A trailblazing entomologist and her cave cricket legacy

In this talk, Dr Perry Beasley-Hall introduces cave ecosystems and how Aola Richards’ remarkable – and at times, rather unusual – research has shaped our understanding of their unique biodiversity. Also speaking on the revival of Richards' work using modern-day molecular techniques and what this has taught us about Australia's cave cricket fauna.

The Aola Richards Sydney Insect Hub was established this year to support excellence in insect research, but its remarkable story began overseas almost 100 years ago. Dr Aola Richards (1927-2021) was a pioneering entomologist and the first woman in New Zealand to be awarded a PhD in biological science.

Richards was interested in caves – specifically, the diversity of cave insects. Far from being devoid of life, caves can act as “time capsules” that preserve ancient species otherwise unable to thrive above ground. In New Zealand, one such group is the cave crickets, spider-like relatives of the iconic flightless wētā. To collect data for her doctorate in entomology, Richards spent weeks alone in the Waitomo Caves, often in complete darkness and only with water rats, ten-inch spiders, and the spindly cave crickets for company.

This unusual start to a career culminated in a move to Australia, where Richards found herself working in a field with very few women entomologists. She also became singlehandedly responsible for documenting the country’s enigmatic cave cricket fauna. The legacy of Richards' research has recently been continued at Adelaide University, where taxonomists have drawn on her insights to uncover new cave cricket species using DNA data.

This talk is presented by the Chau Chak Wing Museum and the Aola Richards Sydney Insect Hub in conjunction with Adelaide University, Massey University, Australian Biological Resources Study, Australian Speleological Federation, Invertebrates Australia, and The Australian Museum.