the lord lab

Our lab, based in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University, focuses on insect systematics and visual systems evolution, specializing in beetles. 

We are fundamentally interested in what drives diversity, from the molecular level all the way through interactions among individuals across populations. Our current research lies at the interface of systematics, evolutionary biology, and visual ecology, and employs elements of genomics, phylogenetics, bioinformatics, physiology, and biochemistry. 

In particular, we are interested in the systematics and evolution of color within the charismatic and economically important family Buprestidae — the Jewel Beetles. Our research aims to understand a major biological process — vision — by investigating the relationships between body color, visual pigment protein structure and variability, and lineage diversity within this spectacular group. 

Meet The Team