Research in the Murphy lab is primarily focused on the ecology and evolution of species interactions, specifically plant-insect interactions. Our goal is to understand why insects eat what they do and to approach this research by asking questions at multiple scales, from populations to communities to ecosystems. Our research program has two major research foci, each with several ongoing projects:
At the scale of populations and species, we are interested in why some herbivorous insects are specialists while others are generalists and how each of these groups choose their host plants. At the scale of communities, we study how natural enemies affect community structure and population dynamics of herbivorous insects. Finally, at the ecosystem scale, we have projects that investigate how nutrient cycling, resource subsidies and other disturbances may affect interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants both directly as well as indirectly by altering the impact that natural enemies and detritivores have on populations of herbivores. At all scales, we are interested in how global change affects species interactions. Recently we have also started to study honey bee foraging behavior in collaboration with major and non-major undergraduate students at the University of Denver, and also to study how aging affects insect fitness in collaboration with Dr. Robin Tinghitella and her lab.
Our research program is integrative, drawing on techniques and theory developed in a variety of disciplines including anatomy, behavior, biogeochemistry, botany, chemistry, ecology, entomology and evolutionary biology.
- How global change affects species interactions and food web dynamics
- Evolutionary ecology of diet breadth
At the scale of populations and species, we are interested in why some herbivorous insects are specialists while others are generalists and how each of these groups choose their host plants. At the scale of communities, we study how natural enemies affect community structure and population dynamics of herbivorous insects. Finally, at the ecosystem scale, we have projects that investigate how nutrient cycling, resource subsidies and other disturbances may affect interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants both directly as well as indirectly by altering the impact that natural enemies and detritivores have on populations of herbivores. At all scales, we are interested in how global change affects species interactions. Recently we have also started to study honey bee foraging behavior in collaboration with major and non-major undergraduate students at the University of Denver, and also to study how aging affects insect fitness in collaboration with Dr. Robin Tinghitella and her lab.
Our research program is integrative, drawing on techniques and theory developed in a variety of disciplines including anatomy, behavior, biogeochemistry, botany, chemistry, ecology, entomology and evolutionary biology.