February’s meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Society will be held Tuesday the 10th at 07:30 PM in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Dr. Tanya Renner is visiting from the University of Arizona and will tell us about Genomic Insights into Multi-species Interactions: Molecular Evolution, Form, and Function.

From carnivorous plant enzymes that digest insect prey, to bombardier beetles (below)  that have obligate associations with ants and spray defensive compounds up to 100 degrees C, evolution has played an integral role in the co-option of preexisting genes, driving the emergence of new functions that define the traits we see today. We will explore these processes in the context of natural history, examining the evolution of a plant lineage’s ability to digest insect exoskeletons, the chemosensory system in paussine ant nest beetles, and emerging data on the enzyme precursors that are responsible for the bombardier beetle’s explosive blast.

Dr. Renner describes her research: “The goal of my research is to examine the patterns and processes of evolution and functional diversification at the molecular level. I am particularly interested in how multi-species interactions shape biodiversity at the microevolutionary scale and influence form and function.”  You can find her lab at San Diego State University at http://www.tanyarenner.org/

The meeting is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided and you are also welcome to join us at 6:00 pm for an informal pre-meeting dinner at Cambridge Common.