Hui Yu's Research at ISU

The species-specific relationship between figs and their wasp pollinators provides a well-characterized mutualism in which we can quantify fitness costs and benefits of both partners in a common currency (seeds and wasps) and relate these fitness tradeoffs and mutualism stability to relevant abiotic ang biotic factors. My research in ISU is the part of John’s project and focus on a fig-fig wasp system composed of the Sonoran Desert Rock Fig, Ficus petiolaris, its obligate pollinating wasp, and associated wasp parasites. This system represents the environmental limits of fig-fig wasp mutualisms in North America. Although widespread, F. petiolaris populations are typically isolated and small. My research in our lab is just beginning, currently using microsatellite primers for Pegoscapus wasps (published by Drude Molbo) to study the phylogeography of the pollinator of Ficus petiolaris.

• For a list of my publications click here