M. Forister

Agricultural margins could enhance landscape connectivity for pollinating insects across the Central Valley of California, U.S.A.

The paper models landscape connectivity for pollinators in California's Central Valley, finding that agricultural margins can enhance connectivity more than natural areas.

Niche specificity, polygeny, and pleiotropy in herbivorous insects

This study uses simulations to show that pleiotropy is not necessary for host-use specialization in herbivorous insects, though it can be sufficient under certain conditions.

Jack-of-all-trades paradigm meets long-term data: generalist herbivores are more widespread and locally less abundant

The paper uses a 17-year dataset of caterpillar-plant interactions to show that more specialized caterpillars are locally more abundant than generalists, but generalists are more prevalent at larger scales.

Leveraging biological complexity to predict patch occupancy in a recent host range expansion

The paper predicts the colonization of alfalfa by the Melissa blue butterfly using biotic and abiotic factors, showing metabolomic variation and species interactions are key.

Recent hybrids recapitulate ancient hybrid outcomes

The paper shows that ancestry patterns in ancient hybrid lineages are predictable from contemporary hybrid zones, suggesting similar effects of selection and recombination over time.

A winner in the Anthropocene: changing host plant distribution explains geographic range expansion in the gulf fritillary butterfly

This study investigates the range expansion of the gulf fritillary butterfly by analyzing how host plant distribution and climate factors influence its geographic spread.

Genomic evidence of genetic variation with pleiotropic effects on caterpillar fitness and plant traits in a model legume

This study shows that genetic variation in Medicago truncatula affects caterpillar growth and survival, with pleiotropic effects on plant traits and caterpillar performance.