Author Archives: stireman

Caterpillars in the Middle!

A new edited volume is coming out that is focused on the ecological interactions of caterpillars, their host plants, their mutualists, and their enemies. Robert Marquis and Suzanne Koptur (the editors) have collected chapters on a diverse array of topics … Continue reading

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The enigmatic tachinid, Pelamera atra

Today a paper headed by Silvia Gisondi (a graduate student in Italian tachinid expert Pierfilippo Cerreti’s lab) is now available. It describes the first male of the unusual European tachinid, Pelamera atra, and, based on molecular phylogenetic data (see tree … Continue reading

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Molecular phylogeny of World Tachinidae

I have been quite lax in providing updates and posts to the Stireman lab website. Hopefully, I will be able to devote time to it in the future. A number of publications have come out of the Stireman lab since … Continue reading

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Adaptive radiation from the top down

Finally, the last paper stemming from Jeremy Heath’s PhD research has been published in The American Naturalist! This is a super-cool paper illustrating the importance of natural enemies (parasitoids in this case) in driving the adaptive diversification in their gall … Continue reading

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Mini-review of the “other” parasitoids

Stireman (me) was recently invited to write a mini-review of the community ecology of non-hymenopteran parasitoids for the journal Current Opinion in Insect Science. This was a difficult task as the review was supposed to focus on recent (last 5 … Continue reading

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Ph.D. student opportunity: ecology, evolution, and systematics of tachinid flies

I am currently seeking a Ph.D. student to join my laboratory studying the evolution and ecology of parasitoid flies. While the specific focus of the dissertation research is negotiable, the research assistantship will require contributing to a collaborative, NSF/Brazil(FAPESP) funded … Continue reading

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Master Karen Pedersen

Congratulations are in order! WSU master’s student Karen Pedersen has successfully defended her thesis research on: LIMITATIONS OF HOST PLANT USE IN TWO ANDEAN ALTINOTE (NYMPHALIDAE, HELICONIINAE, ACRAEINI), BUTTERFLIES, FROM A TRITROPHIC PERSPECTIVE. In this research project, Karen tried to … Continue reading

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Ghosts of the cloud forest – 11 new species of Erythromelana (Tachinidae)

Although MS student Diego Inclan successfully defended his thesis more than two years ago, the focus of his research was published this year: Inclan, D.J. & Stireman, J. O. III. 2013. Revision of the genus Erythromelana Townsend, 1918 (Diptera: Tachinidae) … Continue reading

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Yard insects

Just a few recent photos from my yard (click for larger images)

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It’s not just what’s in the field, it’s what’s around it

I have taken a long hiatus from posting any news or other items on here (for no particularly good reason) and I thought I might try to do some catching up on news from the lab. In the next several … Continue reading

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