Nocturnal visitor to the UV light - a sphinx moth!

Moria Robinson | PI

I am a community ecologist and educator fascinated by insects on plants. I get particularly excited about native caterpillars, and much of my research uses these diverse and charismatic organisms to explore basic evolutionary and ecological processes. As a faculty member at a land-grant institution and with a great love for Great Basin ecosystems, I seek to develop knowledge relevant for conservation and management in sagebrush steppe, shrubland, and riparian habitats. See the “research” page for more on lab projects, and “native caterpillars” to learn more about some of the organisms we study.
moria.robinson(at)usu.edu
Google Scholar | CV |

Jakob Palmer | Graduate student

Jakob is interested in studying plant-insect interactions, particularly antagonistic interactions. His current research investigates how plants use volatile chemical blends to attract natural enemies of insect attackers. His other interests include outdoor recreation, jiu-jitsu, cooking, and being a cat dad! Jakob is currently working on his MS in the lab.
jakob.palmer(at)usu.edu (email)

Ryan Stuart | Graduate student

Ryan is interested in the intersection of plant-animal and plant-fungi interactions, mycorrhizal influence on plant tolerance and restoration ecology, and drivers of plant and insect community composition. He also enjoys trail/ultra running, baking, art, and music. Ryan is currently working on his PhD in the lab.
ryan.stuart(at)usu.edu (email)
@rstu525 (instagram)

Mia Stevens | Graduate student

Mia is interested in studying how plants interact with their pollinators along with their herbivores and how disturbance can affect these interactions. In their free time, she likes to explore the great outdoors, knit, and make yummy baked goods. Mia will be working on their PhD starting in the Fall, and is co-advised by the Robinson and Rushworth Labs.
mia.stevens(at)usu.edu (email)

Anna Billings | Undergraduate Researcher

Anna is interested in pollination interactions between plants and insects as well as the impacts of agriculture on natural plant and insect communities. She is excited to learn more about native caterpillars and moths. Anna loves to be outside in many forms, including hiking, running, and climbing trees. She also loves to play the piano and will graduate in May with her bachelor’s in music and biology.
anna.billings(at)usu.edu

Peanut & Farley | Lab mascots

We’ve been trying to train Peanut and Farley to sniff out caterpillars, but they have yet to be convinced. So far Peanut prefers rabbits, and Farley is too busy avoiding thistles to the nose.

Collaborators

Sharon Strauss (UC Davis)

Sharon thinks a lot about evolution of plants and plant-insect interactions. Most recently, we have collaborated on questions related evolution of protective coloration in caterpillars. She is also a 2023 inductee into the National Academy of Sciences - bravo, Sharon!

David Wagner (UCONN)

Dave is Lepidopteran systematist and caterpillar aficionado. Some of the larvae we collect and photograph will be in Dave’s upcoming field guide to Caterpillars of the Western United States! Check out a recent article in the New Yorker profiling Dave’s work and race to document these ecologically foundational organisms in an era of global insect decline.

Kevin Keegan (Carnegie Museum of Natural History); Kathy Toll (USC); Eric LoPresti (USC)

Kevin demystifies moth identification; Kathy inspires us to think about the molecular basis of plant traits; and Eric reminds us that there is an experiment for everything.

Marjorie Weber (U. Michigan)

Marjorie studies plant-insect interactions and the evolution of mutualism at the University of Michigan. She also inspires for her dedication to making science a more diverse and inclusive space. She was also recently named a Top-10 Scientist to Watch by Science News magazine - Bravo, Marj!

Micah Freedman (UBC)

Micah studies plant-insect interactions; evolution of plant chemical defense (and insect response); and the evolution of monarch migration. He will be on his way to a faculty job soon - stay tuned!

Sam Jaffe (The Caterpillar Lab)

Sam is a force for caterpillars. He created and runs The Caterpillar Lab, a non-profit in New Hampshire focused on education, outreach, and study of native moth and butterfly larvae. Sam’s photographs are an incredible resource to all who admire the diversity of caterpillar form.

Lin Jiang (Georgia Tech)

Lin asks fundamental questions in community ecology using protists in the lab and plant communities in the field. Current collaborations relate herbivory to plant temporal stability, using data from a globally-distributed experiment (The Nutrient Network).