The first Cambridge Entomological Club meeting of the year will take place Tuesday, October 11th at 7:30 in the Gilbert Room of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and online on Zoom HERE. Mayra Vidal of UMass Boston’s Department of Zoology will speak on the Ecology and Evolution of Interactions Between Insect Herbivores and Plants. Nature can be seen as an ‘intertwined web of interactions’, where species directly or indirectly influence each other. Interactions between different species can drive the evolution of traits and potentially lead to the formation of new species, thus contributing to the diversity of organisms we have on Earth. Insect herbivores are one of the most diverse groups of organisms, and the interaction with their host plants is arguably a major driver of their diversification. In this talk, Mayra will explore how host plants and natural enemies influence the evolution of a generalist herbivore, and how global environmental changes affect the interaction between insect herbivores and their host plants.
For those able to attend in person, the Club will have an informal dinner at 5:45 pm at Cambridge Common Restaurant with the speaker, followed by our formal meeting (7:30 – 9:00 pm) in the Gilbert Room (there will be signs to help direct). The meeting will begin with club announcements, followed by a 60-minute presentation by the invited speaker and Q&A. Membership is open to amateur and professional entomologists.
