On mating, motherhood, and mortality: The entangled evolution of butterflies, eggs, and enemies

Summary

Insects like butterflies and egg parasitoids face many challenges when reproducing, from harsh climates and toxic plants to predators. My research looks at how butterflies and their natural enemies make smart choices about how to mate and lay eggs, and how those choices have evolved over time. I studied Pieris butterflies and Trichogramma wasps to understand how behavior, egg traits, and chemical signals vary between species and populations. This variation helps explain how insects adapt to their environments and defend themselves, or fail to, against threats. By linking small traits like egg pores and big decisions like host plant selection, my work shows that tiny insects are engaged in complex and evolving survival strategies shaped by tradeoffs.