Insect Agroecology and Evolution Lab

Chase Stratton, Elisabeth Hodgdon, and Kristian Brevik have all advanced to candidacy! Now for the serious work to start happening.

Sean Quigley just found out that he was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship!

Given that Sean is only a Freshman at this, I can only imagine what he will be doing by Senior year. Way to go Sean!

A new midge species has been found attacking canola flowers in the Canadian provinces Alberta and Saskatchewan. The midge is from the genus Contarinia, the same genus as the swede midge (Contarinia nasturtii).

Here is a press release:

http://saskcanola.com/news/new-insect-species-canola

Clubes de Ciencias are science clubes sponsored by the Mexican government to engage undergraduate students in topical short summer workshops with researchers. With Lori Shapiro (Harvard) and Angelica Cibrian (Langebio), we taught a short course at Langebio on crop domestication and insect-plant interactions. We had tons of fun!

Los Clubes de Ciencias son apoyados del gobierno de Mexico para involvar estudiantes en talleres con investigadores. Con Lori Shapiro (Harvard) y Angelica Cibrian (Langebio), enseñamos un curso a Langebio sobre domesticación y interacciónes entre insectos y plants. Nos divertimos!

Lori discussing with the class on the geographic origins of the major food crops.

Cristhian looking for insects.

Pinning butterflies back in the lab.

A group photo of the class with Lori (in the back), me, and Angelica (butterfly shirt)!

WCAX (Channel 3)  visited the lab to cover the developing swede midge story. Undergrads Laurel, Robin, and Phoebe also got on tv! Here is Laurel getting filmed.

Link to the story