Planning for the 2023 National Entomology Insect Expo is well underway with only a few exhibitor places remaining. Expo Director Bert Candusio said today that the enthusiasm and excitment for this years event has been fabulous and it looks as if the 2023 Expo will be much bigger and better than last years.

Many new and exciting exhibitions will be on show to the public over the 3 days of September 22nd to 24th and some displays are arriving from as far as Queensland, Western Australia and New Zealand!

One of our intrepid students has collected an unusual example of the relatively little known ant genus Pseudoneoponera.

This genera of ants is comprised of less than 20 species and ranges from India to Australia. The genus is notable for the unusual foamy defensive secretions its workers exude from the sting, for its small colonies, and for its unusual social systems, including the frequent occurrence of gamergates.

Workers of Pseudoneoponera are distinguished from other ponerine ants by their combination of robust build, coarse sculpturing, shaggy pilosity, obsolete metanotal groove, a nodiform petiole which is semicircular in dorsal view and often has a denticulate posterodorsal margin, longitudinally striate tergite A3 (rarely otherwise sculptured), and strong gastral constriction between A3 and A4.

Pseudoneoponera most closely resembles Bothroponera and Phrynoponera, and to a lesser extent Ectomomyrmex, but these genera lack the shaggy pilosity, semicircular denticulate petiole, and longitudinally striate tergite A3 of Pseudoneoponera, and Pseudoneoponera lacks the spinose propodeum (except Pseudoneoponera bispinosa), five-spined petiolar node, and unconstricted gaster of Phrynoponera, and the small eyes, angular sides of the head, divided mesopleuron (except in a few species), and weakly constricted gaster of Ectomomyrmex.

The Bendigo Community Bank Gisborne will again become a Major Sponsor of the 2023 National Entomology Insect Expo with a Sponsorship Donation towards this years event. Last years Expo drew large crowds from throughout the Macedon Ranges Shire district including hundreds of visitors across Victoria and interstate. This also included visitors from outside Australia.

The Bendigo Community Bank of Gisborne is delighted to sponsor the 2023 National Entomology Insect Expo and believes our project provides a significant benefit to the local community and they are proud to continue to support this important and major event in 2023.

THANK YOU BENDIGO COMMUNITY BANK GISBORNE!!

With the rapid registration of new exhibitors for this years 2023 National Entomology Insect Expo, and with last years exhibitors all keen to be involved at this years event, the C.V.R.I.C is looking at the potential senario that Buffalo Sports stadium in Woodend may not be large enough a venue to host the Expo by 2024, and the Expo is only into its second year!!.

This potential situation needs to be planned for just in case it eventuates, so the group has decided to plan ahead. The only venue capable of hosting the Expo in 2024 and beyond without having to re-locate out of the region in future years is the massive New Gisborne Sports Complex which is currently under construction.
This facility has an internal exhibition area equivalent to 6 full basketball courts and will be well over 6 times the indoor area of Buffalo Stadium.

C.V.R.I.C has become the first to book and lock the new centre for the September 2024 National Entomology Insect Expo in order to permanently remain in the Macedon Ranges.

Here is the promotional You Tube video of the new facility in New Gisborne...enjoy.

New Gisborne Sports Complex