RESEARCH:
I have conducted a number of experiments to test the effects of Fluon
®
PTFE as a treatment for black panel traps to increase catches
of cerambycid beetles. Traditionally Fluon has been used in
insectaries and behavioral studies because it leaves a slippery
surface, rendering it difficult for insects to manuever, however there
is little research using it in the field. Our Fluon treated traps
captured 14 times the number of cerambycid beetles compared to the
untreated traps.
I am currently studying cross-attraction among cerambycid
beetles.
(R*)-3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, is an
important component, or the sole
component, of aggregation pheromones for many species in the
subfamily Cerambycinae. We often get a variety of species to our
pheromone traps, which made us wonder if this is a product of the
synthetic pheromone blend. I conducted a study to compare trap
catches of cerambycids to natural pheromone (i.e. from live beetles)
versus synthetic pheromone blend. We confirmed cross-attraction
amgonst two species in the tribe Clytini , Neoclytus m. mucronatus and Xylotrechus colonus.
I also studied the relationship between tree stress and attack by
wood-boring
beetles in the family Cerambycidae. There is a bit of a “chicken
and the egg” issue with this relationship. Which came first, the
stress or the beetles? Did the stressed tree attract the beetles
or did beetles cause the tree to be stressed? I started a project
using dendrochronology to
catalog the history of beetle attacks in
individual trees. Long horned beetles exit the tree through a
hole they chew through the bark. The following year the tree will
grow over this hole, leaving a distinct change in the growth
rings. I am working with the black locust borer, Megacyllene robiniae, which is the
only wood borer to attack living black locust trees in this area,
making it an ideal candidate for this study. I could not
find a relationship between the number of beetle attacks and the growth
rate of the tree, however I did find the number of beetle attacks has
been steadily rising over the past 5 years.
I have served as the Outreach Coordinator for the EGSA,
which took me to
area
schools
and
events
to educate and fascinate elementary students with live insects
and our “wow” collections. The insects sell themselves, but I've
also been working on developing insect lessons that teachers can
incorporate into their curriculum.
ABOUT ME:
I received my M.S. in Forest Ecology and Management from Michigan Technological University in
2005,
working with Dr.
Andrew Storer. My research focused on chemical communication
amongst two different species of bark beetles, Dendroctonus simplex and Ips pini. I established an
emerald ash borer detection survey for the state of Michigan.
Prior to that I
worked in the education department of the Field
Museum and volunteered in Bulgaria with the Peace Corps.