Alison Roberts reports on Wharfedale Naturalists Webinar: ‘Bugs Britannica’ with George McGavin WE were incredibly fortunate to welcome George McGavin, renowned academic, entomologist, broadcaster and author, to speak to members of Wharfedale Naturalists on February 23. George has addressed the society in person previously, this time it was via a Zoom Webinar from his home in Berkshire. George studied Zoology at Edinburgh University, followed by 25 years as an academic at Oxford University. A career in the media followed including regular appearances on The One Show and contributions to many wildlife programmes. He travelled to many remote parts of the world to study, film and enjoy the huge spectrum of global entomology. But it was during George’s time at Oxford that he made an interesting chance discovery. Whilst trying to engage two slightly unenthusiastic students he suggested that they take a piece of bark from Wytham Woods, back to the laboratory to find out what it had to offer. An investigation by the two students resulted in a Petri dish of assorted bugs which rather surprisingly, since this is one of the most researched pieces of woodland in the world, included a hitherto unknown species of wingless midge. George fortunately spotted this just as the students were about to tip the contents of the dish down the sink!