Lowly Sweat Bee Provides Way of Life for Prof. Michner
Rv Dolores Orman
To some people the sweat bee is merely an irritating pest.
To Charles Michener, professor of entomology, the sweat bee is more. It is a subject for scientific research and study.
For Prof. Michener, whose interest is in the evolution and behavior of bees, the choice of the sweat bee as a special subject of study was a logical one.
"Sweat bees bridge the gap between solitary and social life," he said. "It is the only group which has such a rich spectrum of farms and nests."
PROF. MICHENER was not always interested in sweat bees, but for most of his 45 years he has been interested in some phase of biology.
Prof. Michener's interest in science was aided by his home environment in Pasedena, Calif. His father, an electrical engineer, took part in a bird migration program in Pasedena concerned with trapping and banding birds.
Painting pictures of the plants of California was Prof. Michener's first interest.
MICHENER'S INTERESTS changed later from plants to insects.
"After awhile I had just about drawn most of the common plants in the area, and it was becoming difficult to find new plants.
"By the time I was in high school I knew I wanted to be a professional entomologist and teach school," Prof. Michener said.
"The only professional entomologist I knew were teachers." he said.
Prof. Michener explained his occu-
national decision.
In high school he enrolled in zoology and botany courses.
Prof. Michener's interest in bees also began when he was in high school.
"IN OUR YARD there was a very small cute yellow and black bee which appeared quite often," he explained. "I didn't know whether it was a bee or a wasp."
Prof. Michener said his puzzlement over the bee-like creature in his yard led to the beginning of his collection of bees and their relatives.
A bee specialist from the University of Colorado, T. D. A. Cockerell, visited California and invited Prof. Michener to study in his laboratory during the summer.
Reflecting on his work with Cock-erell, he said he did not admire the professor's methods or technique of classification.
"HE WAS NOT particularly good, but he got me started," Prof. Michener said. "He did too much too soon, and he made careless errors."
When, Prof. Michener entered the University of California, he learned that the zoological courses he had taken in high school were geared for college credit.
As a result of his early occupational specialization, Michener said he "had a lot of broadening to do." But he said "Young people should be encouraged in special interests when they are young," he said.
The logical approach is to pursue
a broad interest study and then specialize later, he said.
"I THINK IT IS a tremendous advantage to get interested in something when you are young," said the entomology professor. "You can remember things so much easier at an early age."
Plus Foghorn Leghorn Cartoon
Prof Michener wrote about 15 research papers as an undergraduate. He was graduated Phi Beta Kappa
He was graduated Phi Beta Kappa
from college in $ 3 \frac{1}{2} $ years and obtained his Ph.D. two and a half years later, in 1941.
Wednesday, May 22,1963 University Daily Kansan Page5
Prof. Charles Michner
After earning his Ph.D Michener went to work at the American Museum of Natural History in New York for six years. Three of those years he spent in the Army as a medical entomologist studying the problems of malaria.
PROF. MICHENER and his wife co-authored a book on the Social insects—ants, bees, wasps, and termites.
At the museum Prof. Michener was curator of the butterflies and moths.
During his years in the war, Prof. Michener spent a year and a half in Mississippi studying mosquito control. He also spent some time in Panama studying scrub typhus, a
Prof. Michener said every natural historian and biologist should acquire experience in the tropics. Many intricate types of specimens develop in such areas.
disease borne by chiggers.
SPEAKING OF bees, Prof. Michener said, "In almost every instance when several bees live together in a nest, even if their are only two or three, there will be an establishment of caste."
Contrary to general opinion bees are very plastic in their nest structure, Prof. Michener said. He pointed out that regardless of the type of physical environment the bees will create the same nest pattern. The genus of the sweat bee can be identified by the unique nest structure.
Prof. Michener said even though they may appear to be externally identical some are workers, some are egg lavers, and queen bees.
PROF. MICHENER added that some bees do not become socialized irrespective of the nest structure.
During his stay at Parana University, Brazil in 1955-1956 under a Guggenheim Fellowship, Prof. Michener did taxonomical work with a specialist on South American bees.
While in Australia in 1958-1959, Prof. Michener discovered a very different genus of sweat bees. They lived in hollowed out pithy stems of plants," he said.
Prof. Michener was chairman of the entomology department for 12 years here. Two years ago he was named a distinguished professor. He said now he has more time for research.
He is pleased with the prospect of working with more graduate students as a result of his being designated a distinguished professor.
"WHEN YOU CAN arrange it so you get paid for doing what you like to do, it's a nice arrangement," he smiled.
Also an entomologist, his wife received her bachelor's degree in that field. She is editor of the Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. Prof. Michener is editor of international journal "Evolution."
Prof. Michener and his wife have three sons and a daughter. Two sons attend KU. David is a senior and Daniel, a freshman.
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