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The Ohio State University

Life Sciences Education

Steve Chordas


Professor Steve Chordas

Biography:

In addition to teaching for IBP, I am a full time Public Health Entomologist for the Ohio Department of Health. We primarily do surveillance and testing for Vector-Borne Diseases in Ohio. We track outbreaks or incidence of diseases like West Nile Virus, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, you know – the fun stuff! Anything you can get from an arthropod, we are interested in investigating and testing them to see if the disease is present in the vectors in Ohio. My research interests are primarily with Aquatic Insects. In particular with Hemiptera "Bugs", Odonates "Dragonflies" and Coleoptera "Beetles". I study taxonomy, biogeography, toxicology, community ecology and diversity. Identification manuals for Ohio are in the works for these groups of aquatic insects. I am currently in the process of describing 2 new species of Hemiptera. The terrestrial Hemiptera have also begun to grab my attention and I now have several projects involving the land bugs!!

Academic Background:
  • B.S. Zoology, Arkansas State University – 1989
  • M.S. Aquatic Biology, Arkansas State University – 1992
  • Ph.D. Environmental Science, Ohio State University – 2000
Recent Publications:
  • Chordas, Steve W. III and Richard Stewart Jr. (In Press). Synopsis of the backswimmers (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) of New Hampshire. Northeastern Naturalist.
  • Polhemus, Dan A. and Steve W. Chordas III. (In Press). A new species of Rhagovelia (Hemiptera: Veliidae) from Mexico. Journal of the New York Entomological Society.
  • Chordas, Steve W. III., Eric Chapman, Pat Hudson, Margret Chrisinski. 2002. New Midwestern state records of aquatic Hemiptera (Corixidae, Notonectidae). Entomological News. 113(5):310–314.
  • Watters, G.Thomas, Scott O'Dee and Steve W. Chordas III. 2001. Patterns of vertical migration in freshwater bivalves. Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 16(4):541–550.
  • Chordas, Steve W. III. 2001. Synopsis of the genus Buenoa (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) From Ohio. Entomological News. 112(5):326–330
  • Chapman, Eric, Steve W. Chordas III and Robert Glotzhober. 2000. Aberrant wing pigmentation in Libellula luctuosa (Odonata) from Ohio. Great Lakes Entomologist. 32(4):243–246.
Book Chapters:
  • Chordas, Steve W. III. 2002. Chapter 9: The Lestidae (Spreadwings). In: R.C. Glotzhober and D. McShaffery editors, The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Ohio. Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series. Volume 14(2). 364 pages.
Hobbies:

Numismaticsm, SCUBA (I worked as a professional diver for Arkansas State for 2 years before starting my Ph.D. at Ohio State), Bugs and Bug Collecting – of course. Autoracing, Cooking (Italian style foods, chicken wings – YUMM, and Grillin favorites), Football (Ohio State & Cleveland Browns – favorite teams). I am also a soccer official, in my 7th year!