Branham Lab Insect Systematics and Behavior
		Marc A. Branham  |  Lab Personnel  |  Awards  |  Field Research  |  Links  |  Publications  |  Popular Press
<< back to Graduate Students Jennifer M. Zaspel, Ph.D. Systematics and evolution of the vampire moths and their fruit piercing relatives using morphological and molecular data (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Calpinae) Graduate Research Assistant: Branham Lab Department of Entomology & Nematology University of Florida, P.O. Box 110620 Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Voice mail: (352) 392-1901 ext. 183 Email (replace "(AT)" with "@"): zaspel(AT)ufl.edu Curriculum vitae In general, my research in lepidopteran systematics involves comparative morphology, phylogenetic studies and revisionary taxonomy, molecular biology, and field work (primarily S. and S.E. Asia). I am also interested in systematic theory, phylogenetic methodology, and digital scientific illustration. The main focus of my dissertation is reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships of vampire moths and their fruit-piercing relatives using morphological and molecular data (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Calpini). These genera are unique in that they contain both agricultural pests and potentially medically important species. I am interested in using resulting phylogenies to conduct a comparative analysis of feeding types of these moths to determine origins of various piercing behaviors (e.g. primary fruit piercing vs. secondary fruit piercing) and test the hypothesis of a directional progression of feeding types from nectar feeding to fruit piercing and finally skin piercing and blood feeding. Links Blood-feeding and Fruit-feeding Moths of Calpini Tribe (Noctuidae), Their Phylogeny and Classification   Big Cypress Nature Preserve, October 2006 Big Cypress Nature Preserve, October 2006 Calyptra thalictri feeding on JMZ, 2006 Nepal 2005 Nepal 2005 Jennifer & Ernie St. Petersburg, FL Jennifer collecting, Russia, 2008 Jennifer collecting, Russia, 2008
Branham Lab, Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Contact the webmaster with questions or comments regarding this website.