Staff
Senior Museum Scientist
and Head of Department
Ashley H. Kirk-Spriggs M Phil ashley [dot] kirk-spriggs [at] nasmus [dot] co [dot] za
Dipl. App. Ins. Taxon. (Cardiff); M. Phil. (Cardiff)
Ashley began his career as an Entomologist in 1986 as Curator of Coleoptera at the National Museum & Gallery of Wales, United Kingdom. He then moved to Namibia where he was the Curator of Entomology at the National Museum of Namibia in Windhoek, also serving as editor of Cimbebasia (Scientific peer-reviewed journal of the National Museum of Namibia) and Cimbebasia Memoirs. He served as National Phytosanitary Consultant for the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) from 2004–2005. In Grahamstown, South Africa, he became Curator of Entomology and Head of Department at the Albany Museum for three years, after which he moved to the National Museum as Curator of Entomology and Head of Department at the end of 2008. He is currently registered for a PhD at the Department of Zoology & Entomology, Rhodes University.
Ashley’s research interests are systematics, taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography and evolution of true flies (Diptera), with special emphasis on the Curtonotidae and other Ephydroidea, the immature stages and biology of acalyptrate Diptera in general and biogeography and insect biodiversity projects in southern Africa.
Ashley received a C2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2009 and is a Research Associate at the University of the Free State as well as at the National Museum of Namibia, Windhoek.
Ashley has traveled far and wide in the interest of his work. He has extensive field experience in South-east Asia, including three months participation on ‘Project Wallace’ (1985) in Sulawesi, Indonesia, studying rice pests and their natural enemies; field research on rainforest biodiversity and the ecology of dung-inhabiting beetles in Peninsula Malaysia and East Malaysia (Sabah) and Brunei (1987, 1991, 1992) and Indonesia (Sulawesi, Ternate, Bacan (1985), Ambon, Kai, Banda & Aru Islands (1994)). He also has extensive field experience in southern African countries, including Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe & Zambia, as well as Kenya and Madagascar.
Ashley enjoys the films of the 1930s British comedian and music hall star Will Hay (1888–1949), the Goon Show, Asian cookery, Natural History and English literature.
Research Assistant
Vacant