Graduate Student Pennsylvania State University State College, Pennsylvania
Herb gall wasps are exceptionally understudied despite their diversity and applicability to large-scale questions of biology and ecology. Silphium plants are critical components of tallgrass prairies, and act as hosts to the genus Antistrophus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Aulacideini), a group of herb gall wasps that serve as the base of a complex food web in North American prairie remnants. Ten species are currently described, but initial inspection of biology and taxonomy of the group reveals great potential for existing undescribed diversity. Preliminary results indicate a number of species complexes within the Silphium gallers which provide exceptional glimpses into sympatric speciation. By conducting a revision of Antistrophus wasps, I will uncover this inconspicuous and threatened biodiversity before it can be lost while enabling further research on Silphium with specific regard to conservation and agricultural use.
