Research in my laboratory focuses on the role of hydrodynamics and larval behavior in determining the spatial distribution of invertebrates in aquatic systems. Though often poorly understood, flow can be one of the most important environmental factors determining these distributions.
Currently, we are studying larvae of the black fly Simulium tribulatum. Relying on fast flow for food, safety from predators, and transportation, this aquatic life-stage of a terrestrial fly is particularly sensitive to hydrodynamic conditions in its stream habitat. Recent work has determined that the use of silk threads, similar to those produced by spiders, can influence how these larvae are transported downstream. These threads not only increase their ability to settle in regions of preferred fast flow, but may also facilitate emigration from regions with unsuitably slow flow. Future research will determine how the silk is produced, used, and under what conditions it is most effective.
Our second area of research is looking at the ecology and biology of an invasive fruit fly known as the spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) which has spread across the country in recent years affecting fruit crops such as blueberries and raspberries. My lab, working with the McRobert lab here at SJU, is investigating the dispersal, lifecycles, population genetics, and overwintering of this agricultural menace.
