Funded by the National Science Foundation

Fiji Staff -

Alipate Raikabula

Alipate Rakabula, or Pate for short, is the youngest member of the parataxonomist team. A native to Waitoga Village on the island of Nairai, Pate now lives in the Suva area with his mother, father, brother, and three sisters. After graduating from Nasinu Secondary School, Pate joined the Wildlife Conservation Society and began his work on insect collection and sorting.

Although Pate has traveled around the islands of Vanua Levu, Gau, and Levuka, conducting an extensive survey of litter-dwelling arthropods, his favorite trip was to Waivudawa on Viti Levu with a crew from WCS and Lami Village. The trail-blazing trekking was some of the toughest in Fiji, taking a full day to cover only three kilometers in the bush. In order to unwind from the hard days behind and gain courage for the days yet to come, the gang drank plenty of kava every night staying up late, talking, and telling jokes.

Pate’s favorite job so far has been sorting insects in the lab. His favorite target taxa are the syrphid flies on account of their distinct wing venation. Pate is as much a superstar on the rugby field as he is in the lab. Even at his young age, Pate plays for the Nasinu rugby team where he holds the dangerous position as eighth man in the scrum, and is also considered to be one of the better players in Fiji.

This page last revised 17 July 2005