HISL

Ph: 517-256-1894 • Dept. of Bacteriology UW-Madison, 4325 Microbial Sciences, 1550 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706 •

Ecology, evolution and taxonomy of bark and ambrosia beetles (Scolytinae), especially the fungus-farming and inbred group Xyleborina:

Ecology of tropical bark and ambrosia beetles. In the course of my collaboration with Biantang Research Center I established and managed a project investigating the host specificity, community structure and beta-diversity of the tropical bark and ambrosia beetles. The project is based on the work of parataxonomists, and is yielding significant datasets ( http://www.entu.cas.cz/png/ ).
Evolution and systematics of the haplodiploid inbred Xyleborina ambrosia beetles. In the Holistic Insect Systematics Laboratory at MSU I am working on the generic revision of the subtribe and on revision of certain genera ( http://www.hisl.ent.msu.edu).
Relationships between scolytids and their associated microflora. The communities of fungal symbionts of tropical ambrosia beetles seem to be unexpectedly diverse, and, contrary to the contemporary paradigm, show little specificity to their beetle associates. Notably, some of the most phylogenetically derived beetles rely on symbiont theft.
Relationships between the populations of temperate bark beetles (especially the palearctic Spruce bark beetle Ips typographus ), their predators and host trees, with special focus on the semiochemical basis of these interactions.