EEB Thursday Seminar Series - Global range expansion and niche breadth evolution in an iconic insect species

This event is part of our ongoing Thursday Seminar Series.

About this seminar: Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are famous for their long-distance migration and reliance on milkweed (Asclepias spp.) host plants in North America. Over recent evolutionary history, monarchs have expanded their geographic range and can now be found in locations from Australia to Puerto Rico to Morocco. In contrast to their migratory ancestors, nearly all recently-established monarch populations have ceased seasonal migration and instead breed year-round on a restricted assemblage of milkweeds, some of which are evolutionarily novel host plants. In this seminar, I will highlight my research into the history of the monarch’s global range expansion, the causes and consequences of migration loss, and population-level differences in physiology associated with divergent host plant use. I will also discuss ongoing research that uses chemical fingerprinting methods to understand patterns of host plant use in monarch butterflies from western North America.