Nocturnal visitor to the UV light - a sphinx moth!

Moria Robinson | she/her | PI

I am a community ecologist and educator fascinated by insects that eat 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 “natural history” to learn more about some of the organisms we study.
moria.robinson(at)usu.edu
Google Scholar | CV |

Jakob Palmer | Graduate student

I currently study the ways in which varying levels of drought stress differentially impact the performance of generalist versus specialist herbivores. I am particularly interested in how disparities in performance are driven by differences in plant secondary metabolites across varying levels of drought stress. To investigate these questions I am conducting greenhouse experiments using Nicotiana attenuata as well as the herbivores Manduca sexta and Spodoptera exigua.
jakob.palmer(at)usu.edu (email)

Ryan Stuart | he/him | Graduate student

Ryan is interested in the intersection of plant-microbe interactions and invasion ecology. Specifically, how invasive plants disrupt the mycorrhizal symbionts of native conifers. He also enjoys trail/ultra running, baking, art, and music. Ryan started his PhD in 2023.
ryan.stuart(at)usu.edu (email)
@rstu525 (instagram)

Mia Stevens | they/them | Graduate student

Mia is studying how plants interact with pollinators and herbivores, specifically how these interactions are shifted by hybridization and disturbance. In their free time, they explore the great outdoors, knit, and annoy their cat Dalea. Mia is working on their PhD and started the Fall 2023. They are co-advised by the Robinson and Rushworth Labs.
mia.stevens(at)usu.edu (email)

Anna Billings | Graduate student

Anna is interested in the interactions between herbivory and pollination and the impacts of global change. Her current research focuses on how pollinators are affected by herbivory across elevation. Anna loves to hike, ski, run, and make music at the piano. She is currently working on her MS and is co-advised by the Robinson and McCabe labs.
anna.billings(at)usu.edu

Emily Burgess | Graduate student

Emily is a PhD student interested in understanding the impacts of climate change on species interactions. Her dissertations research is centered on investigating how differential phenological responses and shifts in abiotic conditions interact to shape floral microbiomes. Emily also enjoys knitting, reading, and spending time outside with her pup.
emily.burgess(at)usu.edu

Cadie Andrew | Undergraduate research assistant

Cadie is interested in many ecological interactions, from the community scale to microbial/plant interactions. She is curious about the natural world and loves studying insects and plants! Outside of school and work, she enjoys hiking, camping, art, reading, and travelling. She is currently finishing her undergraduate degree in Forest Ecology and Management.

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.

Lab alumni

Alysia Butters | Undergraduate researcher Alysia is a recent graduate from Utah state with her bachelors in human biology! She has aspirations of studying medicine and is planning to apply to medical schools this spring. She grew up in Ogden, UT playing competitive soccer and just finished her collegiate career playing for the USU womens team! Besides soccer, her other hobbies include baking, spending time outdoors, and being with her friends and family.

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).

Photo gallery

2024

Lots of science and fun (and fun science!) was had this year. Mia, Ryan, and Jakob completed their first field seasons and lab experiments; rabbitbrush common gardens were planted; the lab welcomed new graduate students Anna and Emily, and undergraduate researchers Cadie and Brighton; and said farewell to graduating USU senior Alysia, on to a career in the medical field. The lab shared some memorable good times themed around The Very Hungry Caterpillar - in crochet and pumpkin form!

2023

The lab opened its doors this year! Incoming lab members spent the summer doing research before beginning their graduate degrees in the Fall. Mia studied urban evolution of plants in the upper midwest; Ryan and Jakob collected and reared caterpillars from rabbitbrush in the Great Basin. Seeds from rabbitbrush populations across the West were collected for a collaborative common garden project.