Poulami Saha

Dr. Poulami saha Myself Poulami Saha and I have been working as lecturer in the Department of Zoology, Balurghat College, West Bengal, India since 2008. I have done my Ph.D. from The University of Burdwan on “BIOSYSTEMATICS OF CERATOPOGONINAE NEWMAN (DIPTERA: CERATOPOGONIDAE) FROM NORTHERN PLAINS OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA”. I have been working on Ceratopogonidae since 2012 and handled them from field to laboratory conditions. During this journey I collected the adults and also immature stages of biting midges, reared them, studied them and placed them taxonomically up to species level. From my investigation I have identified 12 new species of biting midges from different genera of Ceratopogonidae. This group not only involves some important pollinators of different groups but includes potent vectors of cattle and ecologically and as well as agriculturally important insect genera also. Seasonal and temporal abundance of some genera in different types of fields have also been studied at selected areas of West Bengal. Now I want to explore the field of barcoding of Culicoides and as well as other genera associated with cattle and agricultural systems and for that I am searching for a laboratory with such facilities. Not only that, I am also interested in other blood sucking Diptera and medically important insect groups. Study of molecular taxonomy, phylogenetics, mode of transmission by vector species and their ecological association with other insects are my prior interests.