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Tania Jogesh


Chicago Botanic Garden

Plants and insects comprise the majority of the world’s biodiversity. How has the interaction between plants and insects given rise to the incredible diversity of both groups? My research interests lie in understanding the ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant-insect interactions. Plants interact with the world primarily through the means of chemistry and produce a diverse array of chemical compounds that can serve important ecological functions by protecting the plant from herbivory or attracting pollinators. As a post-doctoral researcher at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I examine the role of floral scent in mediating interactions with hawk moth pollinators and herbivores in the evening primrose family, Onagraceae. In at least two species, floral scent shows substantial geographic variation and we hypothesize that this geographic variation is a consequence of differential herbivore and pollinator selection. I am also interested in how plant-insect coevolution has resulted in in rapid adaptive radiations (speciation) in plants. As a part of my post-doctoral research, I explore the importance of herbivores, pollinators and floral scent in the diversification of Onagraceae.