Jessica M. Aguilar, an evolutionary ecologist and UC Davis alumna who is currently a National Science Foundation postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, will present her research on insect diet detoxification at the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar on Wednesday, February 25. The seminar will take place at 2 p.m. in Briggs Hall, with an option to attend via Zoom.
Aguilar’s talk is titled “Evolution of Xenobiotic Detoxification Genes in the Herbivorous Scaptomyza.” In her abstract, she states: “Identifying the factors that create and maintain biodiversity is a central goal of evolutionary biology. It is clear that biotic interactions spur species diversification, and insect herbivores provide a compelling example of the ways that adaptation to the biotic environment increases diversification rates. Using the herbivores Scaptomyza flava as a model, we used transcriptomics, population genetics, and in vivo characterizations to understand the necessary adaptation to plant chemicals of two ubiquitous detoxification genes, cytochrome p450s and Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs).”
Professor Rachel Vannette, vice chair of the department, will introduce Aguilar at the event.
Since June 2024, Aguilar has been part of Tadashi Fukami’s lab. She describes her current work as “studying the evolutionary dynamics of the bacteria and phage in the gut of the coffee berry borer beetle, especially in response to the high amounts of caffeine present in their diet.”
Aguilar earned her bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from UC Davis under Professor Louie Yang. She completed her doctorate in integrative biology with a focus on computational and genomic biology at UC Berkeley in May 2024 under Professor Noah Whiteman. Her dissertation examined interactions between Scaptomyza flava (a leaf-mining fly), its host plants, and its gut microbiome.
She authored research published April 23, 2024 in Ecosphere titled “Insights into the Evolution of Herbivory from a Leaf-Mining Fly.” In this publication’s abstract she wrote: “Herbivorous insects and their host plants comprise most known species on Earth. Illuminating how herbivory repeatedly evolved in insects from nonherbivorous lineages is critical to understanding how this biodiversity is created and maintained. We characterized the trophic niche of Scaptomyza flava, a representative of a lineage nested within the Drosophila that transitioned to herbivory ~10–15 million years ago. We used natural history studies to determine whether S. flava is a true herbivore or a cryptic microbe-feeder, given that the ancestral character state for the family Drosophilidae is likely microbe-feeding. Specifically, we quantified oviposition substrate choice and larval viability across food types, trophic-related morphological traits, and nitrogen isotope and sterol profiles across putatively herbivorous and nonherbivorous drosophilids. The results of these studies show that S. flava is an obligate herbivore of living plants. Paired with its genetic model host, Arabidopsis thaliana, S. flava is a novel and powerful system for exploring mechanisms underlying the evolution of herbivory, a complex trait that enabled the exceptional diversification of insects.”
For technical issues related to attending this seminar online or in person, attendees are advised to contact Marshal McMunn at msmcmunn@ucdavis.edu.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) plays an important role statewide by sharing science-based practices designed to improve lives through research initiatives such as those presented by scholars like Aguilar (https://ucanr.edu/). UC ANR operates offices throughout all California counties along with nine Research and Extension Centers serving as living laboratories across diverse ecosystems (https://ucanr.edu/). The organization delivers University of California expertise through outreach programs focused on agriculture, environmental conservation efforts including wildfire protection strategies, nutrition education initiatives for youth populations as well as community support services (https://ucanr.edu/). Glenda Humiston serves as vice president for UC ANR (https://ucanr.edu/).
Cover image: Scaptomyza flava in The Netherlands (Courtesy Dick Belgers/Wikipedia).