The SYFO team was represented at Kostelecké inspirování 2025 by Pia Rabischong, Amir Murat, and Alesiia Soifer, who presented their research in the fields of systematic and forensic entomology. The conference provided a valuable opportunity to share their results, receive feedback from the audience, and gain inspiration for their future work.
Pia Rabischong presented her research on the development of Calliphora vicina, one of the earliest colonizers of human remains and an important species in post-mortem interval estimation. Her preliminary results showed that developmental rate is influenced not only by temperature, but also by the geographic origin of the populations studied. Her presentation was awarded second place for Best Poster, which is a great achievement for our team.
Amir Murat presented new data on necrophagous beetles from southeastern Kazakhstan. His research provided important insights into the diversity of these species in a region that remains insufficiently studied and included rare taxa such as Nicrophorus reichardti and the first record of Saprinus austerus in Kazakhstan. These findings highlight the importance of further faunistic and ecological research in Central Asia.
Alesiia Soifer introduced her work on the molecular phylogeny of the genus Thanatophilus. Using available sequence data and a preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on the COI gene, her study offers an initial view of relationships within this ecologically important group of carrion beetles and lays the groundwork for broader molecular analyses in the next phase of the project.
The conference gave our students not only valuable feedback, but also new ideas and fresh motivation for their work. They appreciated the friendly atmosphere, the lively discussions, and the audience’s thoughtful questions, which pushed them to see their research from a broader perspective. We would like to thank the organizers for such an inspiring event and already look forward to the next edition.
