Armin Moczek, professor and chair of the Department of Biology at Indiana University Bloomington, has been selected as the 2026-2027 Alfred M. Boyce Lecturer in Entomology by the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside.
The annual honorary lecture was established in honor of Al Boyce, a renowned entomologist, and recognizes an internationally prominent scientist who has made impactful contributions to the field of entomology.
As part of the June 1, 2026 event honoring Boyce, Moczek will present his research on the developmental and evolutionary origins of novel complex traits, drawing from his work on horned beetles and other insects.
The Moczek lab at IU Bloomington examines the genetic, developmental, and ecological mechanisms by which novel traits originate, such as exaggerated secondary sexual traits to the ability to utilize recalcitrant food sources.
In his presentation, titled “On the origins of novelty and diversity in development and evolution: insights through the study of horned beetles,” Moczek will provide an overview of recent key discoveries by members of his research team, and how these findings expand current understanding of the nature of innovation in evolution.
Past Boyce Lecturers include May Berenbaum, Gene Robinson, Bernd Heinrich, Nancy Moran, James Truman, Daniel Simberloff, and Moczek’s master’s thesis advisor Bert Hölldobler.
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