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M.Sc. Cristina Vasilița

Profilbild Cristina Vasilita

Doctoral candidate and GBOL Project Manager

Hymenoptera

Contact

Tel.:
0711/8936-219
Fax:
0711/8936-100
E-Mail:
cristina.vasilita(at)smns-bw.de

Research profile

My main research interest is the integrative taxonomy and evolution of parasitoid wasps in the Scelionidae and the newly defined Sparasionidae family (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea). As one of the basal groups of Platygastroidea, Sparasionidae displays a range of peculiar internal and external morphological traits which may serve as a clue for the unveiling of early evolution of Platygastroidea. The studying of scelionid wasps, however, is targeted towards incorporating them in programs of biological control of agricultural pests. My focus is to expand the understanding and knowledge we possess on these two groups by combining performant imaging techniques (CLSM, microphotography, micro-CT) with a molecular approach.

German Barcode of Life III: Dark Taxa

Publications

submitted

  • Vasilița, C., Popovici, O.A., Talamas, E., Johnson, N., Masner, L., Tortorici, F., Fusu, L. (2021). Molecular analysis reveals Latonius planus Kononova to be a derived species of Trissolcus Ashmead. Journal of Hymenoptera Research.

2021

  • Awad. J., Vasilița, C., Krogmann, L. (2021). The rare beetle egg parasitoid Platystasius transversus (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae: Sceliotrachelinae), a new genus and species record for Germany. Insecta Mundi, 0886, 1–5.
  • Awad, J., Vasiliţa, C., Wenz, S., Alkarrat, H., Zimmermann, O., Zebitz, C., & Krogmann, L. (2021). New records of German Scelionidae (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea) from the collection of the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart. Biodiversity Data Journal, 9, e69856.
  • Redlarski, A. J., Klejdysz, T., Kadej, M., Meyza, K., Vasilița, C., & Oleksa, A. (2021). Body Remains Left by Bird Predators as a Reliable Source for Population Genetic Studies in the Great Capricorn Beetle Cerambyx cerdo, a Veteran Oak Specialist. Insects, 12(7), 574.

2020

  • Vasilita, C., & Popovici, O. A. (2020). The first case of reduced wings in Trissolcus Ashmead, 1893 (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea). North-Western Journal of Zoology, e207201.
  • Corduneanu, C., Balan, C. D., Vasiliţa, C., & Popovici, O. A. (2020). The noctuid moth Xylomoia graminea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) new to the Romanian fauna. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa”, 63, 255.

2019

  • Spiridon, A. G., Viciriuc, M., Vasilița, C., Pintilioaie, A., & Popovici, O. (2019). Two genera of platygastroids (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea) new to the Romanian fauna. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa”, 62, 213.

Scientific presentations

2021

  • Vasilița, C., Moser, M., Krogmann, L. (2021). Optimizing the barcoding protocol in Ceraphronoidea within GBOL III: Dark Taxa project. Annual Scientific Conference of Biology Students, Iași, 5th edition.

2020

  • Vasilița C., Popovici O.A., Talamas E., Johnson N., Masner L., Tortorici F., Fusu L. (2020). A rare genus calls into question the morphological monotony of Trissolcus. International Society of Hymenopterists (virtual).
  • Vasilița, C. (2020). Cryptic species identification using molecular markers in Trissolcus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea). International Scientific Student Symposium, Chișinău, 24th edition.
  • Vasilița, C., Popovici, O., Talamas, E., Fusu, L. (2020). Cryptic species in Trissolcus (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea). Annual Scientific Conference of Biology Students, Iași, 4th edition.

2019

  • Vasilița, C., Popovici, O., Fusu, L. (2019). Reanalysis of the molecular phylogeny of Telenominae (Hymenoptera). Scientific symposium of Biology students. ARS DOCENDI, Bucharest, ISSN 2559 – 396X.
  • Vasilița, C., Popovici, O., Fusu, L. (2019). On the position of Latonius in the molecular phylogeny of the Telenominae subfamily (Hymenoptera). Annual Scientific Conference of Biology Students, Iași, 3rd edition.

2018

  • Vasilița, C., Popovici, O., Masner, L., Polaczek, A. (2018). A revision of the European species of Baeoneurella Dodd (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Annual Scientific Conference of Biology Students, Iași, 2nd edition.

CV

since 2021

  • Doctoral candidate at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Department of Entomology (Krogmann lab). Dissertation title: Early evolution of basal Platygastroidea.

2019-2021

  • Master of Science in Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology (Research Group in Invertebrate Diversity and Phylogeny), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, Iași, Romania. Thesis Coordinators: Dr. Lucian Fusu and Dr. Ovidiu Popovici, Thesis title: Molecular analysis reveals eight cryptic species in one: redefining Trissolcus semistriatus (Platygastroidea: Scelionidae).

Internships and research stays

  • August 2021 Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: Digitization of Kononova's type collection.

  • February – May 2021 Erasmus+ Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, Germany: Methods of integrative taxonomy in Platygastroidea.

  • October – December 2020 Erasmus+ Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, Germany: Methods of integrative taxonomy exemplified by hyperdiverse insect groups.

  • July – September 2018 Erasmus+ University of Kazimierz Wielki, Bydgoszcz, Poland: Practical Training in Population Genetics.

     

     

Memberships

  • International Society of Hymenopterists (ISH) 
  • Research Group in Invertebrate Diversity and Phylogeny 

Scientific awards

  • 1st place,  Annual Scientific Conference of Biology Students, Iași, 4th & 5th editions, 2020 & 2021.
  • 1st place, International Society of Hymenopterists (virtual), 2020.
  • 1st place, Scientific symposium of Biology students, Bucharest, 2019.
  • 2nd place,  Annual Scientific Conference of Biology Students, Iași, 2nd & 3rd edition, 2018 & 2019.