Biology Seminar Series Dr. Erica Westerman University of Arkansas Butterfly communication/phenotypic plastic

“Mechanisms of preference diversity: From genes by environment to behavior “

Picking a mate is a key biological process across a wide range of species, and animals exhibit great diversity in what traits they use during the mate selection process and what they find attractive. Here, the Westerman lab uses a range of genetic, developmental, and behavioral techniques to uncover mechanisms driving mate preference diversity, using butterflies as a model system.

Dr. Westerman has spent the last 15 years studying butterfly behavior and genetics, and utilizes both butterfly facilities and natural and semi-natural environments, such as Woolsey Wet Prairie and the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks. She is interested in butterfly diversity, and the mechanisms underlying behavioral diversity, with a focus on butterfly visual behavior.