I am interested in the behavioral and ecological changes that populations undergo during speciation, particularly in the case of rapid evolution. I work on the Hawaiian Tetragnatha (long-jawed) spiders, a striking example of adaptive radiation comprising more than fifty species with diverse morphologies and lifestyles. My research seeks to characterize differences in the niches occupied by these closely related spiders by examining their microhabitat preferences, web-building behavior, and stable isotope signatures. Aside from my focal study, I am also a passionate spider enthusiast with a broad interest in the evolution and biodiversity of arachnids worldwide.
