ABOUT ME
I am a Research Entomologist with the USDA and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural history. Currently my research focuses on comparing aphid genomes to understand their feeding behavior.
During my PhD I studied the beetle family Lampyridae, better known as fireflies or lightning bugs. I am investigated the differences in sexual signaling between flashing and non-flashing fireflies. Using both phylogenetic and morphological methods I aimed to answer the questions of why do some fireflies flash while some do not and how do they use visual and chemical cues to find mates.
Why Fireflies?
Fireflies are perhaps the most well-known bioluminescent insect group. Their flashing displays mesmerize all who observe them. As adults fireflies uses bioluminescent flashes to signal for mates; however, not all adult fireflies flash. So how do they find love? Non-flashing fireflies primarily use pheromones, species specific perfumes, to find mates. The most interesting aspect about firefly signaling is that over the millions of years that fireflies have existed species have switched back and forth between the flashing and non-flashing systems. This example of convergent evolution leads fireflies to be a prime study group for the evolution of sexual signaling.
Flash or Smell?
Insects use a variety of different methods to take in information from their environment. Antennae, one of the major insect sensory organs, are covered with a variety of hair or rod like structures that each intake a different type of information. These sensory hairs or sensilla can intake touch, temperature, taste, and smell information. Non-flashing fireflies use smell receptors to intake pheromones during mate search and selection; however, it is not known if flashing fireflies use these sensors to smell their mates’ perfumes. My research plans to address these and other questions about firefly sexual signaling.
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