Insect Agroecology and Evolution Lab

Here is a new article published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, as part of the Special Issue: Ecology and Evolution of Plants under Domestication in the Neotropics/

Back to the Origin: In Situ Studies Are Needed to Understand Selection during Crop Diversification

Yolanda H. Chen¹, Lori R. Shapiro^2,3, Betty Benrey⁴ and Angélica Cibrián-Jaramillo^5*

“In situ ecological studies are an essential, but almost completely
unexplored line of inquiry for evolutionary ecologists to
understand the selective forces that contribute to local adaptation
of landrace varieties.”

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2017.00125/full

We are excited to welcome new graduate student Jorge Ruiz Arocho to the lab! Jorge will be studying anthropogenic effects of crop domestication and cultivation on arthropod biodiversity in Mexico.

We are also pleased to host Prof. Leena Lindström, from the University of University of Jyväskylä, Finland this fall! Prof. Lindström is supported on a Fulbright Fellowship to study how sub-lethal doses of imidacloprid influence the evolution of insecticide resistance in Colorado potato beetle.

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