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Many diverse seeds swell with sticky-mucilage when wetted; we study the ecology of this odd, but common, trait.

Sticky plants often entrap insects, which are scavenged by predators that also protect the plant from destructive herbivores. We study many aspects of this fascinating interaction.

We study the ecology of psammophory, the adhesion of sand particles to plant surfaces - a bizarre, interesting, and important trait that has evolved repeatedly in plants in sandy areas.

Abronia and Tripterocalyx are small group of western wildflowers. We are studying the evolution and ecology of pollination and defensive traits in this interesting clade.

Wildfire - natural or human-caused -occurs in many ecosystems worldwide. We study how wildfire changes plants, pollinator communities, and how those factors affect plant reproduction.

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Welcome!

Welcome to my plant-insect lab in the Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution at Oklahoma State University. The lab studies a diversity of topics related to the interactions between plants and insects and, occasionally, hummingbirds, mostly focusing on herbivory and pollination. We also study the ecology and evolution of the sand verbenas (Nyctaginaceae: Abronia/Tripterocalyx), the coolest plants in North America. What exact projects lay in store for the next few years remain to be seen, but do check out the research pages and publications for the general themes!

If any of this research sounds cool and you are interested in joining the lab, as a graduate student (masters or phd), post-doc, or undergraduate researcher, let's talk! It would be great to get a couple graduate students to start in the Fall of 2021 and postdocs and undergraduates could start even earlier.

-Eric LoPresti

Welcome!

DEPARTMENT OF PLANT BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, AND EVOLUTION