Paul De Luca Obituary, Death – We mourn the loss of Dr. Paul De Luca, a treasured friend of The Bahamas, The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, and The Bahamas National Trust, with great grief as we celebrate the occasion of his departure today. In the year 2000, when he began teaching at what was then known as the College of the Bahamas, Dr. De Luca made his initial trip to The Bahamas. It was at this period that he developed a deep affection for the islands. After completing his doctoral studies at the University of Missouri, where he researched the communication patterns of treehoppers,

he went back to his alma mater, the University of the Bahamas. Dr. De Luca took great pleasure in passing on his expertise on insects to not just his pupils but also his other researchers. as well as acting as a role model for a large number of up-and-coming naturalists in The Bahamas. Dr. De Luca was also responsible for conducting insect inventories at the Levy Preserve, where he documented more than 330 different kinds of invertebrates. Because to his study,

a previously unknown species of katydid that has been given the name Erechthes levyii has just been discovered. The most recent research that Dr. De Luca worked on was a study of the insects that live in The Bahamas. The goal of this study was to compile a list of the insects that are endemic to the islands. This list will be used to guide future conservation efforts in the nation. This effort, which will be released after his passing, will be his final contribution to scientific knowledge.

Dr. De Luca cherished his time in the Bahamas and felt most at home when he was free to explore the outdoors and hunt for insects. Everyone who knew him will miss his wisdom, knowledge, and the way he was passionate about the natural world and biology. The BNT would like to express its deepest condolences to Dr. Kristen Brochu, his wife; his family; his friends; his colleagues; and his pupils.