOVLAS, N, TROCCOLI, A, VAN NOORT, S & VAN DEN BERG, E. 1998. Schistonchus africanus n. sp. (Tylenchida: Aphelenchoididae) associated with Ficus thonningii (Moraceae) and its pollinator wasp Elisabethiella stuckenbergi (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera). Journal of Nematology 30: 404-410.

VAN NOORT, S. 1998. The Black Witch, Ascalapha odorata (Linnaeus) (Noctuidae) visits again: an example of long distance wind dispersal. Metamorphosis 9: 93-94.

VAN NOORT, S. & RASPLUS, J.-Y. 1997. Revision of the otiteselline fig wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Agaonidae), I: the Otitesella digitata species-group of the Afrotropical region, with a key to Afrotropical species of Otitesella. African Entomology 5: 125-147.

VAN NOORT, S. 1996. Cabbage White invades southwestern Cape. Africa - Environment & Wildlife, 4(1): 13.

VAN NOORT, S. & COMPTON, S.G. 1996. Convergent evolution of agaonine and sycoecine (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidea) head shape in response to the constraints of host fig morphology. Journal of Biogeography 23: 415-424.

VAN NOORT, S. 1995. A simple yet effective method for drying alcohol preserved specimens. Chalcid Forum 18: 3-4. Reprinted (1996) in Sphecos 30: 26.

VAN NOORT, S. 1995. An association of the chrysopid Italochrysa neurodes (Rambur) (Neuroptera) with the cicada Platypleura capensis (L.) (Hemiptera). African Entomology 3: 92-94.

COMPTON, S.G., WARE, A.B. & VAN NOORT, S. 1994. African figs and fig wasps: the wasp's eye view of Ficus species. In: Seyani J.H. & Chikuni A.C. (Eds). Proceedings of the XIIIth Plenary Meeting AETFAT, Zomba, pp. 451-459.

VAN NOORT, S. 1994. Systematics of the sycoecine fig wasps (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera), V (Philocaenus concluded, generic key, checklist). Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 97: 341-375.

VAN NOORT, S. 1994. Systematics of the sycoecine fig wasps (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera), IV (Philocaenus, in part). Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 97: 311-339.

VAN NOORT, S. 1994. Systematics of the sycoecine fig wasps (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera), III (Crossogaster). Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 97: 83-122.

VAN NOORT, S. 1993. Systematics of the sycoecine fig wasps (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera), II (Sycoecus). Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 96: 449-475.

WARE, A.B., KAYE, P.T., COMPTON, S.G. & VAN NOORT, S. 1993. Fig volatiles: their role in attracting pollinators and maintaining pollinator specificity. Plant Systematics and Evolution 186: 147-156.

VAN NOORT, S. 1993. Systematics of the sycoecine fig wasps (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera), I (Seres). Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 96: 233-251.

VAN NOORT, S. 1993. The hidden world of the fig. Musenews 7(3): 1

COMPTON, S.G. & VAN NOORT, S. 1992. Southern African fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): resource utilization and host relationships. Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 95: 423-435.

COMPTON, S.G., HOLTON, K.C., RASHBROOK, V.K., VAN NOORT, S. VINCENT, S.L. & WARE, A.B. 1991. Studies of Ceratosolen galili, a non - pollinating agaonid fig wasp (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae). Biotropica 23: 188 - 194.

VAN NOORT, S., WARE, A.B. & COMPTON, S.G. 1989. Pollinator - specific volatile attractants released from the figs of Ficus burtt - davyi. South African Journal of Science 85: 323 - 324.

VAN NOORT, S. & COMPTON, S.G. 1988. Two new species of Otitesella (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae) from Ficus burtt - davyi. Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (C) 91: 419 -427.