Plant population sizes are generally regulated by herbivores, and much of the diversity of our native flora is due to this phenomenon. Exotic plants are often able to invade and destroy this diversity because they do not experience herbivory to the same degree as native plants. Michael LaScaleia’s research seeks to answer the simple question: “why not?” While we understand that invasive plants experience less herbivory, we do not know the precise mechanisms that lead to this so called “enemy release” or how it allows invasive plants to dominate so efficiently. LaScaleia observes native caterpillars to determine how the consumption of non-native plants impacts their fitness, especially in relation to their predators. Ultimately, I hope to find ways to use native caterpillars to control and defeat invasive exotic plants.
Michael LaScaleia completed his PhD on plant-caterpillar-parasitoid interactions at the University of Connecticut in August 2024, and is now the Putnam Postdoctoral Fellow at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. His interest in native flora was sparked during his undergraduate years at Tufts, and grew to include insects and plant/herbivore interactions during his graduate studies.