George K. Roderick

Of particular interest are two topics: the biology and genetics of bioinvasions, and the history and structure of populations. Both topics are viewed especially in the context of biodiversity science. The work addresses both basic and applied questions, taking advantage of the opportunities associated with the geography of Pacific Basin, Pacific Islands, and Pacific Rim, including California. Research in my lab includes studies of the origins of endemic and non-indigenous organisms, processes associated with colonization and invasion, and population structure, including identification of management units and conservation genetics. Related work examines the role of population subdivision and host use in the formation of species and in the conservation status of Pacific arthropods. I collaborate with Rosemary Gillespie on studies of adaptive radiation of Pacific Island terrestrial arthropods.

One emphasis concerns trophic interactions--how they come to be and how they change over time. These issues are fundamental to processes of colonization and establishment of organisms in novel environments. Such processes are important not only in natural settings, for example as organisms colonize new areas or switch to new hosts, but also in managed systems, where such factors determine the impact of biological invasions and the success of biological control.

Organisms under study in California include both indigenous and non-indigenous organisms, mainly insects and other terrestrial arthropods. In Hawaii, French Polynesia, and the Pacific, I am studying endemic insects (Nesosydne planthoppers and Trupanea flies) associated with plants in the Hawaiian silversword alliance and other hosts, as well as the effects and origins of non-indigenous arthropods. Of particular interest are fruit flies in the family Tephritidae (Diptera), planthoppers in the family Delphacidae (Hemiptera), and the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata, Cicadellidae (Hemiptera). Related projects focus on the population biology of rice pests (planthoppers, stemborers) in SE Asia and Colorado potato beetle and relatives in the US and Northern Mexico.

My students address questions in population biology, biodiversity science, conservation genetics, evolutionary ecology, and systematics, primarily with a focus on terrestrial invertebrates, especially insects. I also co-advise students with colleagues in ESPM and Integrative Biology. Students and postdocs in my lab have gone on to a variety of careers including positions with academia, state and federal agencies, private NGO's and foundations, and industry. Former students and postdocs hold positions with San Diego State University, Univ. Illinois, UC Riverside, Univ. S. Texas, The College of New Jersey, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Univ. US Virgin Islands, Univ. Hawaii, UC Berkeley, Univ. Maryland, USDA, USGS, BASF, State of Hawaii, Center for Biological Diversity, Hebrew University, National Taiwan University, and Intl. Rice Research Institute (IRRI). See our lab's Evolab page for links to former students and postdocs: http://nature.berkeley.edu/evolab.

Currently, I am the Faculty Director of UC Berkeley's South Pacific Research Station on Moorea, French Polynesia, which provides the base in the Pacific for researchers and courses from UC as well as other schools. For a description of facilities and policies see: http://moorea.berkeley.edu/. I am also a Curator for the Essig Museum of Entomology, Berkeley Natural History Museums.

Research in my laboratory is supported through grants from NSF (Population/Systematic Biology, International Programs, Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology), USDA (National Research Initiative), California Department of Food and Agriculture (Exotic Pests), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the UC Agricultural Experiment Station. For a description of research projects, see: http://nature.berkeley.edu/~roderick.

For list of publications, see: http://nature.berkeley.edu/~roderick.

Roderick GK, Percy DM (2008) Host plant use, diversification, and coevolution: Insights from remote oceanic islands. In: Specialization, speciation, and radiation. Evolutionary Biology of Herbivorous Insects (ed. Tilmon KJ), p. in press. University of California Press, Berkeley.

Lozier JD, Mills NJ, Roderick GK (2007) Genetic evidence from mitochondrial, nuclear, and endosymbiont markers for the evolution of host pant associated species in the aphid genus Hyalopterus (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Evolution 61, 1353-1367.

Gillespie RG, Claridge EM, Roderick GK (2007) Biodiversity dynamics in isolated island communities: interaction between natural and human-mediated processes. Molecular Ecology, online early.

Charlat S, Hornett EA, Fullard JH, Davies N, Roderick GK, Wedell N, Hurst GDD (2007) Extraordinary flux in sex-ratio. Science 317, 214.

Hornett EA, Charlat S, Duplouy AMR, Davies N, Roderick GK, Wedell N, Hurst GDD (2006) Evolution of male killer suppression in a natural population. PLOS Biology 9, 1643-1648.

Grandgirard J, Hoddle MS, Roderick GK, Petit JN, Percy D, Putoa R, Garnier C, Davies N (2006) Invasion of French Polynesia by the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): A new threat to the South Pacific. Pacific Science 60, 429-438.

Clarke AR, Armstrong KF, Carmichael AE, Milne JR, Raghu S, Roderick GK, Yeates DK (2005) Invasive phytophagous pests arising through a recent tropical evolutionary radiation: The Bactrocera dorsalis complex of fruit flies. Annual Review of Entomology 50, 293-319.

Hufbauer RA, Roderick GK (2005) Microevolution in biological control: mechanisms, patterns, and processes. Biological Control 35: 227-239.

Savolainen V, Cowan RS, Vogler AP, Roderick GK, Lane R (2005) Towards writing the encyclopaedia of life: an introduction to DNA barcoding. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences 360(1462), 1805-1811.

Savolainen V, Cowan RS, Vogler AP, Roderick GK, editors (2005) DNA barcoding of life. Papers of a Theme Issue. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences 360(1462), 1803-1950.

Navia D, de Moraes GJ, Roderick GK, Navajas M (2005) The invasive coconut mite Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae): origin and invasion sources inferred from mitochondrial (16S) and nuclear (ITS) sequences. Bulletin of Entomological Research 95: 505-516.

Charlat S, Homett EA, Dyson EA, Ho PHY, Thi Loc N, Schilthuizen M, Davies N, Roderick GK, Hurst GDD (2005) Prevalence and penetrance variation of male-killing Wolbachia across Indo-Pacific populations of the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina. Molecular Ecology 14, 3525-3530.

Nardi F, Carapelli A, Dallai R, Roderick GK, Frati F (2005) Population structure and colonization history of the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera, Tephritidae). Molecular Ecology 14, 2729-2738.

Roderick GK (2004) Tracing the origin of pests and natural enemies: genetic and statistical approaches. In: Genetics, Evolution, and Biological Control (eds. Ehler LE, Sforza R, Mateille T), pp. 97-112. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

Roderick GK, Navajas M (2003) Genotypes in novel environments: Genetics and evolution in biological control. Nature Reviews Genetics 4, 889-899.

Gillespie RG, Roderick GK (2002) Arthropods on islands: colonization, speciation, and conservation. Annual Review of Entomology 47, 595-632.