I am a MS student in Dr. Lord’s lab investigating the structural color and taxonomy of jewel beetles in the genus Chrysochroa.

 

I completed B.S. in Entomology from University of Florida, where I conducted an undergraduate research project on the analysis of firefly flash patterns under the guidance of Dr. Marc Branham. I joined the Lord Lab in 2018 to pursue a Master’s degree concentrated on the taxonomy and systematics of jewel beetles with special focus on the investigation of jewel beetle structural color.

 

Though jewel beetles are known for their striking coloration, their color characters have not been thoroughly investigated. My research focuses on objectively codifying color as a taxonomic character and utilizing it in combination with morphological characters to produce a taxonomic revision of subgenus Chrooxantha Hołyński 2009 (Buprestidae: Chrysochroini: Chrysochroa).

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        Please see a poster presentation of my preliminary research here.