‪(937) 369-0653‬
hello@samdavisphd.com

pieris virginiensis

December 31, 2022
Evaluating threats to the rare butterfly, Pieris virginiensis

This is my full dissertation, available to anyone who wants it. Of note, there's really only two chapters that are unpublished: the introduction, which was my research proposal heavily modified; and one article that we just couldn't get published on greenhouse experiments. Everything else is in its more final form in the journals where we […]

Read More
December 31, 2022
Range, genetic diversity and future of the threatened butterfly, Pieris virginiensis

This was the final paper from my dissertation that I directly authored, and it was one of my favorites, because I started learning mapping with this paper! I used climate models (worldclim data) to develop suitability maps for the rare West Virginia White butterfly. I then combined that data with genetic diversity data that I […]

Read More
December 31, 2022
How environmental conditions and changing landscapes influence the survival and reproduction of a rare butterfly, Pieris virginiensis (Pieridae)

This was my first published paper, and it explored the biogeographical factors relating to survival of this rare butterfly, the West Virginia White. We tracked the same field site for several years, finding little to no evidence of survival of this rare butterfly. Evidence was tenuous, mostly because the similarities between P. virginiensis and P. […]

Read More
December 30, 2022
Does garlic mustard lure and kill the West Virginia White butterfly?

Another beautiful piece placed in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, this was our second dive into the chemistry of Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) and how it was affecting a rare native butterfly, Pieris virginiensis (the West Virginia White). We found that one particular compound, sinigrin, did not affect oviposition rates, but it did effect how […]

Read More
December 30, 2022
Do mothers always know best? Oviposition mistakes and resulting larval failure of Pieris virginiensis on Alliaria petiolata, a novel, toxic host

This was one of my favorite peer-reviewed articles that came out of my dissertation work. Plus, Don, my advisor and coauthor, absolutely loved the first part of the title (full credit to him!). In this research, we investigated egg-laying in Pieris virginiensis, the West Virginia White butterfly through a combination of field observation and lab […]

Read More

Psst...

Any external links may be affiliate links. If you follow a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. This helps me continue to create great content for you!
hello@samdavisphd.com