The Scientific and Methodological Department of Entomology at the Federal State Budgetary Institution "VNIIKR" was established in 1992 to prevent the possible introduction of dangerous organisms into the Russian Federation that pose a threat to Russian forests.
The department employs 11 specialists in entomology, forest phytopathology, and phytohelminthology.
Main Focus Areas
Improving the structure and composition of the List of Quarantine Pests.
Conducting pest risk analysis for plant pests.
Developing and improving methods for identifying and diagnosing quarantine pests—insects and other arthropods. Developing diagnostic protocols for plant pests included in the List of Quarantine Pests.
Developing and improving methods for identifying and diagnosing quarantine pests—insects and other arthropods. Developing diagnostic protocols for plant pests included in the List of Quarantine Pests. Developing recommendations for quarantine and phytosanitary measures in outbreaks of quarantine plant pests.
Conducting scientific research on phytosanitary issues.
Developing draft documents for Rosselkhoznadzor assignments.
Collaborating with the Regional Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) and other international organizations in the field of phytosanitary control.
Providing advanced training for specialists at Rosselkhoznadzor's territorial offices and reference centers.
Participating in phytosanitary monitoring across the Russian Federation. Carrying out unscheduled assignments from Rosselkhoznadzor.
The department operates an entomology museum, which houses a rich collection from various regions of Russia and many foreign countries, including such exotic species as Brazil, Vietnam, Rwanda, and many others. The collection is constantly being expanded with quarantine and non-quarantine pest species, as well as representatives of closely related taxa. Leading specialists in the relevant groups, both Russian and international, have been and continue to be involved in the identification of entomological material.
The museum is creating various reference collections that are essential for training specialists from branches of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "VNIIKR" and other organizations subordinate to Rosselkhoznadzor, as well as for assisting specialists in expert assessments and scientific research. Based on the study of the collection material, various specialists have published a number of articles, including descriptions of species new to science, the reference specimens (paratypes) of which are deposited in our museum.
Strong ties have been established with many domestic and international specialized scientific organizations, including the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, Moscow State Pedagogical University, the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Geneva Museum of Natural History (Switzerland), and many others.
Furthermore, the department includes a decontamination group.
