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Nutritional ecology of a native insect adapting to exotic invasive plant
The native mustard white butterfly is adapting to garlic mustard, an exotic, invasive plant that is very attractive to egg-laying female butterflies, but which kills many caterpillars. This "evolutionary trap" is mediated by the attraction of egg-laying female butterflies to plant chemicals, but the unsuitability of the plant for many of the caterpillars. More recently, there is evidence that the mustard white is evolving an escape from this "evolutionary trap." We have found that caterpillars show widely variable growth responses to garlic mustard ranging from early death (from starvation due to a feeding deterrent?) to slow growth (6 weeks versus the more usual 2.5 weeks) to rapid, robust growth. This project will collect data on nutritional assimilation indices to examine differences between families of the mustard white that appear to be completely adapted to the new plant, and others whose performance is less stellar. Some field work in Boston and western MA, some weekend work. |
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summer 2009 possibly beginning as early as late May |
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Biology 14 or equivalent; interest in working with butterflies and caterpillars |
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Assist design of experiments and their implementation; assist fieldwork to obtain butterflies and plants. |
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| Ecology |
| Insect-Plant interactions |
| Invasive species |
| Evolutionary adaptation |
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