Drosophila Suzukii Population Collection: A Tool For Integrating Evolutionary Principles Into Pest Management

Heritable genetic variation is the foundational material which environmental pressures act upon to drive the evolution of a population. Current pest management research often fail to account for this variation and by doing so make the development of pest management strategies difficult. As such, a significant challenge in current agricultural research is integrating population genomics and evolutionary principles into pest management decisions. The goal of this proposed project is to examine genetic and phenotypic variability of Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophilla suzukii), an invasive pest to North America, across a latitudinal gradient, determine how and to what extent genetic variation is related to variation in key ecological traits, and, ultimately, generate effective pest management recommendations based on this relationship. My objectives are three-tiered: 1) sample individuals from populations across the Eastern half of the US and generate isofemales lines to provide snap shots of the genetic variability across a latitudinal gradient, 2) examine key ecological traits including thermal tolerance and insecticide resistance across all lines, and 3) perform genome sequencing on all lines to detect links between environmental, genotypic, and phenotypic variability. While engaged in the above project I will take steps to expand my pedagogical toolkit by attending University sponsored workshops on effective teaching and mentoring, and apply those developed skills in both the classroom as a guest lecturer and the laboratory as a mentor to undergraduate researchers. With the support of this proposed project I will complete my transition into an independent scholar and leader within the agricultural sciences This file MUST be converted to PDF prior to attachment in the electronic application package.