Incumbent is a Research Entomologist in the Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL), Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Northeast Area, with a duty station at the U. S. National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Washington, D. C. Incumbent’s primary assignment is research on systematics of agriculturally important parasitic wasps of the superfamily Chalcidoidea. This research falls under National Program 304, Crop Protection and Quarantine, Component I, Systematics and Identification, Problem Statement 1A, Insects and Mites. Chalcidoid wasps include both beneficial biocontrol agents and plant pests (~26,000 known, ~500,000 undescribed species worldwide). Incumbent plans and conducts research on taxonomy, phylogeny, biodiversity and biology of chalcidoid wasps, and collaborates and publishes with scientists internationally and nationally. Incumbent is responsible for the identification of chalcidoids and ants submitted by Federal, State and foreign research and action agencies, other researchers, and the general public. The incumbent is curator of the Chalcidoidea collection at the NMNH, consisting of over 700,000 specimens, including over 3,000 primary types. This collection, the largest in the world, is essential for research and identification responsibilities, and is used extensively by researchers worldwide.

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• O’Loughlin, Brendan, Brandão-Dias, Pedro F. P., Gates, Michael W., and Egan, Scott P. 2024. "Description of a new species of Chrysonotomyia Ashmead from Houston, Texas, USA (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae)." ZooKeys, 1212 241–254. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1212.127537. 2024
• Gibson, Gary A. P., Uriel, Yonathan, Sherwood, Jade, Abram, Paul K., Gariepy, Tara D., Zhang, Y. M., Baur, Hannes, Gates, Michael, and Franklin, Michelle T. 2024. "The species of Pteromalus Swederus in America north of Mexico with a 4:4 mandibular formula, and description of a potential biocontrol agent of the introduced pest Anthonomus rubi (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)." Zootaxa, 5501, (2) 201–236. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5501.2.1. 2024
• Santos, Bernardo F., Miller, Meredith E., Miklasevskaja, Margarita, McKeown, Jaclyn T. A., Redmond, Niamh E., Coddington, Jonathan A., Bird, Jessica, Miller, Scott E., Smith, Ashton, Brady, Sean G., Buffington, Matthew L., Chamorro, M. Lourdes, Dikow, Torsten, Gates, Michael W., Goldstein, Paul, Konstantinov, Alexander, Kula, Robert, Silverson, Nicholas D., Solis, M. Alma, de Waard, Stephanie L., Naik, Suresh, Nikolova, Nadya, Pentinsaari, Mikko, Prosser, Sean W. J., Sones, Jayme E. et al. 2023. "Enhancing DNA barcode reference libraries by harvesting terrestrial arthropods at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History." Biodiversity Data Journal, 11. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e100904. 2023
• Blaimer, Bonnie B., Santos, Bernardo F., Cruaud, Astrid, Gates, Michael W., Kula, Robert R., Mikó, István, Rasplus, Jean-Yves, Smith, David R., Talamas, Elijah J., Brady, Seán G., and Buffington, Matthew L. 2023. "Key innovations and the diversification of Hymenoptera." Nature Communications, 14, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36868-4. 2023
• Chao, Yi-Min, Lin, Sheng-Feng, Gates, Michael W., and Yang, Man-miao. 2023. "Occurrence and biocontrol potential of parasitoids on lychee cecid pest, Litchiomyia chinensis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)." Biocontrol Science and Technology, 33, (5) 397–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/09583157.2023.2174250. 2023
• Campos-Moreno, Diego, Gates, Michael W., Zhang, Y. M., Pérez-Lachaud, Gabriela, Dyer, Lee A., Whitfield, James B., and Pozo, Carmen. 2022. "Aximopsis gabrielae sp. nov.: a gregarious parasitoid (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) of the skipper Quadrus cerialis (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) feeding on Piper amalago in southern Mexico." Journal of Natural History, 56, (1-4) 173–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2022.2025940. 2022
• Abram, Paul K., Wang, Xingeng, Hueppelsheuser, Tracy, Franklin, Michelle T., Daane, Kent M., Lee, Jana C., Lue, Chia-Hua, Girod, Pierre, Carrillo, Juli, Wong, Warren H. L., Kula, Robert R., Gates, Michael W., Hogg, Brian N., Moffat, Chandra E., Hoelmer, Kim A., Sial, Ashfaq A., and Buffington, Matthew L. 2022. "A Coordinated Sampling and Identification Methodology for Larval Parasitoids of Spotted-Wing Drosophila." Journal of Economic Entomology, 115, (4) 922–942. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toab237. 2022
• Monroe, Allison F., Hubbard, Sierra C., Rodriguez, Reynol, Kuhns, Faith M., McClung, Maureen R., Moran, Matthew D., and Gates, Michael W. 2022. "Biodiversity of Parasitic Hymenoptera Across Sky Islands of Arkansas, United States." Environmental Entomology, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvac059. 2022
• Zhang, Yuanmeng M., Sheikh, Sofia I., Ward, Anna K. G., Forbes, Andrew A., Prior, Kirsten M., Stone, Graham N., Gates, Michael W., Egan, Scott P., Zhang, Linyi, Davis, Charles, Weinersmith, Kelly L., Melika, George, and Lucky, Andrea. 2022. "Delimiting the cryptic diversity and host preferences of Sycophila parasitoid wasps associated with oak galls using phylogenomic data." Molecular ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16582. 2022
• Zhang, Y. Miles, Gates, Michael W., Hanson, Paul E., and Jansen-Gonzalez, Sergio. 2022. "Description of a Neotropical gall inducer on Araceae: Arastichus, gen. nov. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) and two new species." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 92 145–171. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.92.85967. 2022
• Cortez Jr, Amado O., Chu, Cheng-Lung, Broadley, Hannah J., Lo, Yong-Sin, Chen, Yu-Chun, Gates, Michael W., Meyerson, Laura A., Hoelmer, Kim A., Gould, Juli R., and Hwang, Shaw-Yhi. 2022. "Exploratory surveys in Taiwan of the roseau cane scale Nipponaclerda biwakoensis Kuwana (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) and its associated parasitoids." Journal of Applied Entomology, https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.12982. 2022
• Mottern, Jason L., Stocks, Ian, and Gates, Michael W. 2021. "A New Species of Comones Noyes and Woolley (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a Parasitoid of Flat Grass Scale, Aclerda Takahashii Kuwana (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae), a New Pest on Sugarcane in Florida." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 123, (1) 136–146. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.1.136. 2021
• Ruiz-Montiel, C., Gonzalez-Perez, J. S., Valdez-Carrasco, J., Lomeli-Flores, J. R., Gates, M. W., Franco-Mora, O., and Castaneda-Vildozola, A. 2021. "Correcting the Identity of a EurytomidWasp Associated with Black Sapote Fruits in Mexico with New Distributional Records and Notes on its Biology." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 123, (2) 437–442. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.2.437. 2021
• Johnson, Todd D., Buffington, Matthew L., Gates, Michael W., Kula, Robert R., and Talamas, Elijah. 2021. "Deployment of Aggregation-Sex Pheromones of Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Facilitates the Discovery and Identification of their Parasitoids." Journal of chemical ecology, 47, (1) 28–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-020-01238-7. 2021
• Zhang, Y. Miles, Gates, Michael W., Silvestre, Rogerio, and Scarpa, Manuela. 2021. "Description of Kavayva, gen. nov., (Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) and two new species associated with Guarea (Meliaceae), and a review of New World eurytomids associated with seeds." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 86 101–121. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.86.71309. 2021
• Lingbeek, Brandon, Roberts, Dana, Elkner, Timothy, Gates, Michael W., and Fleischer, Shelby J. 2021. "Phenology, Development, and Parasitism of Allium Leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae), a Recent Invasive Species in the United States (vol 50, pg 878, 2021)." Environmental Entomology, 50, (4) 1006–1006. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvab067. 2021
• Rasplus, Jean-Yves, Blaimer, Bonnie B., Brady, Sean G., Burks, Roger A., Delvare, Gerard, Fisher, Nicole, Gates, Michael, Gauthier, Nathalie, Gumovsky, Alex, V., Hansson, Christer, Heraty, John M., Fusu, Lucian, Nidelet, Sabine, Pereira, Rodrigo A. S., Saune, Laure, Ubaidillah, Rosichon, and Cruaud, Astrid. 2020. "A first phylogenomic hypothesis for Eulophidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)." Journal of Natural History, 54, (9-12) 597–609. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2020.1762941. 2020
• Cooke-Mcewen, Crystal and Gates, Michael W. 2020. "Contributions to Disholcaspis Dalla Torre And Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini)." Zootaxa, 4859, (3) 355–382. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4859.3.3. 2020
• Buffington, Matthew L., Garretson, Alexis, Kula, Robert R., Gates, Michael W., Carpenter, Ryan, Smith, David R., and Kula, Abigail A. R. 2020. "Pan trap color preference across Hymenoptera in a forest clearing." Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 169 298–311. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13008. 2020
• Vyas, Dhaval K., Paul, Ryan L., Gates, Michael W., Kubik, Tristan, Harvey, Jeffery A., Kondratieff, Boris C., and Ode, Paul J. 2020. "Shared enemies exert differential mortality on two competing parasitic wasps." Basic and Applied Ecology, 47 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2020.04.007. 2020
• Gates, Michael W., Zhang, Y. Miles, and Buffington, Matthew L. 2020. "The great greenbriers gall mystery resolved? New species of Aprostocetus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) gall inducer and two new parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) associated with Smilax L. in southern Florida, USA." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 80 71–98. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.80.59466. 2020
• Cruaud, Astrid, Delvare, Gerard, Nidelet, Sabine, Saune, Laure, Ratnasingham, Sujeevan, Chartois, Marguerite, Blaimer, Bonnie B., Gates, Michael, Brady, Sean G., Faure, Sariana, van Noort, Simon, Rossi, Jean-Pierre, and Rasplus, Jean-Yves. 2020. "Ultra-Conserved Elements and morphology reciprocally illuminate conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses in Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)." Cladistics, https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12416. 2020
• Lake, E. C., Kula, R. R., Gates, M. W., Smith, M. C., Minteer, C. R., and Tipping, P. W. 2019. "The First Pupal Parasitoids of Neomusotima conspurcatalis Warren (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a Biological Control Agent of Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br. (Polypodiales: Lygodiaceae) in Florida." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 121, (2) 314–319. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.121.2.314. 2019
• Chuang, Angela, Gates, Michael W., Grinsted, Lena, Askew, Richard, and Leppanen, Christy. 2019. "Two hymenopteran egg sac associates of the tent-web orbweaving spider, Cyrtophora citricola (Forskål, 1775) (Araneae, Araneidae)." Zookeys, (874) 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.874.36656. 2019
• Cornelius, Mary L., Vinyard, Bryan T., and Gates, Michael W. 2019. "Use of Flowering Plants to Enhance Parasitism and Predation Rates on Two Squash Bug Species Anasa tristis and Anasa armigera (Hemiptera: Coreidae)." Insects, 10, (10) Article 318. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10100318. 2019
• Adamski, David, Kula, R. R., Gates, M. W., Torrens, J., Fidalgo, P., and Buffington, Matthew L. 2018. "Immature Stages of Scrobipalpula patagonica Povolny, 1977 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae: Gnorimoschemini), a Gall Inquiline of Suaeda divaricata Moq. (Amaranthaceae) in Argentina with a Summary of its Parasitoids." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 120, (4) 659–669. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.120.4.659. 2018
• Gates, Michael W., Torrens, J., Fidalgo, P., Kula, R. R., Buffington, M. L., and Adamski, David. 2018. "The Gall Associates of Asphondylia poss. swaedicola Kieffer & Jörgensen (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Suaeda divaricata Moq. (Amaranthaceae) in the Semiarid Argentina and Summary of Parasitic Hymenoptera Associated with Suaeda Worldwide." Neotropical Entomology, 47 598–609. 2018
• Gates, M. W., Torrens, J., Fidalgo, P., Kula, R. R., Buffington, M. L., and Adamski, D. 2018. "The Gall Associates of Asphondylia poss. swaedicola Kieffer & Jorgensen (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Suaeda divaricata Moq. (Amaranthaceae) in the Semiarid Argentina and Summary of Parasitic Hymenoptera Associated with Suaeda Worldwide." Neotropical Entomology, 47, (5) 598–609. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-017-0557-4. 2018
• Morin, Hillary D., Mikó, István, and Gates, Michael. 2017. "A New Species of Ormocerus Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) from North America and a Range Expansion for Ormocerus latus Walker." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 119, (4) 619–628. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.119.4.619. 2017
• Buffngton, Matthew L., Prasifka, Jarrad R., Gates, Michael W., Kula, Robert R., and Peterson, Kelsey. 2017. "New Host Plant and Distribution Records for Antistrophus laciniatus Gillette, 1891 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), an Herb Gall Wasp on Silphium integrifolium Michx. (Asteraceae), with Notes on Other S. integrifolium-Associated Wasps." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 119, (4) 660–666. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.119.4.660. 2017
• Kula, Robert R., Gates, Michael W., Buffington, Matthew L., and Harms, Nathan E. 2017. "Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) Associated with Sagittaria latifolia Willd. and Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J. G. sm. (Alismatales: Alismataceae) in the Nearctic Region." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 119, (2) 215–227. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.119.2.215. 2017
• Branstetter, Michael G., Danforth, Bryan N., Pitts, James P., Faircloth, Brant C., Ward, Philip S., Buffington, Matthew L., Gates, Michael W., Kula, Robert R., and Brady, Seán Gary. 2017. "Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution of Stinging Wasps and the Origins of Ants and Bees." Current Biology, 27, (7) 1019–1025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.03.027. 2017
• Cornelius, Mary L., Buffington, Matthew L., Talamas, Elijah J., and Gates, Michael W. 2016. "Impact of the Egg Parasitoid, Gryon pennsylvanicum (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), on Sentinel and Wild Egg Masses of the Squash Bug (Hemiptera: Coreidae) in Maryland." Environmental Entomology, 45, (2) 367–375. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvv228. 2016
• Owens, David, Nuessly, Gregg S., and Gates, Michael. 2015. "Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) as a potential natural enemy of maize-infesting Ulidiidae." The Florida Entomologist, 98, (1) 276–279. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.098.0145. 2015
• Banks, Ashley and Gates, Michael. 2015. "A New Distribution Record for Mestocharis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in North America." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 117, (4) 519–521. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.117.4.519. 2015
• Gates, M. W. 2014. "Nomenclatural Notes on the Eurytomids (Chalcidoidea: Eurytomidae) Described by Jean BrÈthes Housed in Museo Argentino De Ciencias Naturales "bernardino Rivadavia"." Zootaxa, 3790 185–193. 2014
• Heraty, John M., Burks, Roger A., Cruaud, Astrid, Gibson, Gary A. P., Liljeblad, Johan, Munro, James, Rasplus, Jean-Yves, Delvare, Gerard, Jansta, Peter, Gumovsky, Alex, Huber, John, Woolley, James B., Krogmann, Lars, Heydon, Steve, Polaszek, Andrew, Schmidt, Stefan, Darling, D. C., Gates, Michael W., Mottern, Jason, Murray, Elizabeth, Dal Molin, Ana, Triapitsyn, Serguei, Baur, Hannes, Pinto, John D., van Noort, Simon et al. 2013. "A phylogenetic analysis of the megadiverse Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)." Cladistics, 29, (5) 466–542. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12006. 2013
• Buffington, Matthew L. and Gates, Michael W. 2013. "The Description of Paramblynotus delaneyi (Hymenoptera: Liopteridae), a New Species from Joshua Tree National Park." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 115, (4) 358–368. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.115.4.358. 2013
• Seltmann, Katja, Yoder, Matthew, Miko, Istvan, Forshage, Mattias, Bertone, Matthew, Agosti, Donat, Austin, Andrew, Balhoff, James, Borowiec, Marek, Brady, Seán Gary, Broad, Gavin, Brothers, Denis, Burks, Roger, Buffington, Matthew L., Campbell, Heather, Dew, Kelly, Ernst, Andrew, Fernandez-Triana, Jose, Gates, Michael, Gibson, Gary, Jennings, John, Johnson, Norman, Karlsson, Dave, Kawada, Ricardo, Krogmann, Lars et al. 2012. "A hymenopterists’ guide to the Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology: utility, clarification, and future directions." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 27 67–88. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.27.2961. 2012
• Gates, Michael W. and Pérez-Lachaud, Gabriela. 2012. "Description of Camponotophilus delvarei, gen. n. and sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eurytomidae), with Discussion of Diagnostic Characters." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 114, (1) 111–124. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.114.1.111. 2012
• Boughton, Anthony J., Kula, Robert R., Gates, Michael, Zhang, Yalin, Nunez, Melissa, O'connor, Jaqui, Whitfield, James B., and Center, Ted D. 2012. "Parasitoids Attacking Larvae of a Recently Introduced Weed Biological Control Agent, Neomusotima conspurcatalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae): Key to Species, Natural History, and Integrative Taxonomy." Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 105, (6) 753–767. https://doi.org/10.1603/AN11157. 2012
• Low, Candace, Scheffer, Sonja J., Lewis, Matthew L., and Gates, Michael W. 2012. "The relationship between variable host grouping and functional responses among parasitoids of Antispila nysaefoliella (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae)." Molecular Ecology, 21, (23) 5892–5904. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.12061. 2012
• Pech, Louis L., Gates, Michael W., and Graham, Tim B. 2011. "Dirhinus texanus (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) from Utah." The Southwestern Naturalist, 56, (2) 275–276. https://doi.org/10.1894/N08-JC-42.1. 2011
• Mena-Correa, J., Sivinski, J., Anzures-Dadda, A., Ramirez-Romero, R., Gates, Michael W., and Aluja, M. 2010. "Consideration of Eurytoma sivinskii Gates and Grissell, a eurytomid (Hymenoptera) with unusual foraging behaviors, as a biological control agent of tephritid (Diptera) fruit flies." Biological Control, 53, (1) 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2009.03.019. 2010
• Gates, Michael W. 2009. "A new species of Aximopsis sensu lato Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) parasitic on Euglossa spp. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)." ZooKeys, (20) 165–174. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.20.137. 2009
• La Salle, John, Arakelian, Gevork, Garrison, Rosser W., and Gates, Michael W. 2009. "A new species of invasive gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae) on blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) in California." Zootaxa, (2121) 35–43. 2009
• Gates, Michael W. 2008. "Description of Khamul, gen. n. (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eurytomidae), with a hypothesis of its phylogenetic placement." Zootaxa, (1898) 1–33. 2008
• Huber, John T., Gibson, Gary A. P., Bauer, Leah S., Liu, Houping, and Gates, Michael W. 2008. "The Genus Mymaromella (Hymenoptera: Mymarommatidae) in North America, with a Key to Described Extant Species." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 17, (2) 175–194. 2008
• Gates, Michael W. and Smith, David R. 2007. "Endobia donacis Erdos (Hymenoptera : Eurytomidae) newly reported from the Western Hemisphere, and a review of the genus." Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 109, (4) 868–871. 2007
• Rowley, D. L., Coddington, Jonathan A., Gates, Michael W., Norrbom, Allen L., Ochoa, Ronald, Vandenberg, Natalia J., and Greenstone, M. H. 2007. "Vouchering DNA-barcoded specimens: test of a nondestructive extraction protocol for terrestrial arthropods." Molecular Ecology Notes, 7 915–924. 2007